I think of myself as a film composer.
John WilliamsRead
When we see Rey, we want to hear Rey's theme, and when the Force is referred to or felt, we want to hear the Force theme, and so on. We hope that these references make sense to the fans and make the aural connections that we want them to have.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of musical themes in storytelling, particularly in films, to evoke emotions and connections with the audience.
John Williams highlights the significance of musical cues in film, specifically how recurring themes associated with characters or concepts, like Rey or the Force, enrich the storytelling experience. This connection enhances audience engagement, allowing them to feel a deeper emotional resonance with the narrative as they anticipate familiar melodies that reinforce their attachment to the characters and the story.
In practice
In a discussion about film soundtracks, this quote can illustrate the crucial role of thematic music.
It's simple: You get a part. You play a part. You play it well. You do your work and you go home. And what is wonderful about movies is that once they're done, they belong to the people. Once you make it, it's what they see. That's where my head is at.
My fiction may, now and again, illuminate aspects of the human condition, but I do not consciously set out to do so: I am a storyteller.
Nowhere in the job description of an artist is the requirement that I must validate your taste.
The house has to please everyone, contrary to the work of art which does not. The work is a private matter for the artist. The house is not.
I am trying to make art that relates to the deepest and most mythic concerns of human kind and I believe that, at this moment of history, feminism is humanism.
That's another way of writing a song, of course. Just talking to somebody that ain't there. That's the best way. That's the truest way. Then it just becomes a question of how heroic your speech is. To me, it's something to strive after.
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