#SOTD: John Williams – Binary Sunset
One of the best, arguably the best film composer of all time is John Williams. His music is universally known and he’s done scores of all genres with a career spanning six decades! He’s had a strong relationship with Steven Spielberg, who’s composed most of his films from building suspense in Jaws, to being able to conduct symphonies of childlike wonder for E.T. & Jurassic Park. He’s created an iconic hero theme for Superman, a magical score for Harry Potter, and an exhilerating piece of music in Indiana Jones. However, out of all the films he’s worked on, none have been as big as Star Wars.
Each film in the Star Wars franchise is filled with new, exciting, and iconic themes conducted by Williams. Some are grand scale and epic, but for this Star Wars Day I want us to listen to a soft melody. ‘Binary Sunset,’ also known to some as ‘The Force Theme,’ is first seen in A New Hope when Luke steps out of his home and looks at the twin suns across the desert, in the scene he’s longing for something to happen, he yearns for adventure. It’s a theme that personifies hope for something, anything. It’s uplifting, especially when the music swells up, it leaves me with goosebumps every time.
There is also a great duality between Ep. III & Ep. IV involving the theme. Luke looks to the sky hoping for something more in his life. Meanwhile at the end of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan looks at those same twin suns, hoping for a brighter future in Luke, as he gives him away to his aunt and uncle. It tells us that even if things are dire situations or if we feel stuck within our lives, we can look towards the horizon, hoping and working for something greater to come for us.
You can purchase or stream the theme on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube.
