R.I.P. Branko Lustig (1932-2019)

Brank Lustig

On November 14, 2019, film producer Branko Lustig passed away at the age of 87 in Zagreb, Croatia. He is currently the only person in history from the territory of present-day Croatia to have won two Oscars. Over the course of his career, he produced meaningful dramas that reflected his personal connections to the Holocaust and general oppression. He won Best Picture twice for the films Schindler's List and Gladiator. From then he continued to use his influence to good, making Hollywood a more empathetic place while making great art. He will be missed. 

Composing Greatness: #4. John Williams - "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971)

Scene from Fiddler on the Roof

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.