It is rare to watch a documentary that touches your heart and invites your soul to soar while you are overwhelmed with emotional memories. “Music is primal.” You hear the first three or five notes, and you know instantaneously John Williams is in the house. I truly felt at peace witnessing and listening to this brilliant film, MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS.
John Williams is a living legend… an iconic genius. He is the mastermind behind some of modern history’s most memorable movie scores. This beautifully and thoughtfully produced documentary shared an intimate look at John’s composing process, his amazing background, and the details of his childhood through clips and interviews with world-renowned musicians, composers, movie directors, friends, and family. People such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo man, J.J. Abrams, Ke Huy Quan, and Ron Howard gave their voice to this magnificent film. There were also stories from symphony musicians and producers. It was a who’s who in the artistic world.
Williams learned by doing and practicing hours upon hours each day. Inspiration comes after watching the scoreless movie. He believed in creating themes woven within each frame. He deeply “felt” each film, giving every minute detail of musical characterization. This is evident in his entire body of work, but especially in his concertos, E.T., STAR WARS, JAWS, SCHINDLER’S LIST, HARY POTTER, SUPERMAN, JURASSIC PARK, the Olympic Theme, and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. His talent lives on a higher plane that truly understands musical sound.
MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS is a gift. It is filled with love for a craft that may be slowly dying due to synthesizers and electronic music. This documentary, produced by Spielberg, is Oscar-worthy. Don’t miss this delightful, thoroughly entertaining treat.
It is streaming on DISNEY +.
