Empire of the Sun

As the first 'adult' film (in terms of content) that Spielberg and Williams did together, the result is some excellent choral work and a musical treat from start to finish. Ironically, one of the highlights of the score is the hymn Sao Gan, a Welsh traditional hymn not composed by John Williams. This is a very beautiful hymn, superbly sung by the Ambrosian Junior Choir with a treble soloist. The Williams choral work Exsultate Justi, is inspired, at Spielberg's request, by the choral work of Morricone's The Mission. The similarity is fairly superficial really and Williams' music is distinct on its own. In fact it is more similar to a classical choral piece by Haydn or Mozart, but it still retains Williams' style to characterise it as his. There are some soaring parts to this score, particularly in Cadillac of the Skies where the music really does take you up into the clouds with the 'planes depicted in the film. There is much 'adult' action music such as Lost in the Crowd in which the hero, Jim, gets lost from his parents in their attempt to escape the war. On the other hand the delightful scherzo, Jim's New Life is one of those jolly little pieces that can often get lost in the midst of Williams' stunning output, but it none the less adds a delightful child-like touch to the score. The orchestral and choral performances are all first rate.