Composer John Williams as told in documentary produced by Steven Spielberg

Star Wars , ET the extra-terrestrial or Indiana Jones , Schindler’s List… John Williams composed the soundtracks of films that have become cult. But its history remains little known. This paradox will now be repaired since this legendary composer, now 92 years old, reveals himself in a documentary produced by Steven Spielberg, his brother at heart and in cinema.

Presented Wednesday at the opening of the American Film Institute festival in Los Angeles, before its arrival on the 1^is November on the Disney + platform, Music by John Williams traces the career of the American conductor, at the origin of the scores of many cinema classics, Jaws has Harry Potter passing through Schindler’s List . « This is something I’ve been trying to do for a long time »says its Franco-American director, Laurent Bouzereau, who met the composer at the five Oscars 30 years ago, during one of his many making of Spielberg’s works.

« But he always told me no »adds the documentarian, praising « someone very modest »Who « inspire righteousness », « doesn’t like being praised so much »is « look behind him ». A brief glance in the rearview mirror is enough to make one dizzy: 54 Oscar nominations – a record broken only by Walt Disney -, more than a hundred feature films set to music – including almost all those of Steven Spielberg -, nearly 20 classical concertos, a work played by orchestras around the world and recognizable from the first notes.

« I challenge anyone to find anyone else among composers who is as powerful, as celebrated as him »summarizes Laurent Bouzereau, who asked for help from ET’s dad to bring John Williams out of his reserve. « I thought if it came from Steven there would be a good chance he would say yes ». Convinced by this « alliance »joined among others by the director Ron Howard, also a producer, John Williams returns to his cult soundtracks, – written from images, without reading the scripts -, like the theme of Jawstwo simple notes embodying the threat of an invisible shark.

Beginnings as a jazz pianist

The New York native also recounts his childhood, bathed in music alongside a percussionist father, his beginnings as a jazz pianist and television arranger, the death at age 43 of his first wife, actress Barbara Ruick, his setbacks at the head of the Boston Pops orchestra in the 1980s. And, of course, his decisive meeting with Steven Spielberg, who 50 years ago entrusted him with his first film on the big screen, Sugarland Expressand who introduced him to George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars.

 

“He really elevated the art of film scoring. »

Laurent Bouzereau, director of the documentary

These two filmmakers are among the many speakers in the documentary, telling how John Williams enhanced their work. As for Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and violinist Itzhak Perlman, they discuss the impact of his music, « timeless »according to Laurent Bouzereau. « He truly elevated the art of film music »Today « threatened by artificial intelligence » and that « lots of people, lots of musicians » despised, he recalls. For him, the turning point came in 1977, when the Los Angeles Philharmonic performed for the first time Star Wars in public.

Paradoxically, John Williams is not « not a movie buff »notes Laurent Bouzereau. « He’s not someone who goes to the movies » but who « really likes creating, in fact, cinema. And above all (…) directors like Steven or George Lucas, with whom he suddenly felt a kind of alchemy ». His relationship with Steven Spielberg, in particular, is « unique »he insists. « They call each other brothers. (…) There aren’t many people who have had this kind of story »set apart « maybe François Truffaut et his composer friend Georges Delerue ».