As the climax of Revenge of the Sith and the entire prequel trilogy, the duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker that concludes the film is placed under a great deal of dramatic weight. So how does a composer score a scene of such importance? At first, it may seem that John Williams’ accompanying music, titled Battle of the Heroes, is, like Duel of the Fates from The Phantom Menace, another example of climactic action music that is associated only with the duel itself rather than the characters involved in it. After all, like many action cues, the melody of Battle of the Heroes is somehow more ordinary than the typical character theme, and nearly its entire structure is built on the repetition of a single phrase of music, sometimes in varied form. Hear this in the scene below, from 1:39-1:46 and a common variation of it from 7:12-7:19.

In the film music analysis below, however, a closer examination of this cue reveals relationships with several other themes in the Star Wars saga which together summarize how Anakin has fallen so deeply into the Dark Side that he now wants to do away with Obi-Wan, his former Jedi master. In short, these relationships raise the theme’s importance to a level appropriate for the trilogy’s conclusion.

Relationship to Vader’s Theme

In my analysis of the uses of Vader’s theme in the saga, I pointed out that a statement of the Force theme in Battle of the Heroes employs the same two chords that opens Vader’s theme. The rest of Battle of the Heroes includes two other subtle references to these Vader chords. The first occurs just before Obi-Wan leaps backwards onto land from the raft on the lava flow that carries both him and Anakin. In doing so, he gains the high ground, blocking Anakin from reaching land and essentially winning the battle. View this in the clip below:

Notice that the climactic chord at 7:00 is approached through a minor chord. Together, these two chords form the Vader progression mentioned above (though the second of the two adds a dissonant bass note for a more intense sound). Compare the two passages below:

Vader Theme – from 0:09-0:12:

Battle of the Heroes – from 7:21-7:26:

The second reference to the Vader progression occurs as Anakin attempts to leap over Obi-Wan despite his warning not to—in the clip above from 6:34-6:41. Neither of these Vader references is at all obvious, especially since the most recognizable feature of the Vader theme, its melody, is absent here. Instead, the references are mere suggestions, perhaps to more seamlessly blend several other thematic connections into the cue and demonstrate musically the many factors that have led Anakin to join the evil Sith.

Relationship to Across the Stars and Anakin-and-Shmi Themes

I’ve discussed some of the harmony of Battle of the Heroes, but what about its melody? On the surface, it appears to be nothing more than a decent action motif that, while it suits the battle onscreen, does not make references to any other Star Wars themes. There are, however, three other themes that have a very similar melodic construction. The first of these is Across the Stars, the love theme for Anakin and Padmé that dominates the score for Attack of the Clones. At first, this may seem a ridiculous claim, but listen to the score in the cue below from 1:27, paying particular attention to the passage from 1:34-1:38:

Now compare this to the section of Battle of the Heroes from 1:51-1:58 mentioned earlier:

Here is a comparison in musical score:

This similarity to Across the Stars is an apt way of suggesting musically that Anakin’s love of Padmé has played a key role in his downfall and turn to the Dark Side.

Two other themes that the main melody of Battle of the Heroes seems to channel are two virtually interchangeably themes that describe Anakin’s relationship to his mother, Shmi. Significantly, these themes occur at points where Anakin is feeling or describing the emotional pain he experiences through his mother being apart from him, in trouble, or having passed away.

The first of these themes is one I call “Anakin’s Love for Shmi”, and it appears three times in the saga, first, and most importantly, in The Phantom Menace when Anakin says goodbye to his mother just before leaving Tatooine to train to become a Jedi. This is heard in the scene below from 0:19-0:26:

This theme reappears twice more in the next film, Attack of the Clones, once when Anakin mentions to Obi-Wan that he cannot sleep well anymore because his thoughts dwell on his mother. It recurs once again in the same film when Anakin has found Shmi captured in the Sand People’s camp and unties her. Hear this in the video below.

The varied form of the single phrase that makes up most of Battle of the Heroes can be heard as a reference to this theme. Compare the two side-by-side here:

Anakin’s Love for Shmi – from 3:53-4:00:

Battle of the Heroes (varied form) – from 3:47-3:54:

A third theme that seems to be referenced in Battle of the Heroes is one I call “Anakin’s Grief”, heard twice in Attack of the Clones, first when Anakin tells Padmé that he must leave because he senses that his mother is in trouble. Hear it below:

The second and more prominent time it is heard is during Shmi’s funeral when Anakin, standing over his mother’s grave, claims that he was not strong enough to save her and promises her that he will not fail again. Once again, the single phrase in Battle of the Heroes can be heard as channeling this theme. Compare the two below:

Anakin’s Grief – from 1:06-1:14:

Battle of the Heroes – from 2:27-2:38:

Hence, the themes referenced in Battle of the Heroes, subtle though they are, include Vader’s theme, Across the Stars, and two Shmi-related themes I call Anakin’s Love for Shmi, and Anakin’s Grief. None of these themes are projected with the clarity of a leitmotivic statement, but then, that is part of their effectiveness. Had they been parsed out and stated individually, they would have given the impression that their associations—whether it is Anakin and Padmé’s love, Shmi’s death, and so on—were being conjured up at a particular moment in the scene. Instead, these other themes are recomposed and transformed into a new theme, providing a musical parallel for the way that Anakin’s love for his mother and for Padmé have transformed him into a new being. Perhaps, then, the melodic ordinariness of Battle of the Heroes is in part an effort to allow these other themes to be referenced simultaneously, like how a person with rather neutral facial features can look like many different people at once.

By subtly blending these references into Battle of the Heroes, the theme instead summarizes the main factors contributing to Anakin’s character trajectory through the prequels. In other words, the emotional pain he feels due to the separation from, and the torture and death of his mother led Anakin to fear that Padmé, like his mother, would die despite his formidable powers. In turn, this intense fear left Anakin susceptible to Palpatine’s manipulations of him and ultimately drove him to the Dark Side and to becoming Vader.

Conclusion

All of these thematic connections lie beneath the surface of Battle of the Heroes, whose main purpose is to function as an action theme for the film’s climactic duel, a purpose it carries out rather well even without knowledge of these relationships. This is not to say, however, that the relationships are unimportant to the theme’s meaning. On the contrary, like the leitmotifs of a Wagnerian opera, understanding more about how the particular themes of a work are interconnected only enriches its meaning and thus heightens its importance and renders it a more integral part of the entire score. And in this case, it is particularly fitting that these rich narrative connections take place in a theme composed specifically for the battle that physically transforms Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader, the narrative highlight of the prequels.

Coming soon… Themes and Leitmotifs in Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens

With its emphasis on the budding romance between Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, it is no surprise that the love theme, Across the Stars, is the most pervasive theme in Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Because its association is fairly unwavering from Anakin and Padmé’s love, in this analysis I will instead focus on more subtle connections that add further depth to its meaning and demonstrate how the film’s score is unified to an unusual degree through the relationships between this theme and others in the film.

Sections of the Theme

Across the Stars is divided into three distinct sections that I will simply call A, B, and C. These can be heard in the recording below, A in 0:13-0:35, B in 0:36-0:56, and C in 2:01-2:26 (after another A, B, and A).

Like other Star Wars themes, the A section is the one that acts as the love leitmotif, reinforcing such emotionally clear scenes as when Padmé offers sympathy to Anakin for his struggles with being a padawan, or Jedi-in-training, under his master, Obi-Wan, or when Anakin tells Padmé that she has not changed from the way he remembers her, or when the two kiss for the first time. Like the emergence of the couple’s mutual feeling of love, however, this A section is at first rather hesitant to appear in its full form, instead entering in a number of embryonic states early in the film. Notice, for example, how the scene with Obi-Wan and Anakin in the elevator just before meeting Padmé begins with a melody that clearly foreshadows the love theme (from 6:34-6:40) and sounds another that does the same in the middle of the scene (from 6:50-6:59):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzjkUOcUq_I

Another similar example occurs when Padmé is leaving the capital with Anakin for greater safety on Naboo.

The B section, however, appears in only a couple of places in the film, first, just before the gladiator-style arena fight. It is at this point that Padmé finally admits to Anakin that she loves him despite resisting most of his advances throughout the film. This revelation serves as the film’s emotional climax and confirms the bond that will allow for Anakin’s downfall in the next film. With the B section added on for the first time, this statement of the theme gains an importance that rises above the others, especially since the theme eventually swells into the full orchestra as the pair enter the arena. Watch the scene below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-0DUjrUUtQ

The second place we hear the A and B sections together is during the montage ending the film, where we see Anakin and Padmé secretly getting married at Padmé’s home on Naboo (from 2:37-3:44):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CMKRboU1ls

The C section of the theme is fraught with even more tension as it is more dissonant and chromatic than the other two sections. Consequently, it is disconnected from the A and B sections in the film proper and used to accompany two separate moments when Anakin’s hopes of starting a relationship with Padmé are seriously challenged. The first occurs when Anakin tells Jar-Jar that, although not a day has gone by where he has not thought about Padmé, after seeing Anakin again, Padmé seems only to have barely recognized him. The second occurs when Padmé tries to talk Anakin out of wanting a relationship with her because of its real-world impracticalties (from 2:05-2:24 and 3:09-3:29):

Similarities to Other Themes

It is well known that Across the Stars bears resemblances to several other themes by John Williams. These include one heard in his score for Nixon (from 2:15-2:30):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuCP11WAyz8

and these two from Hook: (from 0:06-0:22)

(and below from 5:09-5:44)

Even within the Star Wars canon, similarities have been pointed out between Across the Stars and the saga’s main theme (or Luke’s theme) in the A and B sections of both themes. Compare the opening of each section below:

A Section of Both Themes

B Sections of Both Themes

But analyses have generally stopped short of interpreting the significance of these themes’ similarities and, more importantly, their differences. The two themes are bound together mainly through the rhythm of their melodies, which one might interpret as suggesting Luke as a product of Anakin and Padmé’s love. But the two themes also differ in important ways. Most obviously, Luke’s theme is in a sunny major key suggesting some positive influence. By contrast, Across the Stars is in a minor key—never a good sign in music, here clearly suggesting the gloomy fate of both Anakin and Padmé through their bond. But the love theme also follows a different melodic arc than Luke’s theme. And as I mentioned in my analysis of Luke’s theme, the A and B sections employ a motive of a seventh and a pair of fourths that generally leap upward, suggesting not just any hero, but a superhero. In Across the Stars, however, a three-note motive dominates the A and B sections, one that consists of small intervals, a second and a third, and they almost always descend rather than ascend, once again implying the tragic fate of the couple rather than anything heroic:

Connections Between Themes in Attack of the Clones

While Across the Stars has a pervasive presence in Attack of the Clones, it is but a part of a highly unified score that reuses a basic melodic shape in many of its themes. Consider the comparisons below between the love theme’s A section and these other themes, the labels for which are my own.

Across the Stars, A Section (0:13-0:35)

Conspiracy Theme

At the start (and several times thereafter):

Kamino Theme

From 0:21-0:27:

Anakin’s Torment (transposed for comparison)

From 1:25-1:32 (and thereafter)

What do all these similarities mean in the context of the film? It is significant that Attack of the Clones is different from the other prequels in that its narrative is split into two large but very different parts. While Obi-Wan investigates who is behind the assassination attempts on Padmé, Anakin serves as Padmé’s protector in her retreat to Naboo, where the two develop their love. The resemblances among the themes above thus provide a means of unification in a story whose two strands have very little to do with one another, a kind of subconscious glue holding the film together.

One could also argue that, because Across the Stars is the most pervasive theme in the film, these thematic connections emphasize that Anakin and Padmé’s love will have drastic effects on just about everything in the prequels’ universe. That is, Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side is grounded in his love for Padmé, without which there would not have been Darth Vader to contend with, nor the Emperor, nor even the Empire for that matter (as Anakin is the one who saves Palpatine’s life in the next film). In any case, it is difficult to overestimate the impact that the couple’s falling in love has on the saga. One could even call it the event that precipitates Anakin’s downfall.

Conclusion

Far from being a theme that merely accompanies the expressions of love between Anakin and Padmé in Attack of the Clones, Across the Stars does much more. As we have seen, it reflects the gradual emergence of their love through the several outlined forms early in the film and the withholding of a full statement that includes the B section until Padmé’s admission of love in the film’s later stages. In addition, the theme’s C section, which is included in the fullest statement in the end credits, is detached in the film and used to suggest Anakin’s doubt about the relationship’s prospects. Finally, the theme’s reference to Luke’s theme and similarities to other recurring themes in the film suggest a tapestry of relationships that invite interpretation and help to connect Attack of the Clones to both its preceding trilogy and immediate successor, Revenge of the Sith.

Coming soon… Battle of the Heroes.

When John Williams returned to the Star Wars films in 1999 with Episode I: The Phantom Menace, there was something quite different about his approach to the score. Of course, the main theme and a handful of other old themes were still present, but when it came to new themes, the one that now stood out from the rest was not a theme based on character but on action: Duel of the Fates, the theme that accompanies the film’s final light-saber battle. The film music analysis that follows discusses some of the most prominent aspects of this theme.

Why Highlight an Action Theme?

Looking back on the first three Star Wars films, it is clear that the most salient new theme (or themes) from each is based on a character or group of characters. In Star Wars, the two most prominent themes, the main theme and the Force theme, represent Luke and the Jedi, respectively. In The Empire Strikes Back, it is the Vader theme that takes center stage by a large margin, and in Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks’ theme is the most emphasized new theme, particularly in the Battle of Endor sequence. Note that, in each of these cases, the salient theme(s) are associated with the character(s) that are the most important in achieving the narrative’s conclusion in each film: in Star Wars, it is Luke and his use of the Force that destroy the Death Star; in Empire, there is the stunning reveal of Vader’s relationship to Luke; and in Jedi, it is the Ewoks who win the Battle of Endor and allow the Rebels to then destroy the Death Star once again.

The Phantom Menace, however, is based on a different narrative outlook. Certainly, it ends with a temporary victory for the Republic over the Trade Federation, but the film is much more self-conscious in that it is inextricably tied to its two succeeding films in a way that Star Wars is not. After all, the main goal of The Phantom Menace is to describe the precursors of both the Empire and the Emperor and to establish some of the foundations for Anakin’s future transformation into Darth Vader. Such narrative goals lean much more towards beginnings than conclusions, and thus the sense of resolution at the end of The Phantom Menace is deliberately less decisive than in any of the first three films. Hence, to single out one character or group of characters over another would have been at odds with the narrative purpose of the film.

At this point, the cynical reader may believe that the “real” reason that a character theme does not dominate The Phantom Menace is because of the characters themselves, whose traits are less sharply defined than in the original trilogy (a criticism often leveled at the prequels). I would argue, however, that the precursor emphasis of the plot does not leave room for a hero as all-powerful as Luke, nor for a villain as all-powerful as Vader or even the future Emperor. Because of the plot constraints, none of the main characters are able to either save or threaten the good guys to the extent that they do in the first three films. In other words, the narrative focus in The Phantom Menace is less on character development than it is on action of all kinds, so from this perspective, it is not all that surprising that the most salient new theme should accompany the most climactic action of the film: the light saber fight between Darth Maul and the two Jedi, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

Duel of the Fates as an Action Theme

Unlike major themes in the original trilogy, Duel of the Fates is composed in the manner of an action theme rather than a more typical main theme. To begin with, its most prominent and memorable feature is not in fact a melody but an ostinato (or short repeated motif), a staple of action cues. As a result of this ostinato, several other aspects of the music are made to sound rather un-theme-like. In the most emphatic portions of the theme (those with choir or simply scored loudly), the melody is composed of repeated fragments rather than the broader ideas that make up most of the other major Star Wars themes. The harmony of the theme is also quite stagnant, remaining on a chord at length before finally progressing to another. This de-emphasis of both melody and harmony allows the theme’s propulsive rhythm to come to the fore and provide an appropriately agitated accompaniment for the duel onscreen. And yet, perhaps the one thing that separates this particular action theme from most others, and elevates it above the status of mere excitement-generating accompaniment, is that its ostinato is so memorable that it effectively acts as the theme’s main melodic ingredient. Indeed, the fact that several portions of the theme are carried by nothing but undulating repetitions of the ostinato seem testament to this idea, especially those from 1:58-2:10 below:

Associations

Clearly, Duel of the Fates functions as climactic dueling music, a meaning that is reinforced when the theme reappears with the fight between Yoda and the Emperor in Revenge of the Sith. But the Fates theme also appears in Attack of the Clones when Anakin is scouring Tatooine in search of his mother. Of course, the theme accompanies no duel here, so skeptics may take the view that, besides conveying Anakin’s agitation at this point, the meaning of this statement is rather nonsensical, the result of George Lucas being infatuated with the theme to the extent that he demanded it even where it is not appropriate. However, it must be remembered that, although the theme accompanies fight scenes between Jedi and Sith, it also emphatically marks those scenes with a high degree of importance: in The Phantom Menace, the duel brings the death of Qui-Gon, which forces Obi-Wan to become Anakin’s mentor (and hence allow for the later rivalry between the two), and the death of Darth Maul, which leaves room for Count Dooku to become Darth Sidious’ next apprentice and wreak havoc in the next film (including cutting off Anakin’s arm—another step towards the more machine-like Vader). The placement of Duel of the Fates with Anakin’s search for his mother therefore operates in much the same way as the Force theme does just before Anakin embarks on his search (discussed in the first post in this series). That is, it highlights the revenge that Anakin seeks on those who captured his mother and who will ultimately be responsible for her death, an emotion that begins his gradual transformation into Darth Vader.

Thematic Connections

Although Duel of the Fates is a highly individual theme in the Star Wars saga, it nevertheless contains subtle references to a couple of other themes. Throughout The Phantom Menace, a whispered chant is regularly associated with the Sith, and more specifically Darth Maul. The chant’s first appearance accompanies Darth Sidious (the future Emperor), but thereafter it is always associated with his apprentice, Darth Maul. (This is the reverse process from most themes, where an initial association is broadened to include more characters and ideas. In any case, what it demonstrates is a leitmotif’s associative flexibility.) Thus, we might best view the chant as Darth Maul’s theme. Hear it below from 0:02-0:05:

When Darth Maul is revealed near the end of the film to begin the duel with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, we hear an instrumental opening to the Duel of the Fates theme that immediately moves into a choral version of the same (0:00-0:34 – this clip splices the saber duel scenes together, hence the strange cut at 0:35):

Notice that this choral version of the Fates theme not only uses the same text as Darth Maul’s theme (“Korah Matah, Korah Rahtahmah”) but articulates it in the same rhythm. In this way, the opening of Duel of the Fates is essentially a fleshed-out version of Darth Maul’s leitmotif, signifying the causal character in the film’s climactic saber duel.

But the Fates theme has an even more subtle reference buried within its harmony. In this same choral opening to the theme, the minor chord that begins the theme shifts suddenly and markedly to another minor chord that ends this choral introduction (0:07-0:14):

The two juxtaposed minor chords here are E minor and C minor, the first of these clearly being the tonic. If we were to transpose these chords up a minor third, they would become G minor and E-flat minor, the very same chords that begin Darth Vader’s theme (0:00-0:02):

This harmonic similarity certainly does not evoke Vader the way, say, the end of Anakin’s theme does. After all, just about everything besides the harmony in this short passage is quite different from Vader’s theme. But it does create a subconscious link between Darth Maul and Darth Vader, suggesting that they are of a kind, that is, apprentices to Darth Sidious / the Emperor.

Conclusion

As the most prominent theme from The Phantom Menace, Duel of the Fates may seem to serve a more utilitarian purpose than most other major themes in the Star Wars films in that it is associated with action rather than a character. But as we have seen, the decision to highlight an action theme in this way well serves the film’s emphasis on establishing origins and precursors rather than focusing on character development. In addition, the theme’s unusually memorable ostinato, its broader application at narrative high points, and its references to both Darth Maul and Darth Vader all allow it to rise above the status of a mere action theme (as well done as it is in that respect) and accumulate the sorts of richness in meaning that the other major Star Wars themes tend to possess.

Coming soon… Across the Stars.

In his score for Return of the Jedi, John Williams introduced a handful of new memorable themes into the Star Wars saga including that for the Ewoks, Jabba the Hutt, and Luke and Leia. But the only one to have significant reverberations across the ensuing prequel trilogy is the Emperor’s theme. This post will therefore be devoted to a musical breakdown of this theme and a study of its meaning in particular scenes.

Harmony and Tonality

The chillingly evil sound of the Emperor’s theme is in large part a product of its supporting harmony. Every last chord in the theme is a minor chord, which may seem to explain its emotional quality, but Williams does make use of this same basic technique in his theme for the Ark in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and in the opening foraging scene in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. The emotional quality of these passages are not so much evil as they are mysterious. Hence, the use of minor chords to express evil goes beyond the mere use of minor chords. More significant is the way in which they are strung together to form progressions.

Darth Vader’s theme is another that uses only minor chords, but as I showed in my analysis of the Vader theme, the progressions they form can be understood as warped versions of more normal ones like i-v-i and i-iv-v-i. Indeed, one could even say that to hear Vader’s chord progressions in this way is an apt musical representation of Vader’s character as an antagonist whose once good side (the normal chord progressions we understand) have now been completely subsumed by his twisted, darker side (the warped progressions we hear).

In the progressions of the Emperor’s theme, however, there are no such allusions to normal chord progressions (those heard are i-biii, i-bv or i-#iv, and bvii-bv). Without the underlying “normal” basis to its progressions, the theme’s chords sounds disturbingly unpredictable, as though describing some completely irrational being. Perhaps this is why the minor chords of the Emperor’s theme sound not just evil, but frighteningly so.

I would also point out that both the Emperor’s theme and Vader’s theme are most often sounded with the G minor chord as the home tonic. This link through tonality reinforces the close relationship between Vader and the Emperor, especially in scenes where the two themes are sounded in close proximity to one another, as when Vader brings Luke to the Emperor in Return of the Jedi (Vader’s theme from 0:12-0:40, Emperor’s theme from 1:06-1:40):

Orchestration

Another major contributor to the emotional character of the Emperor’s theme is its orchestration. The theme’s dark association is made obvious by its sounding of the melody in a very low register. But more subtly, there is a lack of music in the middle range of the orchestra, that is, the instruments are either in the low or high registers. Since the middle registers are those where most human voices naturally fall, the Emperor’s theme ends up sounding hollowed out and heartless. This emotional effect is emphasized by the melody’s scoring for low male choir—the lowest portion of the human vocal range.

Rhythm and Melody

While the rhythm and melodic intervals of the Emperor’s melody do not exactly stand out, they do stand in stark contrast to those of Vader’s theme. Of course Vader’s theme is a march and, as such, it possesses a rhythmic vitality in both its vigorous accompaniment and its forward-driving melody. Both this and its several large melodic leaps give it an energy that suggests much of the action taken by Vader and the Empire during both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, hence my description of it in the previous post as an “evil-in-action” theme.

The Emperor’s theme, however, is composed of rhythmic figures that constantly come to rest rather than drive forward. And its melody largely wavers between two closely-spaced notes in its opening minor chord. These features do not simply express a low-energy state but, taken together with the theme’s harmony and orchestration, suggest the terrifyingly calm, cold, and calculating nature of the Emperor.

Associations

As we have seen with the Force theme and Vader’s theme, a leitmotif may be broadened to include meanings that extend beyond its primary association. Although the Emperor’s theme is almost always heard when the Emperor (or Darth Sidious, as he is secretly known before becoming emperor) is onscreen, there are a few places where this is not the case. In Attack of the Clones, for example, we hear the theme when Anakin reveals to Padmé that he slaughtered all the Sand People in retaliation for their abduction and killing of his mother. We hear it once more when Padmé tries to console Anakin, who replies, “I’m a Jedi. I know I’m better than this.” It would be a stretch to say that the theme represents some sort of influence of Darth Sidious on Anakin since none of that has yet taken place (it awaits him some years later in Revenge of the Sith). Instead, it is much more convincing to understand the theme’s reference to Sidious as a representation of the Sith more generally, especially since they are timed to correspond with Anakin’s admission of killing the Sand People and of his hatred of them. Since the scene is also infused with a couple of statements of Vader’s theme, the implication is clearly that, by allowing his anger and hate to dictate his actions in a Sith-like manner, Anakin places himself steadily on the path to becoming Vader. Part of the scene is given below (the Emperor’s theme enters at 0:24):

A similar usage of the Emperor’s theme occurs when Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) says he does not trust Anakin and that it is very dangerous to put him together with the Chancellor (Sidious). Yoda then suggests that the prophecy that the Chosen One would bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith “misread could have been,” upon which we hear the Emperor’s theme. In this case, the theme could be a reference to Anakin’s ultimate allegiance with Sidious (since the Chancellor is mentioned here), but given that a theme’s meaning can focus upon an individual within a group or suggest more broadly the group itself (as with the Force theme’s association with both Obi-Wan and the Jedi), it is simpler and more intuitive to understand the theme as referencing the Sith in general and Anakin’s future as one of them.

The Augie Connection

It has long been known that the tune to the final in-film cue in The Phantom Menace, the “alien” celebratory song called “Augie’s Great Municipal Band” on the soundtrack, is a transformation of the Emperor’s theme. For those who are unfamiliar with this connection, compare the two below:

Emperor’s theme (hear 1:07-1:40)

Augie’s Great Municipal Band (hear 0:06-0:19)

The explanation for this relationship has been aptly explained as a symbol of “Palpatine’s [Sidious’] first step to galactic dominion,” Palpatine having just been elected the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. ((See this Star Wars wikia page for reference.)) Hence, although the song’s cheerful tone expresses the jubilation of defeating the Federation, it is also an ironic statement that, through the subtle reference to the Emperor’s theme, has sinister connotations.

What I would add to this interpretation is a comparison of the two themes’ melodic and harmonic basis. As we have seen, in the Emperor’s theme, the harmonies form unusual progressions of minor chords that contribute greatly to the theme’s hauntingly evil sound. In Augie’s Great Municipal Band, once the tune enters, the sense of harmony is derived entirely from the melody since there are no supporting chords, only a bass note that constantly sounds the tonic note. Together, the notes of the melody form the major pentatonic scale, a key feature of which is the absence of harshly dissonant intervals (specifically the minor second, major seventh, and tritone). Consequently, the irony of the song’s message is enhanced: the avoidance of dissonance or any kind of negatively-associated harmonic or melodic feature suggests that, with the evil in the Federation having been (supposedly) eliminated, all is well again with the Republic and there is nothing to worry about (!). This irony is played up visually by ending the penultimate scene with a close-up of Palpatine, then cutting directly to the victory celebrations.

Conclusion

As with so many of John Williams’ themes, that for the Emperor seems to be a perfect accompaniment for its associated character. And yet, in a couple of places in the films, it is broadened to suggest not just the Emperor but the Sith in general. Finally, its transformation into the celebration song is a fitting end for the first prequel film as it sums up well the Republic’s overconfidence in its perceived defeat of the Federation’s evil. Hence, even with a theme as tightly bound to its character as this, there is a flexibility that allows for the creation of new meanings beyond the most obvious ones.

Coming soon… Duel of the Fates.

This is the second in a series of six posts on themes from the Star Wars films. Each post will examine a theme from each of the six films in turn, leading up to an analysis of the score for the new Star Wars film, Episode VII, to be released in December along with its soundtrack.

The focus of this post will be another of the saga’s most recognizable themes, that for Darth Vader, or the Imperial March, first introduced in the saga’s second film, The Empire Strikes Back. Since I examined the musical structure of Vader’s theme in an earlier post, I will here emphasize the theme’s usage over the six films with regard to its associations and developments.

Associations

Unlike the uses of the Force theme, which I discussed in the previous post of this series, those for Vader’s theme are narrowly defined. As its name suggests, the theme does usually accompany Vader when he is onscreen and, as with leitmotifs generally, sometimes implies him even when he is not literally present in the scene. In The Empire Strikes Back, for example, we hear Vader’s theme softly in the background when Obi-Wan warns Luke of being tempted by the Dark Side of the Force by rushing off to save his friends before he has completed his Jedi training. Clearly, the theme suggests that Luke may suffer the same fate as Vader by turning to the Dark Side and falling into the Emperor’s hands. See this in the clip below from 0:34-0:43:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZNLA7t-gIY

But in the two films where the theme makes the most appearances (The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), Vader is not only onscreen when the theme sounds, he is also usually engaged in some sort of antagonistic action against the Rebels—that is, pursuing them, plotting against them, or harming them in some way. Hence, Vader’s theme does not only signal the Vader character, but is also expresses what might be called “evil in action”. After all, as a harmonically twisted march, the theme projects a sense of menacing forward motion quite well. No doubt, this is why it is able to acquire other associations outside of Vader himself. In The Empire Strikes Back, such statements of the theme are heard when AT-AT Walkers target and destroy the Rebels’ energy generators in the battle on Hoth, and when Stormtroopers approach the Millennium Falcon to attack the Rebel crew emerging from it. See the first of these scenes below from 0:40-1:10:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0eP4YqTpdE

This association with “evil in action” is mixed with that of Vader in Revenge of the Sith, when the Emperor’s lightning bolts toss Yoda against the wall. One might have expected the Emperor’s theme to sound here, as it does in Return of the Jedi, when the Emperor is subjecting Luke to the same treatment. The situation in Sith, however, is different: the Emperor has only just revealed himself as such, and his timing was cued by his keen sense that Anakin would be ready to turn to the Dark Side. Hence, the focus is on the devastating potential Anakin’s recent defection will have on the Jedi. As if to confirm this perspective, the Emperor even admits to Yoda during this duel that “Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us,” whereupon we hear the Imperial March once again. Hear these two statements of the theme in the clip below, the first from 0:36-1:18 and the second from 1:46-2:11:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu3qoIsGzUM

A common secondary association of the theme is with the Imperial fleet or the Imperial army, which may be interpreted as a logical broadening of the Vader association. This usage of the theme, however, probably owes more to the evil-in-action association since both the fleet and army present monumentally imposing threats. In The Empire Strikes Back, most of the transitions from the Rebels to the Empire involve a statement of the theme with an establishing shot of the Imperial fleet that focuses on the large Star Destroyers rather than the small fighters. In Return of the Jedi, this association with the fleet is sometimes focused entirely on the ship with the greatest threat of all, the Death Star, thus replacing the Death Star motif of the first film, as shown in the following clip from 1:05-1:12:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPZigWFyK2o

The theme’s associations of Vader and the fleet can even be intertwined within the same statement. In Vader’s initial appearance in The Empire Strikes Back, for instance, the theme is first heard against establishing shots of the Imperial fleet. Only at the theme’s end do we see Vader looking out onto the fleet from one of the command ships. See this below from 1:25-2:03:

This instance of the theme makes it clear that Vader is the one in charge of this massive fleet and hence, even before we have seen him do anything at all in this film, we understand that Vader has become a figure of even greater importance than in the first film, when he was a subordinate to General Tarkin (Peter Cushing). That this statement is complete, in the foreground, given substantial time to unfold, and leads to the first appearance of the main antagonist points up its third function in this scene: character introduction. A similar usage occurs in Return of the Jedi, when the Emperor makes his first appearance with Imperial troops standing in file formation. Of course, this statement is not associated with Vader specifically, but signifies the Empire as personified by the Emperor (watch below from 0:16-0:37):

Developments of the Theme

Aside from using it as a typical leitmotif, Williams sometimes employs aspects of the Imperial March in other themes and passages, suggesting some sort of connection to Vader. Perhaps the most obvious such usage is that heard in the boy Anakin’s theme in The Phantom Menace. The final section of this theme ends with an overt reference to the latter portion of the first idea of Vader’s theme. Hear this in the clip below from 2:08-2:14 (and further references from 2:30 to the end):

Admittedly, this reference only occurs in the film’s end credits and thus does not carry the same associative weight as thematic statements that occur within the film proper. Yet leaving this connection out until the end-credit sequence appropriately suggests a time after that of the film, a kind of projected future time when Anakin will become Vader. In other words, the music suggests both Anakin’s starting point as a young boy and his ultimate incarnation as Darth Vader. Exactly how this transformation takes place is left untold in the music and hence we are left to imagine and speculate how this seemingly unimaginable transformation could take place.

A less apparent development of the theme occurs near the end of The Empire Strikes Back, once Vader has successfully frozen Han Solo in carbonite. Since Vader has been energetically pursuing the Rebels throughout the film and been foiled time and time again, the freezing of Han signifies the first time he has been successful in carrying out one of his plans. Hence this theme may be appropriately termed “Vader Succeeding” (heard from 4:05 onward in the clip below):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qND0aIXOLbw

Though this theme may sound entirely new, it contains the same notes as Vader’s theme and in the same order, the main difference being a trill figure that obscures the original’s repeated notes, and two of the leaping notes of the original now being sounded together as a chord instead of individually. The theme’s harmonies are also the same as the original’s opening idea. Compare the two in score below:

As though to highlight the relationship between these themes, the original Vader theme appears overtop of the Succeeding theme in the clip above at 4:24-4:33. The Succeeding theme is structured as a set of two closely-related ideas that undergo several repetitions in a row. This circular nature of the theme’s statements and its foundation in the original Vader theme musically suggests that Vader’s pursuit of the Rebels has come to an end (for now!), leading to a kind of fearful stasis in the action. The Vader Succeeding theme is therefore an effective means of marking the shift of the upper hand from the Rebels to Vader.

One other noteworthy development of the Imperial March occurs in Revenge of the Sith in the opera scene, when Chancellor Palpatine tells Anakin that “all who gain power are afraid to lose it… even the Jedi.” ((Thanks to Frank Lehman (Tufts University) for suggesting to me the Vader influence of this theme.)) This claim is meant to manipulate Anakin, to create mistrust of the Jedi in his mind and push him ever closer to embracing the Dark Side of the Force. This conversation ends up being crucial to Anakin’s later defection and is therefore a substantial step towards him becoming Darth Vader. This interpretation is even subtly suggested by the music at this point, which is another variant of the Vader theme that may be called the “Anakin Turning” theme. Hear this new theme in the clip below four times successively from 1:16-1:55:

Notice that this theme is a variant of the second idea of Vader’s theme rather than its first, as shown in the score and heard in the recordings below:

0:14-0:18 – Vader Theme, 2nd Idea

4:57-5:09 – Anakin Turning

Further solidifying the meaning of the Anakin Turning theme is the confrontation scene between Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Palpatine. After Anakin helps Palpatine kill Windu, he pledges his allegiance to Palpatine, desperate to find a way to save Padmé from certain death. This monumental step towards the dark-suited Vader of the original trilogy of films is marked musically by a recall of the Anakin Turning theme at this point (below from 1:00-1:14):

Once Palpatine (now the Emperor) re-christens Anakin as Darth Vader, we hear a clear statement of the opening of Vader’s theme, given in the clip above from 1:40-1:48. Thus, Anakin’s transformation into Vader is mirrored by the conversion of the Anakin Turning theme into Vader’s theme.

Conclusion

Although the Imperial March is associated with Darth Vader and the Empire in general, it is often employed as a kind of “evil-in-action” theme, suggested by its contorted harmonic progressions and propulsive, driving rhythm. And as we have seen, several scenes fuse two of these meanings together, allowing the theme to ascribe attributes of power and importance to the saga’s main antagonists in an effective non-verbal way. Furthermore, the theme undergoes several developments that suggest either Vader’s (temporary) control over the Rebels, or Anakin’s gradual transformation into Vader. Thus, despite the relatively confined associations of the theme, its applications are frequently a rich source for interpretation.

Coming soon… the Emperor’s theme.

Through the first six films of the Star Wars saga, John Williams’ inimitable scores have generated a large body of musical themes that have played an inextricable part in building the fantasy world that is the backbone of the films. As a way of both celebrating these scores and building up to an analysis of the score for the upcoming Episode VII, I begin here a series of six analyses that will run through each of the six films, each post featuring a single theme that is introduced in the film under discussion.

Star Wars (1977), the film that started it all, introduced a handful of themes, most of which recur in the Star Wars hexology of films. But the one theme that has appeared with the greatest frequency at over 100 statements is the Force theme. Because I have already posted about the musical structure of the Force theme, in the film music analysis that follows, I will focus on the theme’s meanings and usage throughout the six films.

Associations and Meanings

Pinning down one specific meaning for the Force theme is an elusive task since its association is much broader than the typical leitmotif. Although it is associated with the “good guys”, it does not have a single, consistent association, but instead can signify four interrelated concepts:

• Character – Obi-Wan / the Jedi
• The Force – or Becoming a Jedi
• Struggle – of the Jedi / Good Guys
• Victory – of the Jedi / Good Guys

The character function of the theme is most evident in the first film, sounding when Obi-Wan first reveals his face. Even the mention of his name in this scene prompts another statement, shown below (start at 3:16):

In other cases, the theme seems to represent characters who are either Jedi or who have Force powers and are potential future Jedi. This is especially clear in scenes where the theme accompanies a character who already has another theme. Such scenes include the binary sunset in Star Wars, where Luke yearns to join the Academy but does not yet know that he will soon begin to be trained as a Jedi; Leia in The Empire Strikes Back, who hears Luke’s call for help by means of the Force; Yoda in Revenge of the Sith, who decides to journey to the Wookiee’s home planet to help them fend off the droid army; the boy Anakin in The Phantom Menace, who is forced to leave his mother behind in order to be trained as a Jedi; and even Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, who reclaims his good, Jedi side by killing the Emperor and saving Luke’s life. This latter scene is shown in the clip below (the Force theme entering at 1:12):

But perhaps the Force theme’s most prominent usage is in connection with the Force itself and the path to becoming a Jedi. Luke’s discussions with Obi-Wan and Yoda on the nature of the Force in Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back are usually accompanied by the theme. Likewise, in The Phantom Menace, the theme is heard with Qui-Gon’s warning to the boy Anakin that a Jedi’s life is a hard one. In a similar way, the theme tends to surface when the Force is used to get the good guys out of trouble. Hear it, for example, in Star Wars just after Obi-Wan uses the “mind trick” on stormtroopers at Mos-Eisley in order to pass through the checkpoint (theme at 3:45):

The struggle of the Jedi or the good guys in general is another aspect of the Force theme’s meaning. This explains the statements at such moments as Luke in Star Wars being warned that fighters are approaching his X-wing from behind, or Lando in The Empire Strikes Back promising Leia they will find Han, or Anakin and Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith steering their ship as it begins to disintegrate in a planet’s atmosphere.

Finally, the Force theme sometimes serves no other purpose but to accompany the good guys’ victory. This kind of association occurs most famously in the award ceremony scene that ends Star Wars, but also occurs in The Phantom Menace when the boy Anakin manages to destroy a Federation ship from its inside, deactivating the droid army on the planet surface.

These various meanings of the Force theme are far from being entirely distinct. After all, almost every statement of the theme accompanies one of the Jedi in some way, and, as I have shown in a previous post, the struggle aspect is built into the Force theme’s musical structure, guaranteeing at least some of this feeling with each of its statements. Thus, even with the great flexibility in the theme’s associations, it nevertheless always retains some aspect of the “Jedi struggle” with nearly every one of its iterations.

Complete and Foregrounded Statements

In the vast majority of its statements, the Force theme is heard in a truncated form, with only its first half or less being sounded. But on occasion, it appears in its full two-phrase form (especially with its climactic third idea), and those complete statements that are prominently featured, or foregrounded, are particularly worthy of attention. This is true whether or not the theme actually reaches a promised final chord or breaks off during its final idea. In Star Wars, complete, foreground statements occur with the binary sunset and award ceremony scenes mentioned earlier. In Return of the Jedi, another such statement sounds when Luke lights Vader’s funeral pyre. These statements from the original trilogy of films all accompany moments that serve as markers of significant turning points in the Rebellion’s struggle against the Empire. This trend continues in the prequel trilogy, as a complete, foregrounded version of the theme is heard in The Phantom Menace when the boy Anakin destroys the Federation ship mentioned earlier, when Anakin leaves Padme while on Tatooine to search for his missing mother, and when Luke’s adoptive parents first hold him as a baby as they watch the binary sunset, paralleling the first film’s binary sunset scene:

Notably, there is no full and foregrounded statement of the Force theme in either The Empire Strikes Back, almost certainly because this film occupies the central position in its trilogy and hence, marking neither the saga’s beginning nor its end, offers no real turning points in the larger narrative. Instead, Empire and its score are much more concerned with developing the relationship between Han and Leia, and with introducing the new character of Yoda. These shifts away from the core narrative of the saga leave far less room for statements of the Force theme, complete and foregrounded or not. Indeed, Empire contains the fewest number of Force theme statements of all the films in the original trilogy.

In Attack of the Clones, we hear a full, foregrounded version of the theme just as Anakin is on his way to search for his mother. This pivotal moment in the film marks the beginning of Anakin’s descent into evil, as he ends up slaughtering the entire camp of Sand People who were holding his mother hostage, including the women and children. View the scene below (up to 0:43):

Revenge of the Sith brings four complete, foregrounded statements of the Force theme, more than any other prequel film. The first of these accompanies Obi-Wan and Anakin in the battle with the Federation that opens the film, the second scores their ship’s perilous descent into a planet’s atmosphere, and the third highlights Obi-Wan’s journey to the planet Utupau, where he will face General Grievous. Of course, none of these moments are pivotal turning points in the narrative, but they do focus on either Obi-Wan or the partnership of Anakin and Obi-Wan, both of which are central to the film’s narrative since Anakin will break this partnership by turning to the Dark Side and Obi-Wan will duel with him in the film’s, and the trilogy’s, narrative climax. As though foreshadowing this ultimate outcome of the “Jedi struggle”, the first full and foregrounded statement of the Force theme is the first theme we hear in the film proper after the opening narrative crawl, shown in the clip below. Notice how the two small ships we see, which we soon discover are Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s, move in near-perfect synch with each other, subtly suggesting the closeness of the friendship and hence the great toll that Anakin’s later defection has on both Obi-Wan and the Jedi as a whole:

Harmonic Alterations

Although the supporting harmony of Force theme remains fairly consistent in the original trilogy, the prequel films introduce two striking new alterations. In Revenge of the Sith, roughly one third of the theme’s statements alter the final chord of the first half from a major IV chord to the bII, or Neapolitan, chord. Compare these two renditions of the theme below (second version transposed to G minor for ease of comparison):

As I mention in my previous analysis of the Force theme, because the IV chord would usually be minor in a minor key (in which the Force theme is set), the alteration to a major IV is something like a beacon of hope within the Rebels’ struggle, mainly because it involves the raising of scale degree 6 a semitone up from what it would normally be. But closing the first half with the bII chord involves the lowering of scale degree 2, which now casts a dark pall over the theme and signals an emotional tone that is much more pessimistic. It is no surprise, then, to find that this version of the Force theme permeates Revenge of the Sith. Indeed, it is even heard in the film’s first statement in the clip above (from 0:30-0:34), adding a greater sense of foreboding to the film than the original version of the theme would have. Naturally, the two statements of the theme in the final duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin/Vader involve this gloomier harmonization. The first of these is heard below at 2:36 (the Neapolitan entering at 2:46):

Significantly, this version of the theme is actually introduced in The Phantom Menace, first when Qui-Gon tells Anakin that the Jedi’s life is a hard one, then when Anakin leaves his mother, not looking back, as she requested. Hear this latter statement below at 54:21:

Hence, this darker version of the theme is associated with the suggestion of Anakin becoming a Jedi, and with his leaving his mother behind, both of which prove to be crucial to Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader.

There is, however, a subtler alteration to the theme that is heard with its second appearance in the “Battle of the Heroes” music of the final duel. At this point in the film, Obi-Wan tells his one-time apprentice that “I have failed you, Anakin,” since Anakin has now joined the Sith and become Darth Vader. Notably, the first idea heard in the Force theme takes on a new harmony on at its end instead of merely continuing the same chord throughout the idea. Hear it below from 6:15-6:31:

Aside from the gritty dissonance of the bass notes (a typical Star Wars “ism”), the two chords in this first idea are the minor tonic, i, and the minor flat submediant, bvi. These are precisely the same two chords that open the Imperial March, or Darth Vader’s theme. Compare the two below:

Altered Force Theme

Vader’s Theme – Opening Riff

This allusion to Vader within the Force theme not only suggests that the “Jedi struggle” now includes contending with Darth Vader, but also that Anakin’s good, Jedi side has been contorted into his twisted, evil side that has become Vader. In short, this alteration creates a subtle but effective musical parallel for the situation onscreen.

Conclusion

The Force theme is one of the Star Wars saga’s most iconic themes. Indeed, the flexibility of its associations renders it an ideal leitmotif for scoring multiple trilogies, where it can be applied to a wide variety of characters, situations, and concepts without fundamentally altering its meanings. And with its number of statements across the first six films surpassing that of even Luke’s theme (101 to 84, by my count), the Force theme could well be thought of as the saga’s “other” main theme.

Coming soon… Uses of Vader’s Theme