The Music Of Star Wars: A Recollection - Episode II

One of the most integral aspects of any film is its score, and the music of Star Wars is no exception. Some of the themes heard throughout the saga are recognizable to virtually anyone, and it is not often that we see a film’s soundtrack add so much meaning to what is presented on screen as much as the Star Wars saga does. Let’s look back at each film and analyze just how much what we hear affects what we see in an ongoing chronological series called The Music of Star Wars: A Recollection.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones had a few very important jobs to achieve when it was released in 2002. Not only did it have to build on what we saw in The Phantom Menace, but it also had to establish the core of Anakin and Padme’s relationship, as well as explore the origins of The Clone Wars. Attack of the Clones should be like what The Empire Strikes Backwas to the original trilogy: add more depth to the characters we already knew, and prepare us for the ultimate finale in Revenge of the Sith. Unfortunately, while the final act of the film is probably one of the better parts of the entire prequel trilogy, it still feels like it doesn’t live up to the hype.

The same thing can be said about the soundtrack. It consistently builds up as the score progresses, but the end result leaves you with a frustrating feeling that you failed to get what you earned. The music, like parts of the movie, often feels bland, uneventful, and more like filler rather than part of an overall, continuous whole.

Across The Stars is meant to be the highlight of this soundtrack. Penned as the love theme for Anakin and Padme, it definitely emits that ballad-like feeling that John Williams wanted to achieve. Even though the melody is rather simple and the structure of the song repeats, it does so in a way that feels grandiose, beautiful, and tragic, which perfectly describes the relationship of these two characters. Strings primarily lead the way and are supported well by a strong brass, and while the song is somewhat repetitive and lengthy at just over 5 minutes, it still successfully carries out its purpose.

The majority of the soundtrack does not receive the same level of praise. Yoda And The Younglings is strong in that it manages to convey the personality of the title character. In other words, as you listen to it, you can almost sense the wise and mysterious nature of the old Jedi Master, as well as the respect that he so greatly deserves from those around him. The only downside to the track is that short renditions of Across The Stars can be heard, which slightly interrupts the flow and overall meaning of the song. In fact, the main melody of that song shows up throughout the score, which would be fine in songs that deal with Anakin or Padme; however, it should have no business being used in a track about Yoda or any other character/event.

A proper Star Wars soundtrack wouldn’t be complete without a good suite full of different themes and cues, and Attack of the Clones benefits by having two. The first occurs in the opening act of the film, Zam The Assassin and The Chase Through Coruscant. It’s a fun track that clocks in at 11 minutes, and is highlighted by a wide variety of instruments (including various amounts of percussion and a random guitar-like sound halfway through). Whereas most of the longer Star Wars tunes are full of typical orchestral sounds, this one offers up something fresh. It also perfectly captures the scenes where it plays, in large part due to the genius of John Williams. The second of the suite-like songs is Love Pledge and The Arena. The opening of this 8-minute track is merely a rehash of Across The Stars. It is not until two minutes in that the march comes in; horns highlight a militaristic melody that captures the arrival of the clones. It is probably one of the more recognizable pieces of the film, and satisfies brass aficionados of all kinds.

While these two tracks are very good and worthy to be called gems, the rest of the Attack of the Clones soundtrack, like the film, suffers from a lack of consistent excitement. Interspersed with the standout tracks are tracks that are basically just filler. In all honesty, the music itself isn’t bad; standalone, it’s actually quite a ride. But when you see what it accompanies on screen, everything just falls flat, which is very unfortunate for a John Williams score. Thankfully, what comes next in the saga makes up for all of these shortcomings.

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