John Williams, composer of iconic scores like Star Wars and E.T., shares his story in Music by John Williams, a documentary produced by Steven Spielberg. This film celebrates Williams’ unparalleled career, honoring his deep friendship with Spielberg.
He composed “the soundtrack of our lives” with scores for Star Wars, E.T., and Indiana Jones, yet his own story remains lesser-known: John Williams, 92, opens up in a documentary produced by his “soul brother,” Steven Spielberg.
Premiering Wednesday at the American Film Institute Festival in Los Angeles, before its November 1st release on Disney+, Music by John Williams traces the career of the American conductor behind countless cinema classics, from Jaws to Harry Potter to Schindler’s List.
“This is something I’ve been trying to do for a long time,” says the documentary’s Franco-American director, Laurent Bouzereau, who first met the five-time Oscar-winning composer 30 years ago while working on one of his many Spielberg making-ofs. “But he had always said no,” adds Bouzereau, praising Williams as “a very modest man,” who “inspires integrity,” “isn’t keen on being idolized,” and “doesn’t much like looking back.”
A quick glance in the rearview mirror, though, reveals a dazzling legacy: 54 Oscar nominations—surpassed only by Walt Disney—over a hundred films scored, including nearly all of Steven Spielberg’s movies, close to 20 classical concertos, and an oeuvre performed by orchestras worldwide, with tunes instantly recognizable from their opening notes.
Jazz Pianist
“I challenge anyone to find another composer who is as strong and celebrated as he is,” says Bouzereau, who enlisted E.T.’s creator to help coax John Williams into the project. “I thought that if Steven asked, there would be a good chance he’d say yes.”
Convinced by this “partnership,” also joined by director Ron Howard as co-producer, John Williams reflects on his iconic soundtracks—written from visuals rather than scripts—like the theme for Jaws, where two simple notes capture the lurking menace of an unseen shark.
The New York native also revisits his early years, immersed in music alongside his percussionist father, his start as a jazz pianist and television arranger, the loss of his first wife, actress Barbara Ruick, at age 43, and his rocky years as conductor of the Boston Pops in the 1980s.
And, of course, there’s his pivotal encounter with Steven Spielberg, who 50 years ago entrusted him with Sugarland Express, his first major film, and introduced him to Star Wars creator George Lucas.
“Alchemy”
These two filmmakers are among the many voices in the documentary recounting how John Williams elevated their work, with contributions from Coldplay’s Chris Martin and violinist Itzhak Perlman on the “timeless” impact of his music, says Bouzereau.
“He truly elevated the art of film music,” which today is “threatened by artificial intelligence” and was once widely dismissed by “many people, many musicians,” Bouzereau notes. He identifies the turning point as 1977, when the Los Angeles Philharmonic played Star Wars in public for the first time.
Ironically, Williams “isn’t a cinephile,” Bouzereau observes. “He’s not someone who goes to the movies” but who “loves the craft of cinema.” Above all, he values his connection with directors like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, with whom he shares a unique “alchemy.”
His relationship with Steven Spielberg, in particular, is “unique,” Bouzereau insists. “They call each other brothers… There aren’t many people who’ve had that kind of relationship,” except perhaps “François Truffaut and (his composer friend) Georges Delerue.”
With AFP
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