| There was an inevitability about the union of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and John Williams that shouldn't obscure the magnitude of their collective achievement on Raiders Of The Lost Ark. The movie is one of those rare serendipitous collaborations in which all elements work in apparently effortless harmony: everything about this Boys' Own adventure just feels right, from Harrison Ford's Bogart-like central performance to the magnificently choreographed action set-pieces. Linking all is John Williams's boisterous, exuberant music. The score is a tapestry of grandiloquent old-school Hollywood gestures intertwined with a rich vein of tongue-in-cheek humour (the playful scherzo of "The Basket Game" being a case in point). There's a powerful mystery theme for the Ark and an aching love theme which softens the edges of Karen Allen's Marion. But towering over all, of course, is the "Raiders March" itself, a deceptively simple achievement like all of Williams's very best music (think of the five-note Close Encounters signature, or the theme from Schindler's List). The London Symphony Orchestra always give their very best for this composer, and their resplendent brass section bring Williams's fanfares brilliantly to life. This album, released in 1995 and running for well over 70 minutes, is the most comprehensive presentation of the score available and as such must always have a place in any self-respecting movie music fan's collection. The only thing more remarkable than the filmmakers' achievement here is that they all surpassed themselves on Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, the score for which is even more highly recommendable than the original. --Mark Walker |
