[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Deuville_James.jpg” caption=”The force is with James Deaville, as he holds a light sabre used in Revenge of the Sith. Photo credit: Chantall Van Raay”]

When Revenge of the Sith hits theatres around the world on May 19,
it will be the long-awaited final installment in the Star Wars saga.
But as the trademark gold letters scroll off into the distance, more than anticipation
will be keeping eager fans on the edge of their seats. Once again, the familiar
fanfare of composer John Williams will echo in the audience's ears as they watch
the film.

Although just as important as any lead actor, music in films is often overlooked.
Associate professor James Deaville from the School of the Arts explains, “Sometimes
people say that the best film music is the music that you don't hear, but music
is more complex than that and sometimes it leaps out at you and other times
it more subtly gets your attention, creates a moment of climax or tension, creates
a sense of false or real security. Williams and (director George) Lucas know
how to use music in a very effective way.”

Deaville, who studies how music can help create meanings in film and television,
teaches the second-year music for film and television course. “My first
viewing assignment for the students is actually The Empire Strikes Back
(Star Wars episode five). Even though it's 20 years old, most students
have an experience with it. It gets students thinking about the role of music
in film.”

Deaville explains that throughout the Star Wars films, Williams has
associated musical themes with specific characters and concepts, using sound
to capture the spirit of a person or an idea.

One thing that Deaville will be listening for in the latest installment is
the “imperial
march,”
the musical theme associated with Darth Vader and the imperial forces. “We
haven't heard that in episodes one or two and it's not heard in four, but in
all of the previews (for Revenge), I have heard it. I expect Williams
will use it in episode three as Darth Vader takes shape.”

Since the Star Wars series has been written backwards in a way, with
episodes four, five and six appearing in theatres many years before Lucas began
working on one, two or three, Deaville says that Williams has to introduce musical
themes that will play important roles in later parts of the series. “At
this point, we have not heard the musical material associated with the Force,
Leia or Yoda,” he explains. “And I expect the Star Wars theme
to emerge in this new episode in conjunction with Luke as he appears.”

Simon Wood, sessional lecturer of music and multimedia, also studies the music
of Star Wars. Wood says that Williams changed attitudes to scoring
for films. “In the 1940s, 50s and 60s, there was a move away from the orchestra.
There were a lot of film scores based on jazz or pop music. Star Wars
was a film that brought back the orchestra and put it back front and centre.”

Wood adds that the music of Star Wars was revolutionary for another
reason: sales of the soundtrack albums changed the standards for success in
that genre. Up until Star Wars, there had not been a large market for
soundtracks.

“When Star Wars came out, it had a profound impact on young people.
There was this mania surrounding the films. But the only place to see them was
the cinema. There were no videocassettes or DVDs. Once a film was done in the
theatres, it was a very long time before it was shown on TV. The only option
to relive the film was the soundtrack. So the Star Wars albums sold
tremendous numbers relative to what soundtrack albums usually sold. And the
Star Wars album gave the music from the whole film, all the cues and
a really detailed listing of what each track was about. So fans could play the
soundtrack album and live through the whole film in their heads.”

For Deaville the term 'audio viewing' describes how an audience not only views
a movie, but also listens to it. “Audio viewing more accurately reflects
what happens in the spectators,” says Deaville. “When people listen
to a score without the movie, it conjures up images of the film.”

And Williams' scores are particularly memorable. The composer for other movies
such as Jaws, Superman, and Indiana Jones, as well
as Star Wars, he has earned five academy awards among numerous other
accolades.

Concludes Deaville, “Williams has written themes that are memorable and
that people will identify with for years to come.”