Why I think The Force Awakens' soundtrack deserved Oscar

It’s really delightful that John Williams’ the Force Awakens score won 3 awards from The International Film Music Associations, including the biggest award, Soundtrack of the Year.

With respect to Maestro Ennio Morricone, who (though hard to believe) never won a competitive Oscar, and regarded by many critics that this will be his year.

However, I still side with John Williams’s score for the seventh installment of the franchise we love and growing up with, and hope to see it won the maestro his sixth Oscar.

How come?

Firstly, I was not impressed with the score I heard on December 16th last year, though it’s better than most, but apart from the astonishing Rey’s theme and mesmerizing Jedi steps and Finale, I thought that other tracks lost something unique or probably some epicness (I was wrong!)

I thought it might because the maestro is too old or the soundtrack was not played by the great London Symphony Orchestra that made it lost some magic.

But yes, I was wrong all along.

After December 16th the day I watched the film, I repetitively listened to the Force Awakens score, over and over again, track by track, and then I found something I totally missed first time I heard them in the theatre.

The storytelling of the Force Awakens is so unique.

It was not composed during the time of Cold war.

It was not composed in the age of masculine.

It was composed in the age of Social Media, the age of globalization.

The age of the new generation who don’t know anything about Star Wars.

Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader are just a myth for them.

Their parent’s childhoods are no match to their online fame, PS4 or superheroes films.

John Williams was succeeded in bringing the myth back to reality. One more time.

Rey’s theme starts with childish but independent tone and gradually change to the heroin tone that’s totally different from warrior’s tone we heard from the prequel, this one is so complexed and well-composed. It expresses the feeling of youth, dream, waiting, loneliness, sadness but above all, this is a theme for modern heroine in true Star Wars fashion.

Kylo Ren’s theme is the other side of Rey’s theme. While it show the greatness and powerful of the dark-side villain, on contrary with Rey’s theme, it had some gentleness, weakness and sorrow hidden inside. It suited very well with the nature of Kylo Ren’s character unlike some bombarded scores from the prequel which (though I love them) are somehow irrelevant and have nothing to do with character’s development.

The medley between Kylo and Rey’s theme could be heard in track ‘The Abduction’ and it’s incredibly well-composed with mixed emotions and stories. Something John Williams knew, but we not.

Some other ‘new’ tracks are also exceptional, if you don’t judged them the first time you heard.

‘I can fly anything’ : This track is so epic with the TIE fighter scene. You can hear what could possibly be a glimpse of ‘The Force Order’ theme at the beginning and it change to a new hero theme which could be used again as Poe or Finn’s theme. This track is remind me of the Trade Federation and The Republic’s theme, it also could be used as the New Republic theme because Poe was a pilot in its army.

‘Rey meets BB-8’ : This track represent a very cute relationship between Human and droid which show us the nature of Rey’s character, especially the soft side without saying a word. It’s like a lonely girl meet her who would later become her best friend. It’s a true friendship.

‘Finn’s Confession’: This track, you must listened with attention, you will hear what could be a first glimpse of a new love theme or Finn’s theme which is so beautiful piece.

‘The Starkiller’: Probably the most underrated track. It remind me of the track when Anakin was burned, no moment both Obi-wan and Anakin realized that they were betrayed by their most trusted friend. Like The New Republic never thought that the First Order would start the pre-emptive attack that spark a new war.

‘March of the Resistance’ To be honest, I didn’t like this track the first time I heard, but after I listened to it more than 20 times. I suddenly realized that this is not a Rebel Alliance theme, it’s more complexed, it sound like a military theme more than a good-side theme. It might due to the status of the Resistance is different from the Rebel Alliance. It is more an independent armed force that was repelled from the capitol because the government feared that one day the resistance might rebelled and take power from them.

‘Scherzo for X-wings’ = this track made me silly think that Poe is a skywalker.

‘Farewell and the Trip’ = this is my most favorite score out of the soundtrack, it told us that the new journey has begun, once again, the Star Wars saga has successfully re-established.

Han and the Princess theme in this track is so heartbreaking, but it is a part of Rey’s theme at the end, when Rey and Chewie travelled to Arch-To that’s so impressive.

It’s told us that the force has been awaken and now it will guide our new Jedi to her Master. A journey she knows that someday must happen, and she accepted her destiny with confidence, a true heroine without sexy outfit or body.

Rey’s a new definition of modern-day heroine. A new form of Disney’s princess.

A Jedi for the 21th century.

The Last track is everyone’s favorite ‘The Jedi Steps and Finale’

This track captured the overall storytelling and theme of the Force Awakens, a story about a girl who growing up denying her faith, but gradually accepted her destiny after realize her importance. The track starts with tone of the myth, filled with doubtful in Rey and audiences’ minds. And when the hood figure appeared, the track serve the scene very well, he is there, gazing at the emptiness of the ocean. The legendary Luke Skywalker we have been waiting for 30 years.

Then the force theme played along with the closed up at the two facial expression. Rey’s reluctance slowly change to confident, but Luke’s expression is different.

He knew the girl, he always knew who she is. But the appearance of the girl reminded him of pain from the past. The sorrow he deal with alone for a longtime, you could heard his sorrow from the note before it change to Star Wars main title.

The Force Awakens served the film very well. It is the most complexed Star Wars’s soundtrack to date. To compare it with the war anthem in the prequel and the freshness of the original is unfair. This is a new trilogy and it need a new theme and storytelling.

That’s why I think John Williams deserved his sixth Oscar late this February, with highly respect to the great and only one Maestro Morricone who should have won a longtime ago.

Sorry for my unnatural English, I’m not a native speaker, but I’ve tried my best to deliver my feeling toward the score through foreign languages. Thanks for reading.