John Williams' Superman

Superman: The Movie was released in the USA in 1978 featuring the late Christopher Reeve as our protagonist. Although most claim that the movie itself was a decent production, the score gained much popularity due to its prestigious and authentic way of presenting the great, epic, and romantic hero. John Williams, the brilliant composer, is well-known for creating memorable film scores such as Jaws, Starwars, and E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial.

As I was listening to the score, I realized Williams had such a particular way in expressing certain themes throughout the film. A mysterious track, namely "The Planet Krypton", evoke a kind of an abyss deep in the universe where a least known civilization inhabit, yet he still retains the thematical birthmark of our great hero Superman. He describes this birthmark in subtle touches of strong but very minimal notes, very much like an imagined prelude to Superman's main theme.

"A Trip to Earth" is one of the most curious of all the tracks in the film. It begins with a mimick of a winged insect twisting and turning randomly in flight. As it develops, there is an introduction of trumpets which sweep the seconds in long and swerving notes as Kal-el is being transported in his spaceship. It is possible that the swerving nature of the track was to express the child travelling across unknown spaces in the galaxy where anything can happen. If one would put themselves lying down on a bed with wheels and being rolled around the building, I suppose it would be a dizzying experience after all.

The love song "Love Theme from Superman" is filled with lush and happiness. If you listen closely there are some sounds where you can parallel that to a little bird drying itself at a fountain. There are many beautiful sections of harmony, which is a great feeling when one feels when they are in love. Notably, there is a segment where the high notes are contrasting the lower note violins. I suspect this contrast was to represent the relationship between the feminine and the masculine in musical terms. It was a perfect combination to include this while having Superman's flight sequence. It was a great representation of harmony of love within the freedom of flight, where we often feel weightlessness as we delve into new dimensions of happiness.

Superman's mystical home on Earth and for tranquility is called "Fortress of Solitude." It is touched with bells representing the blinding glitter emitting from the crystals. As Kal-el walks about throughout his home, the track expresses the knowledge kept of his past as it is discovered in the present. Kal-el for the first time in his life, has found how it would be back at Krypton at last. It is here at the very end of the track, at the very last seconds, that we finally hear Superman's theme since the opening. In this sequence, this marks the crucial point when Kal-el understood what his destiny lies for him as Superman.

I hope you have found my observations interesting. I wish I could write more but there are too many tracks to write about, haha, but nevertheless I hope you will like the tracks. You may listen to the score listed below if you like.

Theme from Superman
The Planet Krypton
Destruction of Krypton
The Trip to Earth
Growing Up
Love Theme from Superman
Leaving Home
The Fortress of Solitude
Flying Sequence + Can You Read My Mind /Margot Kidder
Super Rescues
Lex Luthor's Lair
Superfeats
The March of the Villains
Chasing Rockets
Turning Back the World
End Title