This Might Be The GREATEST Movie Theme Of ALL Time

Which John Williams score wins for you?

[CharlesCornellStudios]

Caption the "I have arrived" alien at 3:02 GO-->

[jasonjansen]

John Williams losing the Oscar to himself is so John Williams

[whophd]

I love how John Williams got put into Hollywood’s hall of fame last year, and for his acceptance speech he totally throws the whole industry into miniature by reminding them the history of orchestral music is several times bigger, and more influential

[MyriamTT]

I was 23 years old in 1977. You made me melt down in tears. What a wonderful time to be alive and see all these great movies being released.

[Joe_Murphy-REV_Realty]

My dear friend and mentor of 40+ years, Mr. Jim Self, was the tuba player on this soundtrack and voice of the mothership. The interplay between Jim and the oboe soloist when the spaceship lands, is brilliant. As a recording tuba player in Nashville for decades, I have listened to this soundtrack hundreds of times. I can send you a pdf of the tuba part during the reveal of the mothership, if you're interested. Thanks for featuring this! (He was also John Williams' first call tubaist on everything. Star Wars, Hook, both Home Alone movies, and literally thousands of other major motion pictures!

[KerloTech]

I'm going to be a blubbering mess when John moves on to the next realm. I feel privileged to have been able to experience his music during my lifetime.

[erinzoretich]

I've never seen Charles so excited and passionate about a score before! It's infectious.

[EJL]

When the mothership “conversation” happens, as a tuba guy, that is the most epic part of that film. Jim Self did a stellar job with that performance.

[Zelmel]

I haven't seen this film in decades and those five sets of notes in a row still give me full body chills.

[BThings]

The use of "When You Wish Upon A Star" is also thematically primed through dialogue earlier in the movie when Roy Neary's talking about wanting to take his kids to see a re-release of _Pinocchio_ (the movie where that song originated). It's little details like this that make me love _Close Encounters_ so much!

[jasonlivesay]

Absolutely JW’s most brilliant work in my opinion. The sophistication and incorporating 20th century composition techniques (Ligeti’s “Atmospheres, ” Debussy’s “Prelude…Faun, ” etc.) is just exquisite. As a violinist, I was fortunate to play an entire orchestra concert of Williams’ music 11 years ago with John himself conducting. We played everything from ET to Hook to Schindler’s List, and of course “Excerpts from Close Encounters.” This piece got me more than any other, and I could not contain my tears as I was playing the grand climax while looking up and watching the maestro so magnificently leading us all…a visual and musical experience I had dreamed of as a kid ever since watching all those Evening at Pops concerts on PBS. Changed my life.

[jloiben]

John Williams losing to John Williams for an Oscar sounds like the only acceptable way for John Williams to not win an Oscar

[dunstonlion]

There can be a degree of elitism among some composer types that says John Williams is a good film composer but not a true great. And when I listen to stuff like this, I don't know WHAT those people are talking about. Not only a fantastic score, but some of the best modern composing of our generation! Thank you for bringing your passion and joy to this lovely breakdown!

[necrogon]

Dare I say, the harmony is.. out of this world

[JackCliffordWilliams]

Its operatic - Wagnerian almost. So emotional. Takes you on a complete journey. I loved listening to this soundtrack on cassette tape as a kid in the 80's and I loved listening to Charles's enthusiastic analysis. Simply gorgeous! ❤️👏

[tristanfitch]

I have never seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but I got to see John Williams conduct this with the SF Symphony last year and it *blew me away*

[chrys]

I think the reason why John Williams won the Oscar for Star wars instead of this is that it's not a soundtrack you could listen to outside of the movie. Within the context of the movie it's absolutely brilliant and in some ways more effective than Star Wars, but it won't sell albums and you're not going to find yourself humming the melody. I don't mean that as a negative though, because that should be the primary goal of a soundtrack, to enhance the movie.

[lloyddobler]

This is one of my favorite John Williams soundtracks to date. This last piece of this movie not only tugs at my heartstrings, it squeezes my heart ever so gently and then releases it. The way he conducts the London Symphony Orchestra so gingerly during this scene brings tears to my eyes. I love how he weaves in When You Wish Upon a Star into his score. It hearkens back to when Roy's wife called him Jiminy Cricket from Disney's Pinocchio. I can't imagine a better composer for this movie. It's like his music was inevitable.

[LuisSandoval]

I think the "finale" sequence could be an amazing symphonic poem. That melody is so warm, breathtaking... I love Star Wars' music, but Close Encounters is in another level.

[hthbellcaptain]

I was really hoping he’d cover The Conversation from Close Encounters because I think there’s SOOOO many musical goodies in it. However, I’m incredibly happy he looked at my favorite Williams score!!! Absolutely in love with this movie’s underrated but no less important message, music and feel.