STAR WARS - CUE SHEET 1

STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE

JOHN WILLIAMS

CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M01 20th Century Fox Fanfare 01:00:00 - 01:00:18 0:18 Alfred Newmann’s original fanfare while the 20th Century
Fox intro is on display.

M02 Main Title 01:00:27 - 01:01:56 1:39 Main theme of Star Wars while the literal main titles are
on display, telling the preface of the story.

M03 Persecution 01:01:56 - 01:02:25 0:29 After the titles fade out, a rebellion ship enters to the
scene being pursued by Darth Vader’s Imperial ship.

M04 March of the Rebellion 01:02:25 - 01:02:36 0:11 The theme of the rebellion enters as Leia’s Rebellion
Ship is focused.

M05 RD2D & C3PO/Rebels prepare 01:02:38 - 01:03:19 0:31 The theme of the rebellion is played with strings (with no
for combat percussion, removing the march style) in a very low
dynamic to give the feeling of hope.

M06 Darth Vader’s Ship Arrival 01:03:19 - 01:03:46 0:27 Darth Vader’s Ship captures Leia’s and an evil theme
comes with brass.

M07 Battle theme 01:03:46 - 01:04:38 0:52 Very percussive theme with hits on timpani and brass
over a layer of xylophone plays over the battle scene. It
mixes both the evil theme with the Rebellion theme
when R2D2 and C3PO run into the crossfire (as in the
battle they are converging, fighting).
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M08 Darth Vader’s entrance 01:04:38 - 01:04:56 0:18 There’s a cymbal crash following an smoky entrance of
the main villain, with a timpani hit that continues a roll in
a piano dynamic; the theme of Darth Vader (in a New
Hope it’s not the Imperial March) is played by brass
twice, in a moderately slow tempo to accentuate the
character’s presence. Darth Vader’s theme has an
intimate connection to Tatooine’s theme, genially
foreshadowing the character’s precedence.

M09 Leia gives R2D2 the Death Star 01:04:56 - 01:05:06 0:10 Williams links Vader’s theme to the Force Theme on the
plans horn, leaving only strings in a piano dynamic,
accentuating again the feeling of hope (the horn
emphasizes this as it sounds far away, as if were just
shimmers of hope).

M10 Leia goes away 01:05:06 - 01:05:14 0:08 Leia’s theme steels the lead on a muted trumpet,
implying the essence of the character is there, but it is
kind of captured or restrained; as if it were desperately
craving to go out but can’t (hence the muted trumpet,
restraining it from shining in its whole splendor.

M11 Princess Leia goes away 01:05:14 - 01:05:34 0:20 Strings take over with lots of movement implying that
time’s running up, while the horns play Leia’s theme
accentuating its majestically feel, giving her a royalty
status.

M12 Stormtroopers capture rebel 01:05:34 - 01:05:44 0:10 The score is again percussive and in a march style
soldiers describing the pace of the rebels being held captive by
the Stormtroopers.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M13 Death of Anthilles 01:05:44 - 01:06:14 0:30 Darth Vader chokes Anthilles to death; there’s a
crescendo on strings until his death, where there’s a hit
with brass and timpani.

M14 Leia hides from Stormtroopers 01:06:14 - 01:06:27 0:13 Williams links Vader’s theme to Leia’s theme leaving only
strings in a piano dynamic, accentuating again the
feeling of hope. Leia’s theme is played on a flute,
transmitting the essence of the character but as if it
were hiding (which Leia is indeed).

M15 Leia is captured 01:06:27 - 01:06:36 0:09 The strings run up in a scale when Leia is captured by
an immobilizing beam; lower brass play pads to
musicalize ambience.

M15B R2D2 and C3PO escape 01:06:36 - 01:07:15 0:39 The pads continue as R2D2 and C3PO escape from
Leia’s ship; the flute and muted trumpet play the
Tatooine theme, foreshadowing where they’ll escape to.

M16 The escape pod 01:07:15 - 01:07:40 0:25 Dramatic strings enter while R2D2 and C3PO escape in
the pod; brass enters at the end to accentuate drama.

M18 Leia faces Darth Vader 01:07:40 - 01:08:24 0:44 Using strings as a pad, Williams triggers brass (horns
and muted trumpets and trombones) playing both
Vader’s theme and the Tatooine theme, foreshadowing
the precedence of the character.

M18B Imperial inform 01:08:24 - 01:09:00 0:36 The theme continues in a segue, played by the muted
trombones, and then by woodwinds (clarinets) and
horns; woodwinds and strings are then used in minor
pads to keep on stressing that the characters are the
villains.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M18C Imperial ship 01:09:00 - 01:09:06 0:06 Woodwinds go into an ascending scale for the theme of
Darth Vader and evilness to be played when the Imperial
ship comes into screen.

M21 The dessert 01:10:38 - 01:11:34 0:56 C3PO wanders around Tatooine’s dessert while the
score plays intervals of major seconds in the lead
melodies on woodwinds, backed up by violins as pads;
horns and flute enter eventually as if they were a type of
battle cry or tribal cry, foreshadowing the presence of
some malicious tribe: the Tusken. The melody describes
C3PO’s pace through the dessert. The interval changes
then to minor seconds, sounding more obscure. The
theme ends with the strings on the theme fading away
as C3PO looks at a transport blinking at him.

M22 The Jawas 01:12:42 - 01:14:10 1:28 The Jawas have captured R2D2. A playful theme is
played by woodwinds and horns, with a rhythmic/
harmonic base on strings in pizzicato. The lead is then
played by an oboe, and when changing scene showing
the Jawas’ transport, the trumpets steal the lead,
showing how big it is; the horns then start playing the
rhythmic part with the tuba. When a tube falls down to
extract R2D2, Williams triggers a scale down on
woodwinds finishing with the horn, to keep on the
playful rhythm.

M23 R2D2 is held captive 01:14:10 - 01:14:46 0:36 Dramatic strings to tell R2D2 is captured with the other
robots.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M24 R2D2 and C3PO meet again 01:14:54 - 01:15:30 0:36 The orchestra starts with strings on piano and ends up
in a crescendo in the brass section to tell there’s a big
problem.

M25 Stormtroopers seek for the 01:15:30 - 01:16:04 0:34 Horns start playing the Tatooine theme followed by
droids timpani hits, with strings as pads, reveling the evilness
of Stromtroopers.

M26 Jawas’ Transport 01:16:04 - 01:17:14 2:28 The playful rhythm enters again on brass and strings;
woodwinds play the theme (oboe); when brass enters, it
shows the malicious side of the Jawas. It ends with an
scale up showing that a new character has come (who is
one of the good ones).

M27 Luke Skywalker’s Theme 01:17:14 - 01:17:46 0:32 The hero comes into the scene for the first time as Aunt
Beru calls for him. The Star Wars theme, or Luke
Skywalker’s theme starts playing on the french horn and
then on the violins (the latter sounds joyful or playful),
giving both the feeling of Luke as the new hope and as
an emergent hero; heroic but still a rookie with lots to
learn. Luke Skywalker is the hero of this story.

M28 Luke buys the droids 01:19:15 - 01:19:42 0:45 The Jawas rhythm comes back with some melodies on
strings and woodwinds.

M29 R2D2 displays a message 01:21:08 - 01:21:42 0:34 A descendant scale on lower brass accentuates Leia’s
message as R2D2 displays it by error. Woodwinds play
more descendant scales as the dialogue continues.

M30 Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re 01:21:42 - 01:23:02 1:20 The oboe plays Leia’s theme, adding mystery to the
my only hope character, and the message (which R2D2 doesn’t play
fully). The theme develops on the flute, and then on a
horn solo.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M31 Luke’s no farmer 01:25:12 - 01:25:33 0:21 Luke’s theme starts just when he goes away after Uncle
Owen tells him he needs him for another year; Aunt Beru
then tells him he is no farmer, but that he has too much
of his father (the theme is played here as if the character
was there or as if they were talking about him; it didn’t
play before as he is not what Owen said he was —a
farmer—, so the essence of the character appears when
Beru says he is not that).

When Aunt Beru says he is too much like his father,
Uncle Owen says he is afraid of it, and the theme goes
much darker, foreshadowing the obscure figure of his
father.

M32 Binary Sunset 01:25:33 - 01:26:11 0:38 Luke looks to the horizon at the two suns in one of
cinema’s greatest scenes ever. As he looks at them, the
Force theme plays on the horn. The first part is a solo,
as if there was nothing at all, but shimmers of hope, a
really quiet voice far far away and difficult to hear; but at
the same time strong and firm, just as hope: it is nothing
but at the same time it works as a big inspiration and
motivation to anything. The second part is reinforced by
strings in forte, giving it a big push to emphasize Luke IS
the chosen one; he really is the new hope, there is really
hope and he is who the galaxy is looking for (as the
galaxy would be represented as all the voices in the
violin section being summed to the horn, responding to
the call of hope).

In this scene, the two suns also show a bit more of Luke
as a balance between good and evil, just as the
conversation between Aunt Beru and Uncle Own was
telling.

The theme ends with the strings fading away, just as

hope does naturally when returning to reality.

M33 Luke returns to the garage 01:26:11 - 01:26:19 0:08 The Rebellion theme is played on woodwinds (mainly
flutes), foreshadowing Luke’s entrance to it.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M34 C3PO tells Luke R2D2 escaped 01:26:19 - 01:26:33 0:14 There’s a hit on brass at the start of the scene when
C3PO emerges from the dark; string pads follow it
through the scene.

M34B Luke goes on searching for 01:26:33 - 01:26:46 0:13 In a segue, Luke’s theme is played by the clarinet, telling
R2D2 how the character is still a boy, adding a playful and
cute but hopeful touch to Luke as he starts his journey
to the adventure.

M35 Luke returns home 01:26:46 - 01:27:22 0:36 The Force Theme plays on horns and flutes,
foreshadowing Luke will go looking for R2D2 and that
journey will add something new to the plot related with
who he is supposed to be as a hero.

M36 Luke searches for R2D2 on his 01:27:48 - 01:27:57 0:09 A percussive and fast transition theme with the horns
landspeeder playing eight notes.

M37 The Sand people 01:27:57 - 01:28:32 0:35 The brass accentuates an evil motif, so that percussions
(drums and timpani) start playing a type of tribal rhythm
followed by horns playing a lead figure as a war cry (just
as a war cry is heard). This represents the sand people.

M38 Luke goes have a look on the 01:28:40 - 01:28:47 0:07 A hit on brass tells it is an stressing moment and adds
sand people tension to the scene

M39 Luke’s binoculars 01:28:47 - 01:28:57 0:10 Woodwinds play a transition melody

M40 Battle theme 01:28:57 - 01:29:06 0:09 The brass plays a battle theme full of movement and
accents on trumpets, adding stress

M41 The Tusken defeat Luke and 01:29:06 - 01:29:38 0:32 The Tusken raider defeats Luke and is held captive; they
steal his parts start stealing his landspeeder parts while R2D2 hides
from them; a pad on strings stays as the war cry from
the Tusken raider is heard while Luke is defeated off-
screen. When the Tusken start dismantling, the Tusken
raiders rhythm plays again (M37).
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M42 The Hooded figure 01:29:38 - 01:30:09 0:31 An strange figure appears to save Luke waving to the
Tusken raiders and yelling at them; horns hold pads with
woodwinds to keep mystery on the hooded figure. As
Ben takes off his hood, there’s a harp glissando
ascending to introduce and reveal the character.

M43 Ben Kenobi saves Luke 01:30:16 - 01:30:39 0:23 The Force theme plays vigorously on horns and flutes as
Ben starts talking to Luke after saving him from the
Tusken: the hooded figure is one of the good guys.

M44 Obi-Wan Kenobi 01:31:05 - 01:31:51 0:46 A little figure on flutes and glockenspiel plays as if it
were hiding, as Ben has hidden his true identity. The
Force theme plays on the oboe as he is a Jedi Master,
with a very powerful connection to the Force. At the end,
a cello steals the lead, giving the character a kind of old
feel to his connection to the Force and the story, also
describing him as an elder.

M45 The Tusken might come back 01:31:51 - 01:32:08 0:17 Woodwinds and violins play high notes to accentuate
tension on the possible return of the Tusken, while the
horns play accented notes telling who would return (the
Sand people, a very rudimentary tribe, such as the
accented eight notes).

M46 C3PO has been broken 01:32:08 - 01:32:41 0:43 Horn and cello compliment each other in a dramatic
theme as C3PO has been broken apart (literally); flutes
play a short staccato lines as it is no big deal, adding a
comic touch. The strings proceed with the dramatic line
as it merges to the next scene.

M47 Darth Vader killed Luke’s dad 01:34:10 - 01:34:41 0:31 Minor pad on cellos and violas followed by Vader’s
theme on a bass clarinet; woodwinds play a descending
scale as Obi-Wan tells Luke how Vader betrayed the
Jedi and wiped them out to extinction.

M48 The Force 01:34:41 - 01:35:05 0:24 As Obi-Wan tells Luke about the Force, the horn plays
the Force theme solo, emphasizing both its majestic and
mystic role in the saga.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M49 Leia’s message 01:35:14 - 01:35:54 0:40 The oboe solos on Leia’s theme over an string bed as
Leia’s message is displayed by R2D2 upon Obi-Wan’s
request. It sounds now more hopeful than the previous
times. Horns and flutes reinforce the theme. It fades out
with harp arpeggios.

M50 Come with me to Alderaan 01:36:14 - 01:36:32 0:18 Dramatic theme on the violas, while the cellos go into a
counterpoint.

M51 Learn about the Force, Luke 01:36:37 - 01:36:56 0:19 The Force Theme plays on woodwinds; as Luke rejects
Obi-Wan’s offer, a minor chord as a pedal plays in
crescendo to the next scene.

M52 Imperial Star Destroyer 01:36:56 - 01:37:05 0:09 The evil theme plays as the Star Destroyer comes into
the scene

M53 Slaughtered Jawas 01:39:09 - 01:39:56 0:47 Dramatic theme in a solo trumpet (as if it were a hymn in
a burial) and then in the strings. When Ben mentions the
Stormtroopers, their theme is played by horns. This
scene is full of low instruments to emphasize something
really bad has happened.

M54 Luke runs back home 01:39:56 - 01:40:39 0:43 Strings play a fast minor rhythmic groove to add tension
to the scene and suspense as Luke runs to his home
searching for his uncles; the Force Theme plays but now
as a march, adding movement to it and adding
suspense and tension: the hero is in the middle of a
conflict. This is followed by dramatic strings and horns
and a hit on brass and a timpani roll when Luke sees his
house on fire and his uncles burnt skeletons.

M55 Luke’s home has been 01:40:39 - 01:40:57 0:18 Woodwinds play a dramatic minor grove while the cellos
destroyed/Luke’s anger steal the lead on the Force theme as Luke shows a sad
face but revengeful. As he faces up, the trombones
accentuate the last notes stressing his anger.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M56 Darth Vader faces Leia 01:40:57 - 01:41:25 0:28 The Death Star comes into screen, followed by Darth
Vader walking towards Leia’s cell. Both evil theme
(Vader’s) and the Sand people’s are played (first one by
trumpets, latter by horns). As Leia’s cell is opened, a shy
oboe is heard playing the ending of Leia’s theme, fading
abruptly as a horn takes the lead (as if Vader’s character
was imposing over Leia’s)

M57 Leia is being interrogated 01:41:25 - 01:41:43 0:18 Vader brings up a truth serum he will inject to Leia to
interrogate her; the brass section makes a crescendo
and play dramatic lines together with the strings. As the
door closes, there are timpani hits stressing evilness.

M58 Luke arrives at the transport 01:41:43 - 01:42:15 0:32 As Luke arrives at the Jawas’ transport where Ben and
the droids stayed, strings and woodwinds in pianissimo
play as ambience

M59 I want to learn the ways of the
Force and become a Jedi like
my father
01:42:15 - 01:42:30 0:15 As Luke tells Obi-Wan he wants to go with him to
Alderaan and become a Jedi, the full horn section play
the second part of the Force theme as if it was even
bigger and firmer than before, also applying this to
hope.

M60 Mos Eisley Space Port 01:42:30 - 01:42:50 0:20 A percussive rhythm on horns describes the transition in
the landspeeder; accentuated notes on brass introduce
Mos Eisley as a kind of fanfare, while the strings play a
theme that has been already played before as a
transition implying the scene is going over.

M61 Arriving at Mos Eisley 01:42:50 - 01:43:30 0:40 Hits on brass and timpani, and a minor theme on horns
with trombones and trumpets accentuating eventually
give Mos Eisley the feeling of being a cruel and
villainous place.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M62 These aren't the droids you are 01:43:30 - 01:44:12 0:42 As Obi-Wan applies the Jedi mind trick to the
looking for Stormtroopers, a flute plays some lines that provide
mystery and mysticalness to the scene (which describes
how the Force works or what it does). As the
Stormtroopers let the crew pass, the Force theme is
played on flutes.

M63 Cantina Band 01:44:54 - 01:47:03 2:09 Diegetic music: a jazzy tune plays in the background.
The characters can listen to it as a Bith Band is playing it
using futuristic musical instruments. Williams
incorporates saxophones, steel drums and bass clarinet
for this one. The tune stops abruptly as Obi-Wan turns
on his lightsaber and cuts off a bounty hunter’s arm who
was teasing Luke.

M64 Cantina Band (Reprise) 01:47:18 - 01:47:37 0:19 The jazz tune comes again as everything goes back to
normal after the conflict scene between the bounty
hunters and Ben.

M65 Cantina Band 2 01:47:43 - 01:49:55 2:12 Another jazz tune to make the cantina ambience; it plays
as Han Solo dialogues with Ben and Luke over the price
it’s going to cost them flying to Alderaan.

M66 Cantina Band 2 (Reprise) 01:50:00 - 01:51:16 1:16 The last jazz tune continues as Han Solo faces Greedo.

M67 R2D2 and C3PO hide from 01:51:45 - 01:52:16 0:31 Bassoons and Bass Clarinet play a mysterious theme
Stormtroopers and higher pitched woodwinds answer; then horns and
brass move into an equally mysterious theme as C3PO
and R2D2 hide from the Stormtroopers.

M68 Luke sells his landspeeder 01:52:16 - 01:52:27 0:11 Luke sells his landspeeder, and his theme plays on
strings and oboes, with harp accompanying.

M69 The Empire’s informant 01:52:27 - 01:52:43 0:16 Low lines on bassoons and brass tell this character (a
kind of bounty hunter) is evil and will work as an
informant to the Empire.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M70 Jabba the Hutt 01:52:45 - 01:54:15 1:30 Jabba is represented by a Tuba (which has a big, fat
sound); woodwinds add ornaments as a way of relaxing
tension and adding a comic touch. The theme is played
only one time by a bassoon.

M71 Luke and Ben go to the hangar 01:54:15 - 01:54:26 0:11 The score resumes Luke’s theme on flute with violins
going up.

M72 The informant follows Luke and 01:54:26 - 01:54:43 0:17 The evil theme of the informant plays as he takes out a
Ben radio and says something.

M73 Stormtroopers 01:55:06 - 01:55:21 0:15 The horn theme of Stormtroopers introduces an squad
of them, who meet with the informant represented by a
muted trumpet (as he spied and hid from Luke and Ben,
having literally a muted voice). Pizzicato strings give a
funny rhythm to keep a slight comic mood.

M74 Escape from Mos Eisley 01:55:21 - 01:55:46 0:25 Brass hits as the Stormtroopers start firing at Han and
the Millenium Falcon; then horns takeover the Force
theme, and as Han gets in the ship and it takes off, the
theme solves into a major chords as if it were the end of
a victorious fanfare. This ending holds the horns in a
pedal note on half notes.

M75 Escape to hyperspace 01:55:49 - 01:57:09 1:20 Trumpets and brass play a chromatic ascending scale of
4 notes pretending to add tension to the escape as the
crew hasn’t escaped yet; flutes play over this the Force
theme, and then it is reprised by a soloing trumpet. As
two Star Destroyers approach, brass plays accentuated
notes in minor block chords; dramatic strings enter as
trombones and tuba play in unison a minor theme that
sounds evil. As the crew escapes into hyper space, the
Death Star comes into screen with Vader’s theme on
trumpets.

M76 Inside the Death Star 01:57:09 - 01:57:16 0:07 Woodwinds play a descending scale as Leia walks with
Darth Vader to the principal chamber, where Governor
Tarkin is.
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes

M77 Alderaan’s Destruction 01:58:11 - 01:59:14 1:03 Woodwinds add tension playing intervals of minor
seconds; lower instruments play lines, and horns finish
the evilness as Leia speaks out a planet where there are
Rebellion troops in order to save Alderaan; strings keep
on a moderately obscure theme that goes into a
crescendo as Tarkin orders his troops to open fire
against the planet. There’s a timpani hit, and a brass
aggressive theme following the preparation of the death
star. As Alderaan is destroyed, dramatic strings enter the
scene.

M78

M79

M80

M81

M82

M83

M84

M85

M86

M87

M88

M89
M90

M91

M92
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M93

M94

M95

M96

M97

M98

M99
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CUE ID/TITLE TIME CODE LENGTH Analysis/Notes