Comparison Paper: Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings

The first about a heroic journey to rescue a princess in space, the other a story of four courageous hobbits on a quest to Mount Doom, both Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings have become monumental films due to both their storyline and musical score. Having never seen either of these epic films, I decided now was a good of time as ever to acquaint myself with Luke and Frodo. Even more, having heard both soundtracks before, I was curious how they each fit into the films. Star Wars: A New Hope opens with the oppressive Darth Vader boarding a rebel ship. The story then follows the life of Luke Skywalker and his allies as they try to rescue Princess Leia from Darth Vader’s grasp. The story culminates as Skywalker and the other rebels make an attack on Darth Vader’s ship, the Death Star. The musical score was an original composition by John Williams, who has composed some of the most famous scores in history. He is a five time winner of the Academy Award and has vastly left his mark on the film industry. Aside from films, he is a well established composer of concert works and is now the laureate composer for the Boston Pops Orchestra. The Lord of the Rings, on the other hand, opens as a narrator provides the audience with a history of an ancient ring, which was thought to be lost. However, the ring finds its way to a hobbit named Frodo, who must make a journey to the Cracks of Doom to destroy it. He makes this quest with an elf named Legolas, a dwarf named Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, and three other hobbits named Merry, Pippin, and Samwise. They call themselves the Fellowship of the Ring, and the first film of the trilogy ends with the Fellowship standing on a cliff and embarking on their journey. The score to The Lord of the Rings was composed by Howard Shore specifically for the film. Shore, who is well-known for both his film scores and concert works, also wrote the scores for the remainder of the films in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In Star Wars, the music as a whole had strong emotional strength and was consistent throughout the film. Each theme used throughout the film developed an emotional connection between the audience and each character. For example, evil has come to be associated with The Imperial March, also known as Darth Vader’s theme, as the Stars Wars: Main Theme is recognized world wide as one of adventure and excitement. Star Wars was an original score composed by John Williams specifically for the film. However, John Williams has a particular and recognizable style that is reflected throughout the music. In addition to its originality, the score from Star Wars is very sincere and comes across as both emotionally heartfelt and genuine. Throughout the film, there are very few scenes when music is not heard, such as when C-3PO and R2D2 are communicating. However, whenever one of the main characters is on screen, there own personal theme, or a variation of their theme, is usually heard in the background. Without the music, the film would not have had the same impact on the audience, as it supports the mood through different styles of music. For example, whenever the imperial soldiers are seen on the screen, the music is very militaristic and march like, evoking emotions of dread and war. The music also plays a very heavy role in supporting the characters, as mentioned above, through each character’s individual theme. In addition, the music as a whole is very appropriate for what it occurring on screen during the film. One of the functions in the film that was extremely effective was the music’s ability to relax the pace of a fast-paced film. For example, the first scene in the film is Princess Leia’s ship being attacked by the imperial forces. The pace stays fairly quick until Luke is not granted permission to attend the academy to become a pilot. Rather upset, Luke leaves his house and ventures outside to watch the sun set. The music played during the memorable “sunset scene” reflects Luke’s feelings of isolation through a French horn solo, which, in turn, drastically relaxes the pace. A second function that plays an important role in the film is the music’s ability to parallel and underscore the action taking place on screen. For example, when the first fight is taking place between Princess Leia’s ship and the imperial forces, the music is loud and percussive. The use of percussive scoring throughout the gunfight portrays the percussive nature of an actual gunfight. Much like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings also had vast emotional strength that grew throughout the film. For example, at the beginning of the film, when the audience has not yet made an emotional connection to the story or the characters, the music is more depictive and introductory. By the end of the film, when the audience is fully involved, the music is very emotional as the hobbits set off on their pivotal journey. Composed by Howard Shore, the score was entirely original and written directly for The Lord of the Rings. At the time, this was one of Howard Shore’s first films of this genre and size, allowing it to be uninfluenced by his other compositions. Being an original score, the music in The Lord of the Rings was extremely sincere and moving and allowed audiences to develop a greater connection to the film over other movies. Overall, Shore uses a lack of music to portray loss, shock, and fear. For example, a key scene in The Lord of the Rings is when Gandalf is defeated by the Balrog in the mines of Moria. Immediately following his death, there is silence, which parallels the shock of both the characters and the audience alike. Again, without the music, the film would not have had the same impact on the audience. The main theme is one of nobility and supports the noble quest of the fellowship of the ring. The music also supports the mood of each individual fight scene through the use of percussion. Furthermore, the music as a whole is very appropriate for what it occurring on screen during all times of the film. The first effective function of film music is the music’s ability to intensify the pace of the film. After the fellowship has departed on their journey, the mood is somewhat somber and relaxed. However, when Gandalf and the fellowship emerge over the top of a hill, the Fellowship Theme is played for the first time, intensifying the pace of the film and promoting a sense of heroism as they embark on their noble cause. Another function that plays a prevalent role in the film is Howard Shore’s ability to create an atmosphere of time and place. When the audience first encounters the hobbits, they are seen in the Shire. The Shire is a very folk-like place, and the music used, called Concerning Hobbits, is both folksy and Celtic and takes the audience to a time and place of innocence and sincerity. The music used in the opening credits of Star Wars is entitled Star Wars: Main Title. The memorable music creates a heroic feeling and evokes excitement amongst the audience. The opening title starts with a brass fanfare and grows into a full orchestral ensemble that supports the main theme played by the french horns. The fanfare-like motif reoccurs throughout the remainder of the opening title. Likewise, in the closing credits, John Williams reuses Star Wars: Main Title, without the fanfare, and intertwines several themes used throughout the film. In The Lord of the Rings, the movie opens in silence as the story’s background is narrated to the audience. Gradually, strings are heard, creating a feeling of insecurity and uncertainty. The strings enter alone with the violins carrying the melody and are never joined by the rest of the orchestra before they fade out. In the closing credits, a piece written for a solo vocalist and orchestra accompaniment is played. This piece is entitled “May it Be”, and is sung in the elf language created by The Lord of the Rings author, J.R.R. Tolkien. The piece is slow and somber and creates a solemn feeling for the audience. Personally, I believe the music used in the opening and closing credits of Star Wars was more effective. I had a better connection to the “book-end” effect created by John Williams, for he was able to tie in the memorable themes used throughout the film and remind the audience of what they just saw. In my opinion, I feel that The Lord of the Rings was stronger in its overall concept. Howard Shore was better at setting the stage for the entire drama, as Star Wars depicted what was occurring on screen at that very moment. However, I believe that Star Wars did a better job of using the functions overall, such as creating unspoken thoughts of the characters and intensifying and relaxing the pace of the film. I felt that The Lord of the Rings sometimes held the same pace for long periods of time, as Star Wars constantly changed. As for mood, Star Wars main moods were ones of action and adventure, as The Lord of the Rings had a mood of nobility and responsibility. Between the two, I feel that Star Wars was more effective in presenting the overall mood, for the music was more upfront and apparent, as the music from The Lord of the Rings usually remained in the background. At no point in either of the films did I feel like the music was ineffective. Both John Williams and Howard Shore have mastered the ability to convey what is occurring on screen to the audience through their use of music. Whether the music is upbeat, solemn, or non-existent, neither film would be the same if the music was replaced or taken away. Therefore, I believe that leaving the films just as they are will allow the films to maintain their effectiveness. Overall, I feel that the score for The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring was more aesthetic and made a greater connection to me as an audience member and educated listener. The music created a deeper emotional connection and struck on many different levels. As a result, I was able to feel more involved with the actual story line and each individual character, which stayed with me past the viewing of the film. Although each film had its strong points, the score for The Lord of the Rings had a deeper impact on me personally.