If you could instantly name a movie theme just by hearing the first two notes, that theme would most likely be the theme of Steven Spielberg's Jaws, composed by none other than the legend John Williams.
These two notes could now easily be associated with the film. It is one of the most memorable themes in movie history, after all. However, when Williams played it for Spielberg for the first time, the latter thought it was all a joke. But Williams was serious. And as it turned out, these two notes alone were powerful enough to announce the shark's presence, even when the large fish wasn't on screen. The theme also proved a helpful substitute for Bruce (the mechanical shark), as the latter wasn't working all the time.
For Spielberg, Williams became the shark, and the music made the film "a hell of a lot scarier and more suspenseful." Music, indeed, is a powerful tool.
Aside from the Jaws theme, Spielberg and Williams talk about other films and topics in music in this interview with Stephen Colbert.
Via Laughing Squid
(Video Credit: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/ YouTube)