What would Indiana Jones be without its music?

I'm taking a music course in college right now (for non-majors), and during the first lecture our instructor asked us to imagine our favorite movie, but without music. He even specifically mentioned, "Imagine watching Indiana Jones without that theme song."

It got me thinking. What if Williams never worked on the Raiders? What if we instead got a very average composer and Indiana's theme song was some lame mesh of all the other adventure theme songs?

I mean, in a way, Indiana Jones is almost defined by those first four notes in the song. You hear the notes, you think Indiana Jones.

Take that classic song away. Forget it ever existed.

Would Indiana Jones be the same? Would it be as popular as it is today? I'm not sure it would be. The music pumps me up as much as the action does!

I think that taking away the music would probably make the films alot more realistic OR just plain boring. Think about it: in the bar fight at the Raven in Raiders there isn't any music playing in that scene but the action is so intense you dont need anything else.

P.S. I full heartedly agree, the music is half of what makes the movies.

As Spielberg has said, John William's scores are the backbones to his films.

The music to these movies is just so good that I have a hard time thinking about them without it. Each character seemed to have his or her own theme. Sometime an object like the Ark had it's own theme. In any case the music is stiring,emotional, and relevent.

It wouldn't be the same. Heck, none of William's films would be the same.
Darth Vader without the Imperial March?! (My biggest problem with ANH, since ESB was the first SW I saw)
E.T. & Elliot flying on their bikes without the theme?
Jaws with no theme?

He begins composing Indy 4 in October. So excited. Last time he took a break and came back, we got one of his best scores, Azkaban.

It definitely wouldn't have been as good. Still good, but not as "big" as it appears. The music makes Indiana Jones seem larger than life because the score reflects that.

AL_Patterson said:

As Spielberg has said, John William's scores are the backbones to his films.

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I have to agree with him... It makes me mad when some movie snobs say that music is a crutch that weak storytellers use. You can only manipulate 2 of the 5 senses with film so it behooves you to use everything at your disposal.

The real question is, does Indy also hear the music? I think so. How else does he make so many daring escapes? Thank you John Williams for saving Indy's bacon!

Thats a good question... and I think its one of the main reasons that I never really got into the 'Young Indiana Jones' series... because they changed the main theme...

jeshopk said:

He begins composing Indy 4 in October. So excited. Last time he took a break and came back, we got one of his best scores, Azkaban.

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I'm equally as excited about hearing the new score as I am in seeing the film!

jeshopk said:

He begins composing Indy 4 in October. So excited. Last time he took a break and came back, we got one of his best scores, Azkaban.

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I hope he returns for the last Potter movie. 4 & 5 didn't feel right without him, 6 won't either.

I agree on all points...

John Williams' music really just gives a tone of high adventure to the Raiders films. They are big, classic, adventurous and finely tuned scores that are made specifically to enforce the feeling and atmosphere of the scenes.

I miss his music in Harry Potter as well! It's just wrong without him... too bad too. I'm glad they kept Hedwig's theme, but the rest has a completely different feel. I'm a big movie music fan.

I don't think music could save those films, and that's coming from a pretty big Harry Potter fan.

Of course music is important to a film, and I like John Williams' score (Raider's March and Marion's Theme being my favorites), but it's a difficult question to answer. No music at all you would think would be bad, but then again, The Birds has NO background music at all, and it's hardly noticeable. Of course you could ask would the films be better or worse with a different conductor, but it's really impossible to answer. Sure, the shower scene in Psycho would be VERY different if someone else had composed it, but would have necessarily been worse? Same goes for Indiana Jones, you can't really say who would have done better if you don't even have a sampling of another composer's work for a particular scene.

I hate to say it but the films would be a little bland (Don't shoot me) with out John William's beautiful music.Just picture the conveyer belt fight inTOD w/William's score.The moment the dagger is pulled out of the voodoo doll and Indy starts kicking butt w/Raiders march playing can not be topped.

The answer is obvious: the films would be bland. We underestimate the power of music to film -- a lot of us just expect it by now and only subconsciously pay any attention to it. Let's face it, we're concentrating on the scene, rather than really listening to the music. Take it off the film, though, and boy will we notice the difference. Ah, the mind's ways...

I'm a firm believer that a film can live or die by individual scenes. That's not to say that a film can have a few great scenes and bland the rest of the time and be good. But what it is to say, is that a consistently good film can be elevated to greatness by key scenes. Now, I think Raiders is a masterpiece through and through, however to use examples of how important Williams music is I'll take a three scenes.

The Map Room, Indy boarding the German Sub, and the Nazi's walking through the island with the Ark. These three scenes fundamentally have little action or movement. In the Map Room, Indy sticks a pole in the ground and stands there, in the German Sub scene, he walks on top of a boat, and in the third it's simply a group of people walking.

Yet, why are these such great scenes? It's the music. The Map Room is perhaps one of the most thrilling, mysterious, and suspenseful sequences in all of film and yet like I said; Indy just sticks a pole in the ground and stands there. It's because the music puts you in the mindset of the character. Indy is not hearing any music, but what the music conveys is exactly what he is feeling. Thus the audience is caught up in an emotional state that otherwise wouldn't happen.

The same goes for the Sub Sequence, where the Indy theme is orchestrated slightly more heroic than any other time in the movie. When you think about it, out of all the things Indy has done, that's the least action oriented but it gets the biggest musical statement. Why? Because the scene is nowhere near as thrilling as the car chase that just happened, yet in importance to the story and to Indy, it's his biggest moment. The scene cannot be as thrilling by itself, but with great music, those few seconds can be more thrilling than any other action scene in the movie.

The Nazi's carrying the Ark through the island is simply a bridge scene, yet William's Nazi themes creates a sense of foreboding and evil that makes the sequence itself seem important. The scene is merely meant to get us closer to the climax, yet with the music it doesn't just arrive randomly at a climax, it logically builds to it.

Like you guys said, it truly is the backbone of the film, because it supports and is connected to all other areas of the picture.

Well said Barty...

What I always found fascinating was how John Williams (and I'm sure others in Hollywood) run the composition, when they play the film on screen while the orchestra plays, and they get a sense of pacing, rhythm, etc.

I'm no music expert, but I know what I like and can certainly appreciate the immense and profound impact a score has on a film.

Some others that immediately come to mind are The Mission, Memphis Belle, Jurassic Park, etc.

John Williams is undoubtedly just a master at what he does. I thought the Last Crusade soundtrack was magnificently rendered.