Revenge of the soundtrack … or is it the Return? By Anil Rao You could say I was somewhat reluctant at first when asked to review the new Star Wars soundtrack. The last two had both been half measures at best and were emotionally disengaging on a number of levels. This is perhaps more reflective of the films they had to accompany. My biggest concern with both of the existing prequel soundtracks is that they relied upon one signature track and not much else. Duel of the Fates and Across the Stars are wonderful and complete compositions yet, apart from what we recognise from our past, what surrounds them is not much to write home about.

Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to announce that the soundtrack to Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is more like John Williams’ Harry Potter series - a masterstroke more reminiscent of his earlier achievements. It is as if (like the upcoming film itself) George Lucas has kept it up his sleeve for redemption and forgiveness. After all, this is the key moment in his own Argonautica that we have all been waiting for. Sadly, we have had to endure two tragic missteps to get to it and it simply isn’t enough to state “third time lucky”; you could say it had been planned after all.

Upon listening to the new score (four times in a row without realising) I can only say that whilst not as fluid or as groundbreaking as the music to the Old Trilogy it is pretty damn close. You might recall the euphoria you felt over Sith’s teaser trailer. As with the teaser to The Phantom Menace, it worked successfully because of the use of the old trilogy’s music. Music we have grown to love and cherish. In all honesty, one could have had Sesame Street’s Big Bird dance a jig to the old music and you would accept it without question. This is because you’ve been unconsciously manipulated by treasured memories from your own past. It is for this reason that Sith as a score has some key special moments, and I mean moments that genuinely make the hairs on your neck stand up and, wait for it… feel The Force flowing through you again and again

The signature track in this offering, appropriately titled Battle of the Heroes, is not a big, bold, and obvious affair like the aforementioned Duel and Stars, yet it is equally as passionate in a subtle way. Furthermore, the rest of the music is independently balanced to Heroes and is very pleasing to hear. As with most of John Williams’s recent offerings, the acutest ear can hear certain cues from the composer’s back catalogue (and at times even that isn't necessary). Whether this is laziness or purposely done, it is not a bad thing. John Barry’s Oscar-winning score for Dances with Wolves was actually a retread of his work on Moonraker and The Legend of the Lone Ranger. The point being that when it’s so obvious, it’s disappointing to hear.

One track actually makes you wonder if you are watching a Harry Potter film, and cues from the Indiana Jones series can also be heard interwoven into this score. When a composer these days decides to go choral, you cannot help but think of Hans Zimmer, and there is a track that is very much in his mould, (yes, I know you can hear choral in Jedi!) Having said all that, I am really being complimentary. These points don’t harm the offering in anyway; in fact, you could say that they are all in there for music lovers to find.

A final point I wish to touch upon is the new trilogy’s reliance upon, and over use of, Luke’s theme. When Luke looks at the two sunsets on Tatooine, it’s an audience-defining moment, where we all wonder what our futures have in store for us… our loves, our dreams and our new hopes. The more that this signature piece is heard, the more it removes the key meaning we all shared whilst watching it for the first time. Again this is not a hindrance, but it relates it all too much with the Skywalker past/destiny, which is in itself already clear to us. Williams stated in his notes on Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade that he wanted to get away from hearing the Indy theme whenever something heroic was happening on screen. There he made it work but it can also work against you as in Eric Serra’s soundtrack to the James Bond film Goldeneye. The signature Bond theme was heard once and caused much offence to Bond audiences in general.

So is it a Return, or a, Revenge? It’s both. The return of a great soundtrack;* a score that delivers and reminds you of what you grew up to love and is a revenge against the mishaps of Episodes I and II… DARTH VADER, I believe, truly does live.

* Hopefully a film that delivers too. It sounds and feels that way, but don’t quote me on that yet.