Music By John Williams is a tribute to one of the greatest musicians of our lifetime, capturing his musical intellect in the way he is able to evoke emotion and excitement through his compositions, told through his own words and those of his collaborators, resulting in a documentary tribute to his passion, creativity, energy and genius worthy of the lasting mark he has left and continues to leave on cinematic history.

 

One man made audiences believe that a man could fly, brought dinosaurs to life, captured the wonder of every generation and made magic and galactic adventure a reality, conveyed the weight and emotion of historical events, made a mere two notes terrifying or five notes full of mystery and potential, and made audiences fall in love with cinema’s most adorable alien. Pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, and maestro. These are some of the many hats worn by the legendary John Williams and a mere snapshot of what he has done for cinema, who over the course of his illustrious career has made him one of the most influential names in symphonic music that makes him as notable as history’s greatest composers like Beethoven, Bach and Brahms. He not only revived symphonic orchestral film scores after the 1960s where soundtrack based scores were growing in popularity, but made film scores platinum selling records with films like Star Wars. But more importantly, his music has become a part of humanity’s DNA with an instant recognition after hearing a few notes or bars of his compositions, immediately transporting listeners back to the first moment they experienced maestro Williams’ work.

 

The structuring of Laurent Bouzereau’s latest documentary does not redefine the genre, largely following William’s life in chronological order after introducing Williams to the audience, even though he needs no introduction. We see his family upbringing that led to him to pursue a career in music, writing his first musical score for a film about St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada after being stationed there during the Second World War, the life of his family with his wife and young children, his beginnings in Hollywood as a piano player in the studio orchestras, and gradually evolving into composing musical cues and eventual entire scores for films and television projects. Audiences will no doubt know Williams best as a film composer, having composed some of the most iconic movie scores of all times with films like Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park to name a few, and while the documentary places a heavy emphasis on this aspect of his career, it covers a larger breadth of his work. Ranging from his work as a world renowned conductor, writing music for Olympic Games around the world and experimental and artistic orchestral pieces that have been played by some of the best symphonic musicians in the world, there is no ounce of Williams’ creative prowess that Bouzereau does not tap into.

 

What makes this documentary so special is the insight into Williams’ work provided by his frequent collaborators and himself. His friendship with Steven Spielberg, who is also a producer of the documentary, is explored in great depth as it was his collaborations with Spielberg on films like Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind that made him one of the most in demand composers in Hollywood. Seeing their deep respect and limitless vision explored in a playful and authentic way is fascinating for any film lover, giving insight into the writing of the music for some of their greatest collaborations like E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler’s List. Williams’ endless work within the Star Wars universe is touched upon, explaining why alongside Indiana Jones that these were two franchises Williams always returned to score unlike others which he passed along to other composers, while reflecting on Williams’ impact on the film and music world is never for a second lost. 

 

But what separates this documentary from others that are similar to it is hearing Williams himself speak about his work. Many documentaries like this would explore the life of such an impactful figure in Hollywood are normally made after the subject has passed, leaving friends and family to speak about them as an individual. Though, with Williams still alive, Bouzereau spends less time recounting the achievements of Williams’ life in chronological order, instead allowing Williams to speak about his creative process, how he works with the vision of the director and footage he has seen (or not seen) to create some of the most memorable movie scores as well, letting Williams personality leap off the screen at all times. It’s a captivating look behind the curtain that sees the magician at work, giving insight into not only how Williams has composed some of the most iconic movie scores of all time, but why his music has stood the test of time with audiences and impacted so many viewers on an emotional level. 

Even if you are not a film score fanatic like this reviewer, there is something enchanting about Music by John Williams that will enthrall even the most casual viewer. With a resume of some of the most impactful films on popular culture and cinema since the 1970s, the legacy that John Williams has made for himself is unmatched except for the genius creative minds in cinematic history and the most legendary composers the world has ever seen, giving documentarian Laurent Bouzereau plenty of material to cover while painting this personal portrait of cinema’s greatest composer. Told through insightful interviews from John Williams and his greatest collaborators such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, there is no doubt that Music By John Williams is one of the year’s best documentaries that is not only a must see film that perfectly captures the genius, creative talents and personality of the legendary John Williams, but a film will have viewers hooked on John Williams’ musical scores and being lost in the genius of his work as they listen to his musical scores on loop for days after watching the film!