Strings and Horns: How John Williams Could Have Helped The DCEU

There’s no denying it: John Williams is one of the greatest composers who ever lived. The fact that he’s created more memorable movie tunes than almost anyone else alive or dead is testament to his power as a creator of thematic material, something I believe missing from many of today’s blockbuster releases. Among his many graceful motifs, one of the most enduring is his themes for Richard Donner’s 1978 film, Superman, the first big-screen, big-budget extravaganza that swept audiences away with the adventures of the Man Of Steel. The theme, reused for no fewer than four sequels (including Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, albeit seconded by composer-in-residence John Ottman, who reworked many of Williams’ iconic elements into the new film) has become as synonymous with the character as the big S or Lex Luthor.

So when Zack Snyder announced that his reboot of DC Comics’ on-screen franchise properties, beginning with 2013’s Man Of Steel, would not reuse the classic themes, many fans felt dubious that replacement composer Hans Zimmer, who had worked wonders with Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight saga, would be able to achieve a similar memorable sound. After all, Zimmer’s music tended to atmospheric, while Williams was definitely more melodic.

The end result of Man Of Steel, with Snyder’s now lamentable grimdark aesthetic and the character’s pummelling into melancholic oblivion by emotionally constipated moral and ethical contrivance, left as much to admire as it did to disappoint. Critics of the film cited the depressing nature of a “realistic” Superman inhabiting our increasingly darker world, while fans applauded the large-scale action, even if it lacked emotional weight. One of the elements rising above much of the controversy was Zimmer’s score, a pulsating, moving, uplifting electronic-slash-percussive thing that fit the reboot’s slash-and-burn modernism. Frankly, it’s one of my favourite overall scores in recent years, and one I still listen to regularly.

But what if? What if Snyder had turned to John Williams to reprise his music and themes for the new Superman? It struck me that a quick re-edit of Snyder’s action sequences set to the original Superman theme might give the film’s sense of darker, muted heroism a more uplifting vibrancy: so I decided to test that theory out.

A quick search online will uncover many videos where people have combined Snyder’s visuals with Williams’ themes, to great success. Instead of cutting a “trailer”, however, I’ve tried to keep three of the film’s most memorable moments intact as where possible. They include the “First Flight” sequence (which, after Superman takes off, plays out without me cutting it at all), and several rescues of Lois Lane. What surprised me as I put this clip together is just how easily Snyder’s edits themselves fit into Williams music (the track is lifted from Ottman’s Superman Returns Soundtrack recording). The zooms, action beats, and musical cues are more-or-less as Snyder made them (with two exceptions, where I’ve judiciously cut brief moments out) and they highlight how easily Snyder could have dropped the Williams Score into the film.

This isn’t to disparage Zimmer at all, because I think his score suits the mood Snyder was aiming at. With Williams’ music in place, though, the film takes on an entirely different feel, I think you’ll agree. Does it work better? That’s for you to decide, naturally: one can only fantasise about the music Williams might have cooked up for Batman V Superman… or even Justice League.

Watch the Clip below, then continue the discussion after that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR4Od8S0O08&feature=youtu.be

UPDATED!!! NOW WITH DANNY ELFMAN’S BATMAN THEME OVER BATMAN V SUPERMAN!!!

https://youtu.be/6H2Ex4VsKVU

Who wrote this?

Rodney Twelftree

“Some people say I like films. Those people are wrong. I *love* films.” – Me. I said this.

Rodney has been writing about films for well over two decades, appreciates a good wine, the love of his wife and kids, and the affection of his dog and cats. He has a fondness of cheesy 90’s action and classic Hollywood, hates that physical media is disappearing, and wishes somebody would make a high-budget series of The Neverending Story.

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