‘Luke and Leia’ The Most Underrated Musical Theme in Star Wars
Even with all the negativity surrounding Star Wars, one thing everyone can agree on is how spectacular the music has been throughout the entire saga. Whether you are a fan of Binary Sunset or get excited when hearing Duel of the Fates one thing is for certain, John Williams has done a masterful job with scoring these films.
For a number of years all I would talk about were the larger than life scores from the Prequel Trilogy. Duel of the Fates is one of the most blood pumping adrenaline inducing pieces of music to ever be put on film. Across the Stars is a beautiful and yet sad composition, and Battle of Heroes does an amazing job in helping realize two best friends…..Brothers…. are fighting to the death.
It’s not like I ignored or forgot about the music from the Original trilogy. Hell, Binary Sunset and the Imperial March are possibly the most recognizable pieces in the franchise. I just happened to be the perfect age during the Prequel era.
As I got older though I began to really listen to the music that John Williams pieced together. I began to understand the reasoning behind the music and how it also told a story within the films. And with this I began to appreciate other themes within the franchise.
The theme of Luke and Leia, which is brilliant and beautiful, hit me shortly before Carrie Fisher’s death. It was a time where it was impossible to ignore. The scene in Return of the Jedi that it plays during is obviously a pivotal moment for two of our favorite heroes. Luke explains to Leia who her Father is. Then his confession that he is going to confront Vader and quite possibly die. It’s an emotional scene and one that is enhanced by the music playing along side it.
As my anticipation for The Last Jedi rose I knew that John Williams would not pass the opportunity to have this theme heard once more.
He didn’t disappoint.
Luke walks into the resistance hide out on Crait and takes a seat next to Leia. It is then the theme begins to play.
I remember sitting in the theater and my eyes began to well up with tears. This was the last time we would see these two characters on screen together. In a way it was almost too much to bare for a fan as big as myself.
Now, besides the amazing score by John Williams, Rian Johnson also did some brilliant film making here. This moment brings a similar feel to that conversation Luke and Leia had in Return of the Jedi. The confronting of ones demons. Kylo Ren, Luke’s greatest failure, was a demon he had to confront just as Vader was in the Original Trilogy. The difference here is he knows there is no saving Ben as there was hope in saving his father.
These moments in Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi are just amazing and completely magnified by the Maestro John Williams.
If you aren’t sure of the piece I am speaking about, do yourself a favor, just listen to them below and try to not think about the amazing adventures you experienced with these two characters over the years.
As for The Last Jedi moment, here it is it is around the :58 second mark of the video below where we hear the Luke and Leia theme.
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