Steven Spielberg Clashed With John Williams While Creating Their Most Emotional Score
08-03-2024
Steven Spielberg won his first Academy Awards in 1988 for Best Picture, and Best Director. The long-delayed award was given to Steven Spielberg for his first Academy Awards as Best Picture and Best Director. Spielberg's Oscars were well-deserved, but they should have been the fifth and sixth after "Raiders of the Lost Ark", and then "E.T." The Extra-Terrestrial (all-timers who lost respectively to "Chariots Of Fire" and the "Reds", one-two, in 1981, and Richard Attenborough’s epic biopic “Gandhi” in 1982).
John Williams did well, even though the Academy didn't show Spielberg much love for his classic escapist films. John Williams won the Best Original Score award for both "Jaws", and "E.T." Williams won his fifth Oscar overall for "Schindler’s List", which was just as difficult for him as it was Spielberg. Williams had been a part of Spielberg movies for years, but never before did he compose a score this somber. Williams was unsure if he would be able to pull off the music when Spielberg first showed it to him.
Williams' film score is a work of art. No one was surprised. Williams captured the despair and grief of the Holocaust but also, where appropriate, the incredible resilience of Jews in the face unimaginable atrocities. It is perfect in every way. Spielberg's and Williams' creative differences arose during the process of getting to this point.
Spielberg chose a more spiritually oriented composition
Williams, who has 54 Academy Award nods to his name, revealed in a Variety interview that it was difficult for him to choose the theme of "Schindler's List". Williams gave Spielberg a choice between two themes and was surprised at his response. Williams says:
Itzhak recorded them both. "I wrote a couple of pieces, primarily -- one we all know and one called 'Remembrances.' I preferred 'Remembrances,' but Steven said he would prefer the other one. "Really?" I asked. The other one is better. "No, this one has a more spiritual element.
Spielberg got what he wanted in his film. But did he choose the right theme? YouTube has "Remembrances", so you can see for yourself. Personal, I believe he chose the right theme. Though you may not be looking for an easily hummable tune when scoring a Holocaust movie, the mournful melody quickly became a part of the cinematic collective consciousness. The composition "Remembrances", however, is the most impressive and expressive. The two pieces are both incredibly sad, but "Remembrances" has a more complex feeling. Williams' work is the one that I come back to most often as a Williams fan.
Spielberg has a knack for filmmaking that is evident in this example.