EMPIRE OF THE SUN

JOHN WILLIAMS

Rating:

Original Review: Empire of the Sun was Steven Spielberg's first attempt at cinematically capturing the chaos and terror of World War 2. Unlike Schindler's List, which was set solely in Europe, this film focuses on the Japanese side of the war, and tells the story of a young English boy caught up in the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in the 1940s, his subsequent incarceration in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, and his resultant transition from innocent boyhood to adulthood in the face of repression and torment. With a screenplay by Tom Stoppard adapted from the acclaimed novel by J.G. Ballard, and a cast that included John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers and the wide-eyed, innocent Christian Bale, the film should have gone on to receive better reviews than it did.

As always, John Williams' Oscar-nominated score majestically captures the magic, drama and profoundness of Spielberg's work, making Empire of the Sun one of his most emotionally uplifting and enjoyable works of the eighties. The whole score exudes a sense of wide-eyed wonder, especially through the constant use of a boy's choir and high strings. Every track of this wonderful album abounds with beautiful themes and intelligent ideas, beginning with the uplifting, choral glory of 'Cadillac of the Skies', a truly triumphant track which underscores the now-famous scene of an Allied Forces warplane swooping low over the prison camp, while an exuberant Jim wildly cheers it on, unaware of the threat and danger it poses.

Other cues of note include the joyous brass scherzo in 'Jim's New Life', an ebullient track which exudes a sense of fun and freedom; the loud and lively 'The Streets of Shanghai', which seems to preclude the style of action cue which would later feature prominently in scores such as Jurassic Park; and the rapturous, celebratory, anthemic 'Exsultate Justi', the two performances of which feature the Boy's Choir singing vibrantly in Latin. The score is not without its darker, more sombre moments, though, as the soft and menacing 'Lost In The Crowd', the quietly ominous 'The Return to the City', and the enigmatic, minimalist 'The Pheasant Hunt' attest. This is another of Williams' great talents - that he can intersperse his grand themes with moments of danger and dissonance without breaking up the flow of the album, or diminishing its overall feeling.

Three source cues, including the Welsh folk tune 'Suo Gan', the fife-and-drum march for 'The British Grenadiers' and a Chopin adaptation (parts of which are highly reminiscent of James Horner's Glory) in 'Toy Planes, Home and Hearth', round off this marvellous album, hailed by many as one of the finest works of Williams' illustrious career. Had Empire of the Sun gone on to be the great wartime epic movie Spielberg originally envisioned, I feel the score would have been elevated to the similar lofty status of scores such as Star Wars, Close Encounters and E.T. The music is of high enough quality to warrant such comparisons, and I believe that it is only the comparative failure of the film to connect with cinema audiences which stopped the score gaining the accolades it so richly deserves.

Track Listing: Running Time: 54 minutes 31 seconds

Warner Bros. 7599-25668-2 (1987)

Music composed and conducted by John Williams. Featuring The Ambrosian Junior Choir and James Rainbird. Choir Director John McCarthy. Recorded and mixed by Shawn Murphy and Armin Steiner. Edited by Ken Wannberg. Album produced by John Williams.


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