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Why did John Williams use a march to symbolise Indiana Jones?

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13

1

John Williams is famous for using certain styles of composition to represent characters (e.g. a military march style in Superman to represent freedom/USA etc.), but why was Indiana represented by the Raider's March? He's a hero, but not in a military or fighting for a government.

Raider's March:

composition filmscore

share|improve this question

edited yesterday

Richard

42.2k694181

asked yesterday

WoodmanWoodman

393212

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  John Williams composed one melody and used it in 300 films. ick.
  
  – Carl Witthoft
  16 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Superman wasn't in the military or fighting for the government, so why aren't you asking about him, too?
  
  – David Richerby
  14 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidRicherby Because superman was fighting for a common, American good ("Truth, justice and the American way" - very patriotic).
  
  – Woodman
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

13

1

John Williams is famous for using certain styles of composition to represent characters (e.g. a military march style in Superman to represent freedom/USA etc.), but why was Indiana represented by the Raider's March? He's a hero, but not in a military or fighting for a government.

Raider's March:

composition filmscore

share|improve this question

edited yesterday

Richard

42.2k694181

asked yesterday

WoodmanWoodman

393212

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  John Williams composed one melody and used it in 300 films. ick.
  
  – Carl Witthoft
  16 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Superman wasn't in the military or fighting for the government, so why aren't you asking about him, too?
  
  – David Richerby
  14 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidRicherby Because superman was fighting for a common, American good ("Truth, justice and the American way" - very patriotic).
  
  – Woodman
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

John Williams is famous for using certain styles of composition to represent characters (e.g. a military march style in Superman to represent freedom/USA etc.), but why was Indiana represented by the Raider's March? He's a hero, but not in a military or fighting for a government.

Raider's March:

composition filmscore

share|improve this question

edited yesterday

Richard

42.2k694181

asked yesterday

WoodmanWoodman

393212

share|improve this question

edited yesterday

Richard

42.2k694181

asked yesterday

WoodmanWoodman

393212

share|improve this question

edited yesterday

Richard

42.2k694181

asked yesterday

WoodmanWoodman

393212

edited yesterday

Richard

42.2k694181

edited yesterday

Richard

42.2k694181

asked yesterday

WoodmanWoodman

393212

asked yesterday

WoodmanWoodman

393212

1 Answer
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17

Interesting question! Williams's choice certainly isn't as obvious as, say, the military march for Darth Vader. Although I can't find a definitive statement from Williams himself, I think there is a clear analytic way to make sense of his choice.

There is a branch of music analysis called "topic theory." In short, topic theory looks at conventional musical signs that signify some kind of emotion or background. A group of trumpets quickly articulating arpeggios, for instance, would be a "fanfare" topic that signifies royalty, the hunt, etc. Similarly, a "march" topic could signify the military, patriotism, or some type of quest towards something to be achieved or conquered.

With this in mind, I think we can see explanations for each of these three listed ideas:

1. Indiana Jones did serve in World War I, so a military topic is very fitting.


2. Similarly, a patriotic topic is also fitting. (I even see some web results that make the claim that he's a great American patriot.)


3. And of course so many of his stories are about quests to find some item or defeat some entity, which of course matches the march topic very well.

In other words, I don't think a march is limited to just the military or currently fighting for a government. Once we acknowledge a broader view of what the march topic may signify, it becomes much more clear why Williams may have chosen to write the theme as a march.

For anyone interested in topic theory, you may want to check out The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory.

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

RichardRichard

42.2k694181

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Point number 3 in particular! There are lots of non-military marches (the physical walking kind, not the music), and any 2-beat melody can support the theme. After all, there are funeral marches too.
  
  – Carl Witthoft
  16 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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17

Interesting question! Williams's choice certainly isn't as obvious as, say, the military march for Darth Vader. Although I can't find a definitive statement from Williams himself, I think there is a clear analytic way to make sense of his choice.

There is a branch of music analysis called "topic theory." In short, topic theory looks at conventional musical signs that signify some kind of emotion or background. A group of trumpets quickly articulating arpeggios, for instance, would be a "fanfare" topic that signifies royalty, the hunt, etc. Similarly, a "march" topic could signify the military, patriotism, or some type of quest towards something to be achieved or conquered.

With this in mind, I think we can see explanations for each of these three listed ideas:

1. Indiana Jones did serve in World War I, so a military topic is very fitting.


2. Similarly, a patriotic topic is also fitting. (I even see some web results that make the claim that he's a great American patriot.)


3. And of course so many of his stories are about quests to find some item or defeat some entity, which of course matches the march topic very well.

In other words, I don't think a march is limited to just the military or currently fighting for a government. Once we acknowledge a broader view of what the march topic may signify, it becomes much more clear why Williams may have chosen to write the theme as a march.

For anyone interested in topic theory, you may want to check out The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory.

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

RichardRichard

42.2k694181

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Point number 3 in particular! There are lots of non-military marches (the physical walking kind, not the music), and any 2-beat melody can support the theme. After all, there are funeral marches too.
  
  – Carl Witthoft
  16 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

17

Interesting question! Williams's choice certainly isn't as obvious as, say, the military march for Darth Vader. Although I can't find a definitive statement from Williams himself, I think there is a clear analytic way to make sense of his choice.

There is a branch of music analysis called "topic theory." In short, topic theory looks at conventional musical signs that signify some kind of emotion or background. A group of trumpets quickly articulating arpeggios, for instance, would be a "fanfare" topic that signifies royalty, the hunt, etc. Similarly, a "march" topic could signify the military, patriotism, or some type of quest towards something to be achieved or conquered.

With this in mind, I think we can see explanations for each of these three listed ideas:

1. Indiana Jones did serve in World War I, so a military topic is very fitting.


2. Similarly, a patriotic topic is also fitting. (I even see some web results that make the claim that he's a great American patriot.)


3. And of course so many of his stories are about quests to find some item or defeat some entity, which of course matches the march topic very well.

In other words, I don't think a march is limited to just the military or currently fighting for a government. Once we acknowledge a broader view of what the march topic may signify, it becomes much more clear why Williams may have chosen to write the theme as a march.

For anyone interested in topic theory, you may want to check out The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory.

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

RichardRichard

42.2k694181

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Point number 3 in particular! There are lots of non-military marches (the physical walking kind, not the music), and any 2-beat melody can support the theme. After all, there are funeral marches too.
  
  – Carl Witthoft
  16 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Interesting question! Williams's choice certainly isn't as obvious as, say, the military march for Darth Vader. Although I can't find a definitive statement from Williams himself, I think there is a clear analytic way to make sense of his choice.

There is a branch of music analysis called "topic theory." In short, topic theory looks at conventional musical signs that signify some kind of emotion or background. A group of trumpets quickly articulating arpeggios, for instance, would be a "fanfare" topic that signifies royalty, the hunt, etc. Similarly, a "march" topic could signify the military, patriotism, or some type of quest towards something to be achieved or conquered.

With this in mind, I think we can see explanations for each of these three listed ideas:

1. Indiana Jones did serve in World War I, so a military topic is very fitting.


2. Similarly, a patriotic topic is also fitting. (I even see some web results that make the claim that he's a great American patriot.)


3. And of course so many of his stories are about quests to find some item or defeat some entity, which of course matches the march topic very well.

In other words, I don't think a march is limited to just the military or currently fighting for a government. Once we acknowledge a broader view of what the march topic may signify, it becomes much more clear why Williams may have chosen to write the theme as a march.

For anyone interested in topic theory, you may want to check out The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory.

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

RichardRichard

42.2k694181

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

RichardRichard

42.2k694181

answered yesterday

RichardRichard

42.2k694181

answered yesterday

RichardRichard

42.2k694181