We take a closer look at the score-only version of The Last Jedi, a fascinating although rather tedious special feature now available on all purchases of the movie.
On March 13, director Rian Johnson tweeted about his personal favorite special feature available on the digital download and DVD copies of his film Star Wars: The Last Jedi: a music only version of the film.
“This is the full movie, but with no dialogue, fx or backgrounds…just John’s score. I really wanted to put this out, it’s something to see John’s music play with the movie, like a silent film.”
The “John” that Rian Johnson refers to is, of course, legendary composer John Williams, known for his work on some of the most iconic scores of all time including Jaws, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter.
I was initially struck by the novelty of this choice; to see a movie of this scale and magnitude laid bare is a really compelling choice. Star Wars films, not to mention blockbusters as a whole, are intended to be palatable and not overly challenging.
As someone who already loved The Last Jedi — a movie I felt took risks and pushed the franchise forward in new and exciting directions — I was eager to see a version Rian Johnson compared to a silent film. The result is a bit of a mixed bag.
The version of the film Johnson tweeted about is really just that — it’s his film completely stripped down to nothing but the images he directed and the score that Williams’ composed. It doesn’t even include subtitles.
This version works to bring a predominant focus to Williams’ score. Several of the film’s greatest moments, full of high-energy, chaos, and camaraderie, are set against a rousing and exciting score. This version puts the spotlight on that music, highlighting the interplay between the images and score. The result is often thrilling, particularly in regards to how Williams uses musical themes we are familiar with from old Star Wars films and how he goes on to create new ones.
In the standard version of the film, these spectacular orchestral movements are balanced and mixed with special effects and dialogue that draw attention away from the score. While there is certainly a case to be made that a score should be felt and not necessarily consciously heard, the purpose of this version of the film is to draw the viewers’ attention to that score and how it contributes to the overall cinematic language of the film.
For a perfect example, look to the sequence that brings the film’s three central narratives together to one single climax. As the Resistance attempts to escape from the First Order using discreet transport ships, Rey and Kylo’s battle against Snoke, and Finn and Rose face execution after they are caught aboard a First Order ship.
This is a high-wire act that puts every single character in danger and Williams’ score emphasizes that. In this score-only version of the film, all verbal language is stripped away, leaving the music to do the communicating. Together with Johnson’s deft balance of the three plots, General Holdo’s decision to sacrifice herself by flying her ship into Snoke’s fleet at lightspeed still plays out as a truly masterful moment.
Only minutes later, as the Resistance faces what seems like certain extinction, Luke Skywalker appears and takes on the First Order alone, leading to an epic lightsaber fight against Kylo Ren. With the dialogue and sound effects stripped away, this is a phenomenal showcase of Williams’ score. It’s here that one can really understand why Star Wars earns the title of a space opera — it’s melodrama in all its glory and the score emphasizes that in a truly exciting way.
Unfortunately, the score-only version of The Last Jedi is a far cry from a silent film. Perhaps that’s why the special feature is labeled, more accurately, as a “score-only version.” To call this version of The Last Jedi a silent film is simply a misnomer.
Stripped of everything but images and the score, something integral gets lost in translation. Part of what makes The Last Jedi so special are the compelling characters and the relationships that develop and play out between one another. With the score alone, a dissonance exists between many of the actions on screen and what we are hearing.
The score is set to match much of the action in the film, but not the interactions. As such, so many of the compelling relationships and interactions are lost. The choice to include this version without built in subtitles only reinforces this sense of incompleteness.
Moreover, the Star Wars franchise is one that, for better or worse, is known for its sound effects. The “pew pew” of a blaster, the clash and hum of a lightsaber battle, and the various sounds of spaceships taking off, bombs exploding, and steam billowing — all of these things are lost in this score-only version of the film, replaced by an awkward silence. This silence is not something you would experience in a film that is intended to be silent.
Silent films have all but disappeared from modern moviemaking with a few notable exceptions, including Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck and 2012 Best Picture winner The Artist. However, silent films endure as pioneering works of art that not only built the foundation for the medium, but remain phenomenal templates for technical skills still pertinent to movies today.
Ultimately, this score-only version of The Last Jedi plays out a bit like a failed experiment. Johnson was absolutely right when he said that “it’s something to see” the score take such a primary focus in the film. However, since the film lacks certain elements that would truly make it a silent film, this version often feels like an unfinished product.
For fans of The Last Jedi, it’s definitely worth checking out this unique version of the film, but be advised: you may be better off skipping around to your favorite scenes rather than watching the entire score-only version straight through.