Hans Zimmer’s Score for Dune Is More Similar to John Wiliams’ Star Wars Score Than You Might Think. A Film Score Comparison Between Dune and Star Wars.

Lukas Kamenski

Introduction

Hans Zimmer and John Williams are among the most influential film composers of all times. They both have introduced new directions in film scoring in their respective era. In the following paper, I’m going to concentrate on the comparison of the two composers’ scoring technique in the films Dune (2021) and Star Wars (1977) focusing on harmonic, rhythmic and melodic language, use and development of leitmotifs, instrument palette and use of extended playing techniques, sound effects and spotting choices. Surprisingly, I found out that in contrast to my initial hypothesis Dune’s and Star Wars’ score don't differ significantly from each other in terms of the usage of leitmotifs.

Please note that this blog entry is only a short summary of my original "Film score analysis of Dune and Star Wars"-paper I submitted as final research project of my Berklee class "History of Film Music" with Prof. Jack Freeman.

Analysis and Comparison of the Scores from Dune (2021) and Star Wars (1977)

Spotting choices and role of the cues

Both scores are prime examples of what is called wall-to-wall music with music (mostly diegetic and little non-diegetic music) being heard during approximately 72% of Dune and 67% of Star Wars total screen-time (author’s own research). Both films have few sequences of more than a minute without music.

The spotting choices are remarkably similar in both films. For instance, both of one of the most important fighting scenes (Obi Wan vs. Darth Vader and Paul vs. Fremen warrior) are without music and a cue is only added after the fight seems over. On the other hand, many of the cues introduce us to a new environment (physical or psychological), help us understand the emotional (sub-)context or enhance the physical action on-screen.

Usage of Leitmotifs

John Williams usage of leitmotifs in Star Wars (1977) is one of the most extensive ones in the history of film music. A total of 9 distinct leitmotifs are introduced and are restated an astonishing 98 times during the film’s 125 minutes (Lehmann 2022). Apart from leitmotifs, the musicologist Frank Lehman divides the cues’ music in incidental motifs (themes that aren’t as symbolic and aren’t developed) and set-piece themes (pieces that are only used once during the film) (Lehmann 2022). Taken together, the majority of Star War’s music is related to leitmotific techniques. I’m not going to focus on William’s leitmotific techniques, since it has already been discussed elsewhere (e.g., Lehmann 2022).

According to my own research the Dune score consists of approximately 70% music with a distinguishable melody and 30 % without melody. The first significant portion of music enters at 00:01:20 of the film when a narrator relates about the tragic history of planet Arrakis. Unlike William’s main title it consists of only a processed percussion ostinato layered withstabbing synths and highly dissonant female voices with no discernable melody.

In contrast to my initial belief that the score of Dune does not rely too strongly on leitmotific techniques, according to my own extensive analysis of the score, it features a total of 10 distinct leitmotifs that are stated at least 61 times.

Figure 1 below shows the number of statements per leitmotif in Zimmer’s score (author’s own research). A list of when Dune’s leitmotifs are stated can be found in appendix 1.

Figure 1 Number of statements of leitmoifs in Dune (own research)

As can be seen in Figure 1, the by far most commonly repeated leitmotif is “Paul”, a motif that is developed, and manipulated significantly during the course of the film. Its core particles are stated by a warm square wave synth and are first heard in minute 3 and 42 seconds when Paul awakes from a dream about his future home planet Arrakis. The "Paul" leitmotif implies the double harmonic scale, a special variation of the Spanish Phrygian scale.

Role of diegetic music

Both films feature diegetic music prominently: Star Wars in form of the famous “Cantina” Jazz Band and Dune by a Scottish-sounding bagpipe melody (major pentatonic mixed with Mixolydian and Dorian) that is later used non-diegetically.

Use of Scales and Harmony

While the score of Star Wars is much more diverse in terms of harmony and scales with some of the leitmotifs being in traditional major, minor, major and minor modes, octatonic, chromatic mediant-based, Hans Zimmer’s harmony and melody is much more reduced to mostly the double harmonic and Spanish Phrygian scale with some occasional mediant-based and minor harmony (e.g. “Downfall of Atreides” and “Rise of Atreides”). In contrast to Star Wars, there are virtually no modulations in Dune’s score and even most of the Leitmotifs are stated in the same key throughout the film with few exceptions. Interestingly, many of the cues from Dune sound very similar to Maurice Jarre’s score for Lawrence of Arabia due to the partly shared harmonic language (Spanish Phrygian). For me this shows that even in Sci-Fi movies, a place and culture (Arabian desert) that exists on a foreign planet can be represented in the same way as it would be on Earth.

Orchestration

While almost all cues from Star Wars consist of music by a traditional orchestra, not a single one does so in Hans Zimmer’s score according to himself even though some of the synths might sound like brass (How 'Dune' Composer Hans Zimmer Created the Oscar-Winning Score). Both composers use certain instruments to evoke specific time and places. Williams’ score does not feature much of extended playing techniques, while Hans Zimmer manipulates the sound of some instruments to an extent that makes them almost indiscernible. Synthesizers are virtually absent in Williams’ score while they predominate in Dune.

Summary

While there are certainly differences between the two scores, they also share many stylistic traits and Dune was probably influenced by Star Wars. One of the most obvious parallels between Zimmer and Williams is the use of exotic and modal scales and harmonies to evoke a certain places, situations, cultures or times. Another similarity is the reliance on (exotic) instruments as source of color and sound effects. However, the most significant similarity between the two scores is the extensive reliance on leitmotifs associated with characters, concepts, places or situations.

So I hope I convinced you that Hans Zimmer's score for Dune (2021) is more similar to John Wiliams' Star Wars (1977) score than you might think!

Author's note

If you want my extensive analysis paper of the score, please reach out via the contact form and state who you are and why you want the paper. It contains aurally transcribed sheet music of the score and I'm note sure if I'm permitted to publish these transcriptions online. I don't want myself in trouble for unneccesary copyright reasons.

Appendix 1: List of cues containing leitmotifs in Dune (2021, version sold by amazon prime: https://www.amazon.de/gp/video/detail/B09KFMJY3L/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r )

Intro (drums)	1min20
Paul	3min42
"Drone Give me the water"	4min 58
Paul developed	5min41
Danger	6min40
Danger	7min20
Rise of Atreides	8min20
Duncan	10min23
Paul's Strength	11min35
Paul developed varied	14min45
Harkonnen	19min10
Bene Gesserit	21min00
Danger	23min30
Paul's Strength	27min00
Bene Gesserit high	30min28
Paul's Strength	30min50
Paul drive variation+secondary motif	32min05
Bagpipe	35min02
Paul (chord progression)	36min45
Paul (chord progression)	44min38
Harkonnen slightly faster	46min49
Harkonnen var.	49min15
Paul (chord progression)	56min15
Paul slow var.	58min20
Paul slow var. 2 w/ female voice	1h4min27
Paul slow var. 3 w/organ	1h7min07
Paul slow var. 4 w/organ	1h9min24
Paul slow var. 5 w/organ	1h11min30
Bene Gesserit	1h15min00
Downfall of House Atreides	1h15min55
Downfall of House Atreides	1h19min07
Rise of House Atreides	1h20min39
Bagpipe	1h20min57
Harkonnen	1h23min42
Bene Gessserit	1h29min25
Downfall of House Atreides	1h30min53
Harkonnen	1h33min54
Rise of House Atreides	1h34min30
Downfall of House Atreides	1h35min02
Calling of the Desert/Fremen	1h36min20
Rise of House Atreides	1h38min20
Danger	1h39min20
Paul	1h43min10
Duncan	1h44min03
Paul chord progression+secondary motif	1h45min20
Paul's Strength	1h48min12
Danger	1h49min10
Danger	1h50min55
Rise of House Atreides	1h50min40
Danger	1h51min11
Harkonnen	1h52min48
Paul	1h54min00
Calling of the Desert/Fremen	1h55min41
Harkonnen	1h57min00
Mystery of life	1h58min18
Paul	2h04min15
Becoming the desert	2h07min20
Paul	2h10min20
Bene Gesserit	2h14min48
Paul	2h17min20
Paul	2h20min50
Paul's Strength	2h23min08
Atreides	2h24min55
Downfall of House Atreides	2h25min37
Paul	2h26min10