John Williams: "Star Wars Epsiode III: Revenge of the Sith"

Professional film score aficianados are a curious breed, and they haven't been a bit happy with the closing installment of John Williams' magnificent magnum opus. "Too much of this, too little of that, he doesn't write new themes, whine whine whine."

Despite the purblind fan-boy carping directed at it, this is a score I've listened to repeatedly, with great emotion and a sense of awe at Williams' exquisite mastery. His choral work has become almost incredibly rich over the past few years (cf, "Duel of the Fates" in The Phantom Menace) and it reaches a true apogee here. His thematic use of motives has, of course, spread throughout the Star Wars scores, but in Revenge of the Sith this technique reaches unimagined heights. Williams' weaving of themes and variations is so subtle, complex and deeply felt it makes the score for what stands as the best of Lucas' "prequel" (horrible neologism) trilogy the second finest of the series, with The Empire Strikes Back its only competition.

Professional bitches have complained that the End Title medley is nothing more than a long recap of the series and a sort of "preview of coming attractions," suited more to the concert stage than the movie. I would argue that, aside from being a summing up and a look ahead, it is an almost overwhelming emotional journey through the series, reminding us (as Lucas himself does at the climax) what has passed and what pains, horrors and triumphs are yet to come for these beloved characters. I've found I can scarcely listen to it without misting up—maybe because I've lived with the series so long (I was 16 when it premiered in 1977) but largley due to John Williams' unparalleled artistry.

Star Wars changed the face of movie scoring; Revenge of the Sith shows us why it was Williams who did so.