Science-fiction film Sountracks

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - 

John Williams, "Over the Moon."

String instruments create a sentimental, romantic mood. The fast tempo of the score fits well with the image of the boy riding quickly through the forrest. A close up on the alien's face coincides with the introduction of tinkling percussive instruments which gives the piece a magical quality. Suddenly the pair ride over a cliff but instead of falling they soar upwards, the music soars with them. The mood is optimistic and uplifting. Trumpets punctuate the score twice adding some drama to the piece. The boy and the alien fly past the moon and the music reaches its climax before the two crash land on the ground.

Star Wars Opening Credits -

 John Williams, "Star Wars Main Title."

A burst of trumpets appears simultaneously with the Star Wars logo the tempo is majestic. The fanfare of trumpets somewhat echoes the fanfare that appears with the 20th Century Fox logo prior to the opening credits. The music feels very heroic and adventurous, there is also a militaristic undercurrent which highlights the theme of warfare that appears throughout the film. After the military bombast the brass instruments are superseded by stringed ones and a romantic refrain is introduced into the score. The trumpets appear again but the tempo has slowed somewhat. The mood is an uplifting, triumphal one. The music builds one last time before segueing into another more tranquil piece of music which has an almost lullaby like feel.

2001: A Space Odyssey Opening credits -

 Richard Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra."

The screen is black. The music begins with a single long drawn out note in a low tone. A sense of anticipation is created. We hear a horn, quiet at first. The pace is slow. Suddenly a brass fanfare is introduced followed by drums which create a driving rhythm. We see a reddish star appearing above a celestial body causing a white crescent to appear on it's surface. In contrast to the "Star Wars Main Title" the tempo is much slower and the piece is much more measured. The brass instruments appear again and a crescendo appears simultaneously with the name of the Director appearing on the screen. The red star rises further above the celestial body and the music becomes more sweeping and majestic with the brass instruments, the percussion and the strings all coming together in a dramatic climax.

Just For Fun! 

In case you ever doubted how important music and sound are to film check out the link below. The Star Wars medal giving ceremony just isn't the same with extras coughing, Chewbacca screaming and Luke's forced laugh.