Celebrating the Score: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Continuing my three-part appreciation of John Williams’s scores for the Indiana Jones series
Following my recent piece on the music of Raiders of the Lost Ark, here’s the second in a three-part series celebrating John Williams’s fabulous work on the Indiana Jones films.
This article puts the spotlight on the second installment, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
The music in the Indiana Jones sequels illustrates an important fact that is also demonstrated time and time again in other Williams scored franchises including Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Jurassic Park: The only person who can outdo John Williams is John Williams.
The Temple of Doom score illustrates this principle with thrilling aplomb. Rather than merely reprising all the themes from Raiders, only the main theme is reused. For everything else, Williams begins anew, finding an entirely fresh musical perspective. Here are seven key highlights of the extraordinarily rich and innovative score.
Anything Goes
Temple of Doom opens in the most unlikely way imaginable: A homage to the musicals of Busby Berkeley. Cole Porter’s Anything Goes is sung in Cantonese by nightclub singer Willie…
