Composing Greatness: #18. John Williams - "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" (1983)

Scene from Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Series Composer: John Williams

Entry: Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Collaborators (If Available): London Symphony Orchestra

Nomination: Best Music, Original Score

Did He Win: No

Other Nominees:

-The Right Stuff (Bill Conti) *winner
-Cross Creek (Leonard Rosenman)
-Terms of Endearment (Michael Gore)
-Under Fire (Jerry Goldsmith)

Additional Information

This is to help provide perspective of where each composer is in their Oscar-nominated life as it related to the current entry.

Oscar Nomination: 19

Oscar Wins: 4

Track List

1. "Main Title (The Story Continues)"
2. "Into the Trap"
3. "Luke and Leia"
4. "Parade of Ewoks"
5. "Han Solo Returns (At the Court of Jabba the Hutt)"
6. "Lapti Nek (Jabba's Palace Band)"
7. "The Forest Battle"
8. "Rebel Briefing"
9. "The Emperor"
10. "The Return of the Jedi"
11. "Ewok Celebration and Finale"

*NOTE: Listen to score here. 

Exploring the Music

The area of the column where I will explore the music in as much detail as I see fit for each entry.

Theme Exploration:

"Main Title (The Story Continues)'

What exactly is there to say about the Star Wars theme by this point? Everyone knows it, and the fun comes from what comes after the first minute, when the scroll has passed and the story,  as the title suggests, continues. In some ways, this is the least interesting of the three themes from this franchise, if just because it has nowhere to go. The Empire Strikes Back had the benefit of expanding on the original. Here, John Williams goes operatic and more classical than before. In some ways, it's his most polished work, as I feel that E.T. marked a significant turning point in his career. In that way, this is his most assured pass at the score. It's also evidence that he set the blueprint for how to expand and explore themes within a trilogy of music, setting an impressive feat that works in spite of its occasional dips. 

Interesting Standout
"Lapti Nek (Jabba's Palace Band)"

It's a bit obvious at this point that Star Wars was trying to bank on everything that came before. This is so much an attempt to capture the magic of the Cantina Band, but without the heart. It's an 80's song through and through, and it's so tongue in cheek and out of place compared to everything else here. Even in terms of John Williams' usual memorable work, this is a low point, especially given how much Return of the Jedi has soaked into our popular culture. It's a mediocre song, and one that deflates an otherwise fine score. Then again, this is also the most playful Star Wars score, so there's a lot of noteworthy standouts for a franchise that has built some serious and interesting work. Of what's been covered so far, it's hard to like whatever it is that this song was attempting to go for. It's not funny or catchy. It's just interesting in that it stands out in a bad way.

Best Moment
"Parade of Ewoks"

A fascinating thing about this particular run of a Star Wars score is that I felt reminded of two different types of genres battling it out. Unlike before where I made plenty of David Lean/Maurice Jarre comparisons, I found myself thinking of operatic melodrama and campy musicals. I'm thinking Andrew Lloyd Weber and Rodgers & Hammerstein. This score is so playful and sees John Williams expanding towards a more youthful and fun vibe. With limited exceptions, he has managed to counteract the usual dark themes of the plot with something jaunty and creative. It's hard not to like that he's trying to be more than the Jaws guy. He is so much more, and this playful piece is a good example of it.

Did This Deserve an Oscar Nomination?:

No

I am firmly in the camp that Best ORIGINAL Score is a category that should be all inclusive or doesn't favor icons. It's still annoying that Nino Rota didn't get nominated for The Godfather but did for the sequel, just because he used preexisting music. There's whole areas of this score that are practically borrowed from previous movies. Unlike The Empire Strikes Back where the expansion at least makes me tempted to give it a pass, here it is largely a decent score overblown by the franchise's popularity. It is fine, but it is something that we've heard before - twice - and would likely hear again several more times before this column is through (any money on The Last Jedi getting nominated?). Still, it's not entirely original, and it isn't fair that other iconic/great scores get ignored for having half as much plagiarism as John Williams' impressive body of follow-ups. They're good, but original they are not.

Up Next: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) for Best Music, Original Score

Best Theme

A ranking of all themes composed by John Williams.

1. "Flying"- E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) 
2. "The Raiders March" - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
3. "Main Theme (Theme From 'Jaws')" - Jaws (1975)
4. "Theme From 'Superman'" - Jaws (1978) 
5. "Prologue/Tradition" - Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
6. "Main Title and Mountain Visions" - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
7. "Main Title/The Ice Planet/Hoth" - Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
8. "Main Title" - The Towering Inferno (1974)
9. "Main Title/Rebel Blockade/Runner Medley" - Star Wars (1977)
10. "Wednesday Special (Main Theme)" - Cinderella Liberty (1973)
11. "Main Title/First Introduction/The Winton Flyer" - The Reivers (1969)
12. "River Song"- Tom Sawyer (1973)
13. "Where Did My Childhood Go?" - Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
14. "Theme from 'Valley of the Dolls'"/"Theme from 'Valley of the Dolls' - Reprise" - Valley of the Dolls (1967)
15. "Main Title (The Story Continues)" - Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi  (1983)
16. "Opening Titles" - The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
17. "In Search of Unicorns" - Images (1972)

Best Song

A ranking of all Oscar-nominated songs composed by John Williams.

1. "Nice to Be Around" - Cinderella Liberty (1973)
2. "If We Were in Love" - Yes, Giorgio (1983)

Best Winner

A ranking of all winners composed by John Williams.

1. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) for Best Music, Original Score
2. Jaws (1975) for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
3. Fiddler on the Roof (1971) for Best Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score
4. Star Wars (1977) for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score