Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (score)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a 2008 film, scored by John Williams and directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the fourth in creator-producer George Lucas’ Indiana Jones film series, all entries of which are scored by Williams and directed by Spielberg, and feature Harrison Ford as the titular character, an archaeologist-adventurer and schoolteacher often on the trail of a supernatural artifact.
==Score overview==
Unlike the first three Indiana Jones films, which were set between 1935 and 1939, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is set in the late 1950s against the backdrop of the Cold War. The object of the film’s quest is a legendary crystal skull, which must be returned by the heroes to its South American temple.
The movie finds Indiana Jones reunited with his former romantic partner Marion Ravenwood, and shows Indiana dealing with the loss of his father, Henry.
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull features more of a science fiction tone than the first three films in the series, and as a result the score includes elements reminiscent of 1950’s science fiction B-movie score. Along with the usual sounds of an Indiana Jones film score, it also contains musical shadings of film noir and swashbuckling films, as well.
Four new themes were written by John Williams for the film, to represent the story’s villains, the object of the quest, and a new sidekick. As Kingdom of the Crystal Skull contains several references to the previous three films of the franchise, Williams brings back four themes from these previous films, in addition to several references to cues from them. The score also contains a nod to his score from Spielberg’s War of the Worlds.
==Leitmotifs in the score==
===New===
*Mutt's Theme
*Call of the Crystal
*Irina's Theme
*Soviet Theme
===Returning===
*The Raiders March (The Indiana Jones Theme)
*Marion's Theme
*The Ark Theme
*Henry's Theme
===Other references===
The score to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull quotes two other pieces from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Flight From Peru and The Map Room: Dawn. A snippet of Ah, Rats!!! from Last Crusade is also heard in the opening of the movie. The track Hidden Treasure and the City of Gold references Williams' music for the alien invaders in Spielberg's War of the Worlds.
==2008 Concord Records track listing==
Track 	Track Number	Scene 	Themes in track 	Length
Raiders March 	1 	(Concert arrangement) 	Indy's Theme, Marion's Theme 	5:05
Call of the Crystal 	2 	(Concert arrangement) 	Call of the Crystal 	3:49
The Adventures of Mutt 	3 	(Concert arrangement) 	Mutt's Theme, Indy's Theme 	3:12
Irina's Theme 	4 	(Concert arrangement) 	Irina's Theme, Soviet Theme 	2:26
The Snake Pit 	5 	Indy and Marion are stuck in a sandpit 	Indy's Theme 	3:15
The Spell of the Skull 	6 	Indy forced to find the crate in the warehouse 	The Ark Theme, Irina's Theme, Indy's Theme, Soviet Theme 	4:24
The Journey to Akator 	7 	Flight to Peru, travel in the town 	Indy's Theme 	3:07
A Whirl Through Academe 	8 	Motorcycle chase across campus 	Indy's Theme 	3:33
"Return" 	9 	 	Call of the Crystal 	3:11
The Jungle Chase 	10 	Escape from Soviets in Peru 	 	4:22
Orellana's Cradle 	11 	Indy and Mutt find the skull underground and are captured	Indy's Theme, Call of the Crystal 	4:22
Grave Robbers 	12 	 	 	2:28
Hidden Treasure and The City of Gold	13 	 	 	5:13
Secret Doors and Scorpions 	14 	Indy and Mutt enter Orellana's cradle 	Indy's Theme 	2:17
Oxley's Dilemma 	15 	Indy looks into the skull 	Call of the Crystal 	4:45
Ants! 	16 	Fistfight between Indy and Dovchenko at anthill 	Call of the Crystal, Soviet Theme, Indy's Theme 	4:14
Temple Ruins and The Secret Revealed	17 	 	 	5:51
The Departure 	18 	Group is ejected from temple, watch saucer disappear 	 	2:26
Finale 	19 	Wedding and end credits 	Marion's Theme, Indy's Theme, Irina's Theme, Soviet Theme, Mutt's Theme	9:19
==References==