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Music by John Williams (2024)

Music by John Williams (2024)

The Very Best

8.0

An infinitely feel-good tribute to the man behind the most iconic movie music, from Superman to Star Wars and beyond

Movie

United States of America
English
Documentary, Music
2024

TLDR

Steven Spielberg and John Williams’ neverending collaboration is the true definition of real recognizes real.

What it's about

Tells the storied life of composer John Williams, featuring interviews with frequent collaborators like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, as well with fellow composers and musicians.

The take

Before this documentary, I didn’t have the faintest clue that the formative films of my childhood—Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones, ET, and Harry Potter, to name a few—were scored by one man: John Williams. This film is a loving tribute to Williams, who at 92, is still as lively as ever as he shares how he stumbled into Hollywood and found his calling as the definitive movie composer. It features interviews with frequent collaborators like Steven Spielberg and Yoyo Ma and fans like Chris Martin and Seth MacFarlane, but it’s truly Williams’ music that makes watching this a special experience. As soon as you hear the chilling first notes of Jaws, the brash opening of Star Wars, and the melodic strings of Jurassic Park, you’re hooked. Then Williams, often along with the directors, go on and recount how those came to be, and you find yourself seated, eyes wide with wonder.

What stands out

I just want to bask in the overflowing warmness that comes with Williams’ music. I hear the film scores and I’m instantly transported to the day I first saw these movies as a kid. What a powerful feeling!

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