The two main examples of combining film, literature and music will be taken from the films “Jurassic Park” and “Star Wars”. Each film will be divided up into three sections: the plot, a brief analysis, and a lesson plan section which will include a short outline of all of the grades and levels of students covered above in the goals, strategies and objectives section.
Jurassic Park
MCA Universal Pictures (US), 1993, Color, 2 Hrs. 7 Mins.
Director, Steven Spielberg, Music, John Williams.
This film starts with a night view of what could be any scene of a zoo or game reserve until the camera frames the cage of a unknown animal. The score of Mr. Williams gives cues the size of Texas that what ever is hidden in that cage is not the run-of-the-mill type of beast. After three seconds of blinding fast movement and terror, a dinosaur with the hunting skills of man outsmarts her hosts and eats alive one of the workers of the first-time-ever theme park of living dinosaurs, Jurassic Park.
For lesson plans see Strategies, Goals and Objectives grades 2-4 and 5-8
Star Wars
Twentieth-Century Fox (US), 1977, Color, 119 Min.
Director and Screenplay, George Lucas, Music, John Williams.
The film starts with one of the most exciting fan-fares in film music making history and a prologue that sets the stage for the film. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away”. In the visual text of the film one is reminded of silent films, yet with a space-age twist as the text floats up and way towards the top of the screen and disappears. The text tells of the Rebel Alliance and their nemesis the evil Imperial forces. This film takes the form of a space-age western with a Marvel comic book style and brings it to life on screen. John Williams creates a Leitmoftif for each character including the entrance of the film plot with the specific musical phase, song or melody to match. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi, (androids C-3PO and R2-D2), and the most famous of this film’s musical themes “Darth Vader” all take their place in history with thesubtle shading of musical characterization that spans three films.