The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration: Your Favorite Cues

Few relationships in the film industry have been as fruitful as that between Steven Spielberg and John Williams. Of all the theatrical films Spielberg has directed, all but one (The Color Purple) were scored by Williams. 17 of those scores have been released so far, with two more (Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can) due this year. This dynamic duo has given us countless hours of great music and great scenes, and in this thread, we will list and discuss the cues from those films that we love best.

Here are my top 20 favorite Williams cues from Spielberg's films. I may add comments later. This list is subject to change over time.

1. Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

2. The Visitors/Bye/End Titles, Close Encounters of the Third Kind

3. The Miracle of the Ark, Raiders of the Lost Ark

4. Welcome to Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park

5. The Reunion, A.I. Artificial Intelligence

6. You Are The Pan, Hook

7. Belly of the Steel Beast, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

8. Dry Your Tears, Afrika, Amistad

9. Theme from Schindler's List, Schindler's List

10. Journey to the Island, Jurassic Park

11. The Search for the Blue Fairy, A.I. Artificial Intelligence

12. Remembering Childhood, Hook

13. The Ultimate War, Hook

14. Abandoned in the Woods, A.I. Artificial Intelligence

15. Slave Childrens' Crusade, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

16. Hymn to the Fallen, Saving Private Ryan

17. Desert Chase, Raiders of the Lost Ark

18. Cinque's Theme, Amistad

19. Remembrances, Schindler's List

20. Cadillac of the Skies, Empire of the Sun

 

No one else? You don't have to all post a huge list, just mention some of your favorites.

 

The entire A.I. soundtrack/movie.

 

Well, this is pretty hard, isn't it? LOL

I'm not too familiar with the scores of 1941 and The Sugarland Express, though I have heard of clips or suites of both. I have tremendous difficulty ranking them right now, so I'll just try to gather my thoughts on my favorite tracks from each score from Jaws to the end of the 80s for now. However, I do agree with your top pick. So, basically a work in progress here.

Jaws - Man Against Beast, Blown to Bits, The Shark Approaches

Close Encounters of the Third Kind - The Visitors/Bye/End Titles, Roy and Gillian on the Road, TV Reveals, The Mountain

Raiders of the Lost Ark - The Map Room: Dawn, Airplane Fight, The German Sub/To the Nazi Hideout, Miracle of the Ark, End Credits

E.T. - Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye, Far From Home/E.T. Alone, The Magic of Halloween, E.T. is Alive, End Credits

Temple of Doom - Slalom on Mt. Humol, Bug Tunnel and Death Trap, Slave Children's Crusade,

Empire of the Sun - Suo Gan, Cadillac of the Skies, Jim's New Life, Toy Planes, Home And Hearth, Exsultate Justi

The Last Crusade - Belly of the Steel Beast, End Credits

Always - Dorinda Solo Flight

 

Oh, it is hard to come up with a list. Just from looking at what you listed, I can see a lot of cues that I would like to add to my list, but won't because I would then have to take off some of my other favorites.

 

Part 2

Hook - Prologue, Remembering Childhood, You Are The Pan, Farewell Neverland

Jurassic Park - Journey to the Island, Welcome to Jurassic Park, Remembering Petticoat Lane

Schindler's List - Theme from Schindler's List, Rememberances, I Could Have Done More, Theme from Schindler's List {reprise/piano)

Amistad - Dry Your Tears, Afrika, Cinque's Theme, The Long Road to Justice,

The Lost World: Jurassic Park - The Lost World, The Hunt, Visitor in San Diego

Saving Private Ryan - Hymm to the Fallen

A.I. - Abandoned in the Woods, Stored Memories and Monica's Theme, Where Dreams are Born, The Search for the Blue Fairy, The Reunion

 

Up.

 

(in no order)

*Welcome to Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park)
*High-Wire Stunts (Jurassic Park)
*Rescuing Sarah (The Lost World: JP)
*The Reunion (A.I.)
*T-Rex Rescue and Finale (Jurassic Park)
*Remembering Petticoat Lane (Jurassic Park)
*Hymn to the Fallen (Sacing Private Ryan)
*Omaha Beach (Saving Private Ryan)
*Visitor in San Diego (The Lost World: JP)
*Belly of the Steel Beast (The Last Crusade)
*Desert Chase (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
*Journey to the Island (Jurassic Park)
*The Hunt (The Lost World)
*Where Dreams are Born (A.I.)

If I remember anymore I'll post.

 

I definetly agree with you SOTS on number one. I love about 4:30 into the Chase track on E.T. where it goes frantic!

 

This was last posted to before the release of Minority Report, so I think it's time to bring it up.

 

Hmm... I'm wondering if I should do this in terms of just the music by itself, or based on how well the music works in context of their placement in the films. (That would determine whether my list would be heavier on big thematic cues, or conversely, focus on underscore.) By what criteria did you guys list yours?

 

When I made my list, I judged the cues in the context of how they sound on their own, not how they sound in the context of the film.

 

Up for current discussion.

 

I'd order things around a little differently, but my list holds up pretty well today. The only new cues that I would like to add would probably be "A Prayer For Peace" and "Remembering Munich" from Munich.

 

wow, tough question!

i would have to say that it's a tie between "Man Against Beast" from Jaws, and "The Map Room-Dawn" from Raiders.

 

I put "The Miracle of Ark" on my list to represent the fantastic "Ark theme". But "The Map Room - Dawn" may be an even better cue.