I saw The Rise of Skywalker for a second time on Monday. As much as I wanted to bring my portable recorders, I understand and respect that doing so would be illegal, so I had to do it the old-fashioned way: I took 30 pages of handwritten notes on the plot and the music, which I've edited, revised, and posted below. The underlined time stamps are the film's timeline (ex: 1:14 means one hour and fourteen minutes into the film), while boldface text refers to the soundtracks (ex: OST, track 14, 3:27 means that that music can be heard on the original soundtrack at 3:27 on the fourteenth track; FYC, track 6, 2:49 means that that music can be heard on the For Your Consideration soundtrack at 2:49 on the sixth track). I'll be seeing the film again next week, and no doubt adding to this timeline. Anybody out there in cyber space who can fill in some of the blanks (or make any corrections), please do so in the comments :-)
0:00 “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...” Opening crawl – OST, track 1, 0:00 0:02 Kylo flies his start ship, power motive x2 (horns, fortissimo) – FYC, track 1, 0:08 & OST, track 2, 1:02 Kylo's power motive interrupted (descending horn) – FYC, track 1, 0:29 & OST, track 2, 1:32 Kylo pauses: high strings – FYC, track 1, 0:37 & OST, track 2, 1:40 Kylo finds the wayfinder: wannabe motive – FYC, track 1, 0:48 & OST, track 2, 2:26 Kylo flies to new planet: string ostinato with trumpet melody – FYC, track 1, 0:58 0:03 Kylo lands: brass – FYC, track 1, 1:29 & OST, track 1, 1:47 Kylo enters Palpatine's temple: no music 0:04 Palpatine: “At last. … Snoke trained you well.” - no music Palpatine: “I made Snoke. … Unnatural.” - incidental music, not on OST or FYC 0:05 Palpatine: “A new empire.” Imperial March as fleet emerges – OST, track 2, 1:57 Palpatine: “Become what your grandfather forever could not. … She is not who you think she is.” Brass play Palpatine's theme – not in OST or FYC 0:06 Chewie plays Poe and Finn (“He's definitely cheating”) on board the Millenium Falcon – no music 0:07 Alarm sounds “A spy in the First Order.” Viola, brass chorale – not on OST or FYC 0:08 TIE fighters attack Falcon: Palpatine's theme (brass, fast) – FYC, track 2, 0:21 Finn: “How do we thank you?” “Win the war.” Resistance March – FYC, track 2 0:21 or 0:53? Finn destroys a TIE fighter: Rebel Fanfare – FYC, track 2, 0:58 0:09 Lightspeed skip #1: jaunty orchestral hits – FYC, track 2, 1:53 Lightspeed skip #2: Rebel Fanfare – FYC, track 2, 2:04 Lightspeed skip #3 0:10 Rey: “Be with me. They're not with me.” Rey's melody, first 2 phrases, horn with strings – no on OST or FYC Leia: “Be patient.” Leia hands Rey Luke's old lightsaber Rey begins training course: ascending horns – not in OST or FYC Rey's chimes (horns), as she runs the course – not on OST or FYC 0:11 Rey's melody (strings) as she continues the course – not in OST or FYC Kylo looks at Vader's mask: Imperial March – not in OST or FYC Rey battles droid on training course, flash to Kylo 0:12 Rey's flashbacks BB-8 stuck under tree – no music 0:13 Rey: “I didn't finish. I got distracted.” Rey hands saber back to Leia. “I will earn it one day.” New, tender musical theme? - not on OST or FYC? 0:14 Falcon lands – no music Poe and Finn argue 0:15 Poe: “We've decoded...” 4-beat string ostinto – no on OST or FYC “The emperor is dead.” Palpatine's theme – not on OST or FYC 0:16 “The Final Order … Exegol.” String glissandos – not on OST or FYC Leia: “Always in the shadows.” Rey and Leia discuss the wayfinder: Force theme (horn, first two phrases) – not on OST or FYC 0:17 Rey: “I need to finish what Luke started.” Rey to Leia: “I don't want to go without your blessing, but I will.” Rey's melody – not on OST or FYC Poe: “We go together.” Together theme (strings) – FYC, track 3, 0:00 & OST, track 9, 0:00 0:18 Rey to Leia: “So much I want to tell you.” Rey's melody – FYC, track 3, 1:07 & OST, track 9, 1:29 Leia hands saber back to Rey: Force theme, phrases 1-4 (horn) – FYC, track 3, 1:22 & OST, track 9, 1:45 Leia: “Never be afraid of who you are.” 0:19 Falcon departs – FYC, track 3, 1:16 & OST, track 9, 2:09 Kylo fixes helmet: this is a new theme/motive that appears throughout the film, but not sure exactly what yet since it does not appear in OST or FYC 0:20 Kylo appears with fixed helmet: power motive x2 (horn, fortissimo) – not in OST or FYC Conference room Kylo: “We have a spy.” Palpatine's theme – not in OST or FYC “We must correct the error of Starkiller base.” - no music Kylo's force choke recalls Vader's own from A New Hope's conference room scene 0:21 Falcon lands on Pasaana – no music 0:22 Pasaana festival – Lin Manuel-Miranda's music? 0:23 Rey sees alien children Rey: “I don't have a family name. I'm just Rey.” Rey's melody (flute) – not in OST or FYC Rey/Kylo ForceTime 0:24 Kylo: “Why didn't you take my hand?” Kylo: “I don't have to kill you.” Wannabe motive – not in OST or FYC Kylo grabs Rey's necklace 0:25 Rey: “We have to go.” Incidental music – not on OST or FYC Lando saves them. Lando: “Wookies stand out in a crowd.” 0:26 TIE fighters appear: horn call – not on OST or FYC 0:27 Lando: “Give Leia my love.” Leia's theme (flute with strings) – not on OST or FYC 0:28 Speeder chase – not in OST or FYC (even though one of the OST tracks is titled “The speeder chase”) Finn: “They fly now?” 0:29 Rey: “I've seen that ship before.” 0:30 Quick sand – no music Finn: “Rey, I never told you...” 0:31 Leia gets bad news: “Be optimistic.” Underground tunnels: incidental music – no ton OST or FYC Rey ignites saber, Poe turns on flashlight 0:32 Walking through tunnels – no music find speeder: incidental creepy music – not on OST or FYC 0:33 Discover Sith dagger 3PO: “Location of the wayfinder is on the dagger. … My programming prohibits me.” - no music Snake appears: incidental music – not on OST or FYC 0:34 Rey approaches snake – no music Rey sees snake's wound: incidental music – not on OST or FYC Rey moves toward wound: Rey's melody (flute with strings) – no on OST or FYC 0:35 Rey heals snake: Force theme, phrases 1 and 2 (horn) – not on OST or FYC Rey: “Force energy from me to him.” Knights of Ren: Knights motive x3(?) - no on OST or FYC 0:36 Rey senses something: “I'll be right behind you.” Finn, Poe, and Cheiw board new ship: Resistance March (brass) – FYC, track 4, 0:25 Resistance (clarinet) – FYC, track 4, 0:38 0:37 Chewie goes after Rey, Knights of Ren spot him: timpani – FYC, track 4, 1:02 Rey walks out: creepy Bartok- or Shostakovich-like strings – FYC, track 4, 1:08 0:38 Finn: “It's Ren.” Agitated strings with horn – FYC, track 4, 1:51 Kylo approaches: hints of Anthem of evil (horn) – FYC, track 4, 1:59 Rey waits, ignites saber: creepy high strings – FYC, track 4, 2:12 0:39 Rey leaps, slashes Kylo's ship, Kylo crashes Finn: “They got Chewie!” 0:40 Rey Force grabs shuttle Kylo emerges from flames: Power motive (horn, fortissimo, x2) – not on OST or FYC Tug of war between Rey and Kylo: wannabe motive (horn) – not on OST or FYC 0:41 Rey's force lightning – no music Rey: “I lose control. … That power came from me.” - no music 0:42 Rey: “I had a vision of the throne of the Sith.”: horn call – FYC, track 5, 0:30 Hux: “Another transport.” 0:43 Chewie survived: Together theme (strings) – FYC, track 5, 1:03 3PO: “Only in my memory now” - no music 0:44 Kijimi Poe: “We're all in this til the end”: Together theme (brass) – FYC, track 6, 0:15 Together theme (horn + flute) – FYC, track 6, 0:30 0:45 BB-8 activates D-O: Together theme – FYC, track 6, 0:56 D-O meets Rey: “No thank you.” Rey: “Somebody treated him badly”: Rey's melody (flute) – FYC, track 6, 1:13 Arrival on Kijimi – no music 0:46 Poe sneaks around Kijimi – no music Poe: “They're everywhere.” Poe: “follow me”: sneaky low strings – not in OST or FYC Zorri appears 0:47 Rey kicks Zorri's ass: “We could really use your help.” Zorri: “Not that you care....” Rey: “I care”: Together theme (strings, brief) – not on OST or FYC 0:48 Knights of Ren appear on Kijimi 0:49 Babu Frik – no music Poe: “Can you make him translate?” Finn: “Doesn't R2 back up your memory?” 3PO: “If this mission fails...”: incidental music – not on OST or FYC 0:50 3PO: “Taking one last look at my friends”: main theme (horn with tender strings) – not on OST or FYC Kylo informed about Kijimi 0:51 3PO: “There's something else we could try...” Babu pulls plug Zorri shows First Order captain's medallion, landing privileges for any vessel 0:52 Zorri to Poe: “Want to come with me?”: incidental music – not on OST or FYC Poe: “I can't walk out.” Zorri: “They win by making you think you're alone.” 0:53 Rey: “My parents were on Oggi's ship.” 3PO activated with red eyes 0:54 Ren's destroyer: Power motive x1 (horn), followed by high strings – OST, track 8, 2:05 Rey: “Chewie's alive”: main theme (clarinet, softly) – OST, track 8, 2:20 0:55 Rey: “We have to go.” Poe to Zorri: “Can I kiss you?” Wannabe motive (horn) – FYC, track 7, 0:35 0:56 Land on destroyer: incidental – not on OST or FYC Rey senses dagger: incidental – not on OST or FYC 0:57 Rey splits up with Poe/Finn/Chewie Kylo: “She's close. Search the city again.” 0:58 Resistance March (horn, slowly) – FYC, track 8, 1:25 Poe shot, stormtroopers capture Poe, Finn, and Chewie 0:59 Rey finds dagger, Vader's mask: Imperial March (horns with creepy strings) – not on OST or FYC Kylo: “You're hard to find.” - no music Rey: “You're hard to get rid of.” Kylo: “I know the rest of your story”: incidental – not in OST or FYC 1:00 Rey flashbacks Kylo: “They sold you to protect you.” 1:01 Pryde: “Terminate them.” Kylo: “You don't know the whole story. It was Palpatine”: Palpatine's theme (brass) – not on OST or FYC 1:02 Hux: “I'd like to do this myself. … I'm the spy.” 1:03 Rey kicks ass: Rey's melody first phrase (horn) – not on OST or FYC Kylo's Power motive (horn with agitated strings) – not on OST or FYC Poe, Finn, and Chewie spot the Falcon: Rebel Fanfare – not on OST or FYC Finn shoots Hux. Hux: “I need Kylo Ren to lose.” Kylo and Rey meet on landing platform: creepy high strings – OST, track 10, 0:00 & FYC, tack 10, 0:00 1:04 Kylo: “He saw what you'd become. … You're his granddaughter. … You are a Palpatine.” Kylo: “We're a dyad in the Force”: Anthem of Evil (heavy strings) – OST, track 10, 0:58 & FYC, track 10, 0:59 1:05 Kylo: “We'll kill him together.” Kylo offers Rey his hand: Anthem of evil (muted horn) – OST, track 10, 1:45 & FYC, track 10, 1:28 Falcon appears: Main theme – FYC, track 10, 1:53 Rey rescued: Rey's melody – FYC, track 10, 2:09 1:06 Hux dies. Falcon's landing gear busted. Rey: “Find Palpatine and destroy him”: Palpatine's theme (woodwinds) – not in OST or FYC 1:07 Falcon crash lands on Endor moon 1:08 Rey removes dagger: harp ostinato – OST, track 4, 0:49 & FYC, track 11, 0:43 Rey lines up dagger: Imperial March – OST, track 4, 1:15 & FYC, track 11, 0:59 1:09 Jenna: “Rough landing.” Rey: “We can't wait until tomorrow”: Rey's countermelody – FYC, track 11, 1:47 1:10 Finn and Jenna both former First Order stormtroopers – no music 1:11 Jenna: “We mutinied”: soft incidental strings – not on OST or FYC Finn: “The Force brought me here”: Force theme, all 4 phrases (horn with strings) – not on OST or FYC Rey takes skimmer: low string ostinato – OST, track 4, 2:25 1:12 Rey on the water: horn call – OST, track 4, 2:40 Rey on the water: trumpet ascending – OST, track 4, 2:54 Finn and Poe argue whether ot not to go after Rey – no music 1:13 Rey approaches Death Star: ostinato with horn – FYC, track 12, 0:15 Jenna: “There is another skimmer.” 1:14 Rey climbs into Death Star: incidental – not on OST or FYC Rey reaches throne room: Imperial March (high strings) – not on OST or FYC 1:15 Rey finds wayfinder – no music Rey discovers her Sith self: “Don't be afraid of who you are.” 1:16 Rey loses wayfinder, Kylo picks it up – no music Kylo: “You wanted to prove to my mother you were a Jedi, but you proved something else.” 1:17 Kylo: “The dark side is in our nature”: Anthem of Evil (flute) – not in OST or FYC Kylo crushes wayfinder, Rey attacks (out of anger?) 1:18 Maz: “Leia knows what must be done”: Leia's theme (cello) – not in OST or FYC Rey and Kylo battle – no music 1:19 Battle continues – no music 1:20 Battle continues: incidental music (horn calls) – not in OST or FYC Kylo's Power motive (horns, fortissimo, x1) – FYC, track 12, 0:50 & OST, track 12, 0:41 1:21 Leia: “Ben”: slow string chord – FFYC, track 13, 1:20 & OST, track 12, 1:03 Rey stabs Kylo – no music Kylo falls: tender strings with a big suspension – FYC, track 14, 0:00 1:22 Rey considers her next move: magical music – FYC, track 14, 0:32 & OST, track 12, 1:43 Rey heals Kylo: force theme (flute, first two phrases) – FYC, track 14, 0:42 & OST, track 12, 1:53 1:23 Rey: “I did want to take your hand.” Rey boards Kylo's ship and flies away: horn and trumpet – FYC, track 14, 1:30 & OST, track 12, 2:40 Maz: “Goodbye dear princess”: Leia's full theme (flute with strings) – FYC, track 14, 1:49 & OST, track 12, 2:54 1:24 Kylo stands alone – no music Han: “Hey kid.” 1:25 Han: “Kylo is dead, my son is alive”: high creepy strings – FYC, track 15, 0:00 1:26 Ben: “I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it.” Ben throws saber: Anthem of evil – FYC, track 15, 1:15? 1:27 Palpatine's hologram with General Pryde Palpatine: “The final order begins.” Star destroyer blows Kijimi: Imperial March – not on OST or FYC 1:28 Poe: “Every ship in the fleet has planet-destroying power”: Plapatine's theme (brass and choir) – not on OST or FYC 1:29 Poe talks to Leia's body: Leia's theme (horn solo with gentle string accompaniment) – not on OST or FYC Poe: “I'm not ready”: Force theme – not on OST or FYC Lando: “Never ready. … We had each other.” 1:30 Poe to Finn: “I can't do this alone”: Poe's theme (first time in film) – not on OST or FYC Rey burns Kylo's ship on Ach-To island: Rey's melody (flute) – OST, track 6, 0:22 Rey throws saber into flames, Luke catches it: Force theme, first two phrases – OST, track 6, 0:45 1:31 Luke: “A jedi's weapon deserves more respect.” Rey: “I was just doing what you did.” Luke: “I was wrong. … What are you afraid of?” Rey: “Myself.” Luke: “Because you are a Palpatine? … Leia knew, too.” 1:32 Rey: “Leia still trained me”: Force theme, phrases 1 and 2 – not on OST or FYC Luke: “Some things are stronger than blood.” Luke gives Rey Leia's saber: Leia's theme (flute) – OST, track 6, 3:20 1:33 Luke: “A thousand generations live in you now”: Main theme (flute) – OST, track 6, 3:40 Luke: “You have everythign you need”: Together theme (strings) – OST, track 6, 4:00 1:34 Luke lifts x-wing: Yoda's theme – OST, track 6, 4:23 1:35 R2 restores 3PO's memory – no music 1:36 Red 5: incidental agitated strings – not in OST or FYC Finn: “It's Rey. … She's showing us the way”: Together theme (strings) – OST, track 11, 0:59? Resistance formulates plan: Resistance March (strings) – OST, track 11, 1:40? 1:37 Poe: “They'll come. We're not alone”: Conclusion theme (first time heard in film, and first time on OST) - OST, track 11, 2:30 Resistance intro & march (horn) – OST, track 11, 1:40? 1:38 “Today we make our last stand.” Finn: “Now we take the war to them.” Rey arrives on Exegol: agitated string ostinato – not on OST or FYC 1:39 Rey enters Palpatine's temple: Palpatine's theme (low brass and choir) – not on OST or FYC Resistance March and Palpatine's theme, back and forth – not on OST or FYC 1:40 Poe: “Welcome to Exegol”: low string hits with icy high strings – not on OST or FYC Rey approaches Palpatine's throne: Palpatine's theme with high violin trills – not on OST or FYC 1:41 Main theme (horn) – FYC, track 16, 0:09 & OST, track 13, 1:18 Finn: “I feel it”: Force theme – FYC, track 16, 0:38 & OST, track 13, 1:46 low string ostinato – FYC, track 16, 0:51 & OST, track 13, 1:56 1:42 “They're not using speeders”: Force theme (low trumpet) – FYC, track 16, 1:19 & OST, track 13, 2:14 1:43 Rey keeps walking towards Palpatine's throne: low strings with agitated viola and creepy high strings – OST, track 14, 0:00 & FYC, track 17, 0:00 Rey sees the throne: two big orchestral chords – OST, track 14, 0:38 & FYC, track 17, 0:34 (?) 1:44 Palpatine: “Long have I waited.” Palpatine: “It's in your blood”: Rey's melody – OST, track 14, 1:18 & FYC, track 17, 1:21 1:45 Anthem of evil – OST, track 14, 1:44 & FYC, track 17, 1:49 1:46 Finn and Jenna destroy Nav signal: trumpet/horn sequence – OST, track 14, 2:56 & FYC, track 17, 3:10 Resistance march (horn) – OST, track 14, 3:28 & FYC, track 17, 3:34 1:47 Palpatine: “The time has come”: a capella choir – OST, track 14, 3:55 & FYC, track 17, 4:04 1:48 Palpatine shows Rey the dogfight: “Only you have the power to save them”: choir – FYC, track 18, 0:30 Mix of Ren's Power motive with Rey's melody orchestration? - FYC, track 18, 1:21 1:49 Ren attacks: power motive (horn, x2) – FYC, track 18, 1:35 1:50 Knights of Ren defeat Ben 1:51 Force theme (flute with harp? Celeste?) - FYC, track 19, 1:20 Rey attacks: Rey's melody (horn) – not on OST or FYC Rey's chimes (brass) – not on OST or FYC Rey and Ben see each other: Rey's countermelody – not on OST or FYC 1:52 Palpatine attacks 1:53 Palpatine sucks life from Rey and Ben 1:54 Lando: “More of us.” Fleet arrives: main theme (trumpet) – not on OST or FYC 1:55 Zorri arrives: Main 2nd theme (horn) – not on OST or FYC Palpatine: “Look what you have made”: Palpatine's theme (brass) – not on OST or FYC 1:56 Palpatine: “As once I fell, so falls the last Skywalker”: Palpatine's theme (brass) – not on OST or FYC Palpatine force lightnings the resistance fleet 1:57 Rey wakes up: tender strings/harp/choir – not on OST or FYC Rey: “Be with me”: Rey's chimes (piano) – OST, track 15, 0:40 & FYC, track 20, 0:44 1:58 Rey stands and grabs Leia's saber: Rey's melody (horn) – OST, track 15, 1:42 & FYC, track 20, 1:44 1:59 Palpatine: “let your death be the final work in the story of the Rebellion”: Palpatine's theme (brass and choir, fortissimo) – OST, track 15, 2:13 & FYC, track 20, 2:20 Palpatine: “I am all the Sith”: struggling strings – OST, track 15, 2:32 & FYC, track 20, 2:40 Rey: “And I am all the Jedi”: Force theme (horn) – OST, track 15, 2:41 & FYC, track 20, 2:49 Palpatine defeated 2:00 Command ship blows up: Force theme (all four phrases) Conclusion theme – OST, track 15, 3:00? & FYC, track 21, 0:02 2:01 Falcon rescues Finn and Jenna: Rebel fanfare – OST, track 15, 3:26 & FYC, track 21, 0:39 2:02 Ben pulls himself up: ascending strings – FYC, track 22, 1:09? Ben approaches Rey's body: power motive (flute) – OST, track 16, 1:06 2:03 Ben hugs Rey: poignant strings with big usspension – OST, track 16, 1:49 2:04 Ben heals Rey: Rey's melody (strings) – OST, track 16, 2:30 Rey: “Ben” Ben and Rey kiss 2:05 Ben dies: solemn low brass – OST, track 16, 3:20 & FYC, track 22, 2:40 Leia's body disappears: strings – OST, track 16, 3:34 & FYC, track 22, 2:50 Rey flies Red 5: horn theme – OST, track 16, 3:57 & FYC, track 22, 3:13 Conclusion theme (horn with choir) – OST, track 16, 4:20 & FYC, track 22, 3:36 2:06 Conclusion theme (strings, then trumpet) – OST, track 16, 4:30 & FYC, track 22, 3:50 Ewoks: horn calls – OST, track 17, 0:00 Main theme (woodwinds + horn in octaves) – OST, track 17, 0:17 Force theme (horn, all four phrases) – OST, track 17, 0:29 2:07 Poe and Zorri: OST has Poe's theme here (OST, track 17, 1:02), but taken out for the film? Why?? Maz gives Chewie medal: Yoda's theme (why?) - OST, track 17, 1:19 and 1:39 2:08 Rey lands: Chimes x1, melody (high strings with flute answers) – OST, track 17, 2:20 and 2:29 Lando and Jenna: Luke and Leia (cellos) – OST, track 17, 2:42 2:09 Poe, Finn, and Rey group hug: together theme – OST, track 17, 3:28 Tattooine. Jawa: “Utini” - no music 2:10 Rey visits old Skywalker homestead: harp ostinato – FYC, track 23, 0:00 & OST, track 18, 0:00 Rey slides: chimes – FYC, track 23, 0:21 & OST, track 18, 0:20 2:11 Rey wraps and buries sabers: key change – FYC, track 23, 0:48 & OST, track 18, 0:48 Stranger: “Who are you?” - no music 2:12 Rey: “Skywalker” Force ghosts of Luke and Leia: Force theme, phrases 1-4 – OST, track 19, 0:00 Rey walks off into binary sunset. 2:13 End Credits – OST, track 19, 0:32 Leftovers OST, track 3 never heard in film (concert arrangement) OST, track 5 never appears in film OST, track 7 never appears in film FYC, track 9 – almost entirely incidental. Difficult to pinpoint in film. Probably around 1:00?
10 Comments
One of my favorite presentations to deliver is “Let it Be: The Beatles, January 1969”, which explores the troubled context behind The Beatles' last-released album. Very much a reaction against their highly processed albums like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) and The White Album (1968), Let it Be was conceived as a live recording (both a documentary film and a live album). But as the band discovered, there is good reason for the studio production: It makes the music sound better! So, unsatisfied with the live recordings, they eventually turned the project over to Phil “Wall of Sound” Spector, who ultimately produced the album after making substantial edits, including overdubbing a full symphony orchestra onto several tracks (most notably Paul's 'The Long and Winding Road'). The conclusion of the presentation is that Let it Be is a failed album because the band never committed to a single artistic vision. It could've been a great live album, or it could've been a great studio album, but instead it turned into a diluted mixture of both ideas rather than a wholehearted commitment to a single idea – and the resulting music suffers greatly for their lack of dedication.
I bring up Let it Be to open this review of The Rise of Skywalker because the same problem that hindered The Beatles' album also hinders Star Wars' latest episode. But first, a detour back two years. I did not like The Last Jedi on first watch. I disliked it even more after my second and third viewings. But it took me a while to figure out why. It wasn't until reading David Roberts' 12 January 2018 article “The Last Jedi came thrillingly close to upending Star Wars — but lost its nerve” that I finally got it. It seems that most fans who disliked TLJ complained that director Rian Johnson went too far with plot ideas, especially regarding Luke Skywalker and his depressive funk. But Roberts and I disagree. “I thought Johnson didn’t go far enough,” writes Roberts. “He feints and flirts with deeper, darker themes, but again and again, loses his nerve before the tone and trajectory of the saga are seriously threatened.” Bingo! Reading that was a revelation – Roberts put into words everything I was feeling but hadn't yet found the words! The key moment of TLJ comes after Kylo kills Snoke, and Kylo and Rey fight side-by-side to defeat the Praetorian guards. Battle over, he pleads with Rey: “It's time to let old things die – Snoke, Skywalker, the Sith, the Jedi, the Rebels. Let it all die. Rey, I want you to join me.” It builds on his earlier words, during one of their ForceTime exchanges, when Kylo uttered perhaps the single most important line of the entire movie: “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. It's the only way to become what you're meant to be.” How brilliant it would have been to have Kylo and Rey team up not as Sith or Jedi but as a new breed of force uses. “The Rebellion is reborn today,” says Luke's Force projection towards the end of his confrontation with Kylo on Crait. What if it had instead been “The Force is reborn today?” Think of how that would have opened up vast new and exciting possibilities for that famous galaxy far, far away! But no. Kylo chooses the dark side, Rey chooses the light side, and, as Roberts' essay concludes, “That sets up director J.J. Abrams for a pretty conventional Episode IX. I wonder how big the Death Star will be.” That brings us to the present. The Rise of Skywalker debuted three days ago; I saw it yesterday for the first time. The incongruous conclusion that plagues The Last Jedi returns with a vengeance in TROS. Instead of embracing this new vision and its consequent possibilities, Episode IX practically apologizes for TLJ and its innovative, if unrealized, ideas. Paul Tassi authored a review in which he argues, “one thing that it’s hard to avoid seeing in the film is how badly [director] JJ Abrams wants to 'fix' not only The Last Jedi, which went in some wild directions with major plotlines, but even his own, original film, The Force Awakens. … It is painful sometimes just how much it’s clear Abrams wanted to directly address fan complaints with the past two films.” Tassi proceeds to list the major retcons of TROS including Snoke's origins, Sheev Palpatine, Rey's Jedi training, Rose Tico, Finn's Force sensitivity, Poe's sexuality, the Knights of Ren, Rey's parentage, Ben Solo's redemption, and the Holdo Maneuver. Perhaps my opinions will change after multiple viewings, but my initial reaction is that the constant retconning severely undermines the episode at every turn. It was impossible for me to immerse in the current story when every other scene goes out of its way to apologize for the previous films. As a result, what could and should have been a huge emotional payoff as the Skywalker saga wraps up after 9 movies in 42 years instead comes off as fan service, as if Abrams was “playing not to lose” rather than “playing to win”. Much like The Beatles' album Let it Be, the Star Wars sequel trilogy could have been successful either way – as a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing space romp (like Solo), or as an innovative and historically significant cinematic landmark (like the original trilogy). But instead, the trilogy never commits one way or the other, with the result that the three films severely lack continuity. And The Rise of Skywalker, being the concluding chapter, is more guilty than the others. Here's how I rate the 11 Star Wars films out of 10: The Phantom Menace: 4 Attack of the Clones: 2 Revenge of the Sith: 5 A New Hope: 10 The Empire Strikes Back: 10 Return of the Jedi: 10 The Force Awakens: 9 The Last Jedi: 7 The Rise of Skywalker: 6 Rogue One: 5 Solo: 8 While The Rise of Skywalker doesn't premier until tomorrow, the soundtrack was released this morning. As I always do with a new Star Wars soundtrack, I listened to the end first, since the credits music is always a medley of the most important themes, both new and old. On first hearing (not knowing what new the new themes are, or what I'm listening for), the word recycled immediately comes to mind. The opening of this track is essentially identical to the ending track from The Force Awakens. Compare 0:00-1:14 above to 1:37-2:54 below. The famed 'Imperial March' is heard, followed by Rey's themes, all of which are also essentially identical to previous soundtracks. Compare TROS 3:26-4:51 above with TESB 0:05-0:38 and 2:16-3:03 below. And TROS 5:02-6:03 above with TFA 1:41-2:38 below. Lastly, the concluding fanfare of TROS (8:55-10:55) is the same as the conlcuding fanfares from ROTJ (6:46-8:33) and ROTS (11:17-13:06). None of this borrowing is inherently bad - of course there is going to be much overlap - but some of it does seem a little lazy, like he couldn't come up with something different. One thing that stands out as appropriate, though, is how the final films of each trilogy conclude with the same fanfare. Obviously I have not seen TROS yet, but Rey especially seems like her music should be different from TFA because her character is (presumably) different from two films ago. But I'll withhold final judgement until I see the film a few dozen times and more extensively analyze its soundtrack. Despite the recycled nature of much of TROS credits music, there are three prominent new themes. I have no idea whose themes they are, or what they mean since I don't know the plot of the movie. Nevertheless, there are some interesting parallels to previous themes that might or might not be significant. First, from 1:20-2:08, is a lush ultra-romantic theme - the kind Williams is so famous for composing. Since I don't have any clue what this theme symbolizes or who it represents, I'll give it the placeholder moniker "Five Golden Rings" due to the similarity to the line from "The Twelve Days of Christmas". The #4 (G# in D major) stands out to my ears because Yoda's theme, Anakin's Theme, and Rose's Theme all also employ the same pitch. That might or might not mean anything. It's also noteworthy for the common tone diminished seventh chord (highlighted in red). I'll use this in my theory classes from now on as an example that's not either Tchaikovsky or barber shop! The second new theme is heard immediately after the "Five Golden Rings", at 2:24. No clue what this represents, but it does remind me of the Resistance March (again with the #4, though in minor) and Admiral Holdo's theme. The third and final new theme, which I'm temporarily dubbing the "Percy Grainger chorale" since it reminds me of the second movement of his Lincolnshire Posy, is a calm and stable tune that nevertheless modulates effortlessly. I'm imagining this theme is prominent at the end of the film, as it has a "they all lived happily ever after" kind of feel to it. Now that I have a (slight) idea of new themes to listen out for, I'll turn my attention to the remainder of the soundtrack.
|
The Music of Star WarsThese posts will help focus and develop my analyses of John Williams' film scores. Archives
December 2019
Categories
All
|