John Williams accepts the 44th AFI Life Achievement Award

[@MahmoudOscarMD]

The greatest composer in cinema history. I'm really glad for him. No one deserves it more.

[@cortadew]

ennio morricone plis.

[@VfBlerf4Life]

Well Ennio comes second but you cannot compare any film composers resumee to the one of John Williams.

[@cortadew]

VfBlerf4Life ennio 1st, John 2nd

[@VfBlerf4Life]

Well, it is all based on our opinions. How ever, John got E.T., Indiana Jones, Schindlers List, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Jaws, Close Encounters, Catch me if you can, Saving Private Ryan, and by the force he made star wars Star Wars. As much as I love Ennio, he can't compete with that in my opinion. The only composer ever to write a similar amazing score for one franchise was Howard Shore for Lord of the Rings - but than again Shore got nothing you could compare to Indy, E.T., Jurassic Park ...

[@HD_Simplicityy]

Shore's work on LoTRs alone makes hims worthy of huge recognition.

[@IceSpoon]

For anyone who says that "was born in the wrong generation"...no, we were born in the right century to appreciate one of the greatest composers of our entire species.

[@Doofie27]

surely- we just haven't discovered them yet

[@jacktheflash8478]

Doofie27 yes we have

[@jws1272]

He composed the music for 3 of my very fave movies..........and so many more!!! My Top 3 JW Themes are: 3. Raiders/Indiana Jones 2. Superman 1. STAR WARS (The movie that was the match to fuel, that ignited my lifelong love of cinema!!!)

[@jp3813]

To be fair, that also applies to the Lennon-McCartney combo, which many people missed out on.

[@billy.7113]

The Force is strong with him at 84 years of age.

[@WetaMantis]

Bill Y. If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally.

[@RedJLP]

Yes, he would be a great asset. Can it be done?

[@WetaMantis]

RedJLetsPlay He will join us or die Master.

[@Dragonfire-ko8fs]

His a Jedi grand master

[@Skyletwings]

Yeah, but he's right, a little too young he is, for this honor. :-D

[@Nebuchadnezzar31]

He made Superman fly, made dinosaurs come alive and made so many great films even better. Such is his talent that he made a rubber shark terrifying. Star Wars would not be the same, and the Indiana Jones films as well. An absolute master of the art.

[@Angyali]

"To hear John play that music for the first time was a thrill beyond anything I can discribe." George Lucas

[@markw3598]

I always think of the ending of E.T. gets me every time!

[@richardli9825]

4:47 "I know, but they're all died!" It might sound like a funny joke at first, but when you think about it, it's actually the biggest compliment that one could ever give to a composer.

[@psychospoiler]

it is the greatest compliment and a funny joke at the same time, no need to differentiate them.

[@Kristalaurene]

It is ❤️

[@miaowang3364]

That means you’re the greatest alive

[@Will-nn3pb]

Star Wars Throne Room song was soooo perfect for that moment

[@asmunddahlin1603]

Good Stuff Yeah imagine walking through a room of people applauding you to the sound of a fanfare that you yourself composed.. Only John Williams (and a lot of dead guys) can have that honor

[@johnny12022]

Such a Chad moment. My man single handedly blew up the Death Star without ever leaving his seat.

[@alangary9893]

Yea its akso called the Victory March but great score to play for him

[@metalcien098]

"Tomorrow morning when I'm back at work...I'll try to deserve all of this." -John Williams He hasn't forgotten the beginning.

[@MysterDaftGame]

That's the essence of a great artist, always want to do better...

[@jamesalan9874]

Still the greatest response to being awarded for a lifetime of talent and hard work. He is truly more inspiring than his music, which is saying a lot.

[@mikaku]

*HOW FUCKING AWESOME IS ACCEPTING A LIFETIME RECOGNITION WITH THE THRONE ROOM THEME PLAYING*

[@carlosfer2201]

That he wrote himself!

[@generalerica4123]

@@carlosfer2201 Almost as awesome as not winning an academy award nomination for Close Encounters of the Third kind. ...Losing to none other but himself, and his work on Star Wars. Just think of how legendary that is.

[@798jeremy]

Literally being invited to take on the stage...by his own music ! How could it be otherwise for a genius like him, after all ? 🤷😄

[@ymb3858]

With Kobe Bryant giving you a standing ovation

[@daveenyart]

Yes, awesome. What is incredibly NOT awesome and inappropriate is your choice of the "F" word. Deleted that expletive. It does not belong in this tribute.

[@michaelcrennan7856]

There are so many perfect things about this video: 1. The throne room score 2. Kobe Bryant was clapping 3. Stephen Spielberg presenting 4. Harrison Fords epic beard 5. John Williams looks fantastic for 84

[@brmbkl]

and Williams essentially praising all the people he got to work with.

[@atlasrunner8206]

And Baby Face.....

[@manuelorozco7760]

And Idina Menzel clapping

[@Roadrage1588]

Time to listen to John William's greatest movie hits now.

[@brice2585]

thats what Im doing

[@Crasky1992]

You must be just about finishing now?

[@dedchannellol9620]

I recommend this little movie, called Star Wars

[@testpattern23]

that's going to be a very long listen...and so worth it.

[@Metalton95]

All of them..?!

[@HelenChiou1216]

John Williams needs to stay in this world forever.

[@September2004]

1:44 I love it when he went historical, “Music is like architecture, sculpture and so on, thousands of years old. And film is the new kid on the block, a hundred years - barely. And though we will watch its evolution carefully side-by-side with the art of music...”

[@pikkuadi]

You don't understand this man's genius. His peers are Mozart, Schubert, Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky... He's the modern day version of these guys. He's so much beyond all the other people who've received this award it's ridiculous.

[@michaelschiessl8357]

Amen

[@Olderaccount17]

I really don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that this man, almost single-handedly. has been shaping modern popular culture for the past 30 years. His music is strongly ingrained in the collective mindset. Even if you have never watched Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Superman, etc., you most CERTAINLY have heard their themes and can probably hum them, even if you do not know what movie they're from. The impact this man has had in the world cannot be measured. I'm 26 years old, and I'm certain I would cry my eyes out if I ever got the chance to meet him and thank him for everything he's given us.

[@testpattern23]

don't forget close encounters...that soundtrack shaped my childhood :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJO4eKaYj7ycqtk

[@azelmamortlake4471]

Also Harry Potter, Schindler's List, and ET!

[@RMoocher]

Yep, I reckon I'd be brought to tears too meeting the man. His music is so incredible and touches the soul.

[@Penguin2923]

Jurassic Park is my favorite composition of all time, probably because Jurassic park is my favorite movie of all time; and because of my nostalgia for it. John Williams' scores like these literally shaped my life.

[@jam6627]

I think he also compose a theme for the olympics.

[@tomtagliente1464]

Christopher Reeve once said that without the wonderful score that John wrote, Superman would just fall straight down. And he was right. SUPERMAN is, in my opinion, the best score John Williams ever wrote. And if you listen carefully to the main theme, the music literally says the word, Superman. John Williams is an American classic who will live forever through every note he has ever written. From LOST IN SPACE (1965) to INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (2023), no other film composer comes close to the level of genius that John Williams has achieved in his life.

[@theturtleschool5085]

George Lucas has always seemed to have a great fondness and respect for John. I think those are actual tears in his eyes at 1:35

[@dsdfsdfdsfsdfds3800]

there is no tears. idiot

[@JonathanLundkvist]

That is Lucas shaking his head, disagreeing with Williams assertion that John has equals, peers or even people who are better than him at composing.

[@saltysnowflake5832]

The Turtle School Or he's jealous

[@jacktheflash8478]

Danny Love that’s stupid

[@arung7205]

@Caster Jr he shouldn't be but Williams really is still underrated. He turned these movies from great to legendary

[@jcsfx710]

In my honest heartfelt truth i believe that john williams is the Mozart of our times... his music will live on and inspire everyone for generations to come... i'm glad he is still at work and has that young spark that makes his music seem brilliant.. thank you john for many emotions i have felt in movies right when the proper notes hit the center of my heart.

[@AKABoondock19]

ONly difference between him and people like Mozart and Bach is that he wasnt alive in their times. If he was, he would be remembered just like them.

[@joycegibbs5267]

so true Juan, muy bien.

[@patrickjones8255]

I find Mozart boring compared to other classical composers, John Williams is not boring.

[@BostonRedSoxForever]

+Patrick Jones: Same here. Couldn't agree more.

[@frankhogan7541]

@@AKABoondock19 We Can Be Thankful,(And Grateful), That He's Alive In OUR Time.

[@codeinememeing2916]

It is just amazing how many incredibly successful scores this man has created. Jaws, jurrasic park, starwars, superman, harry potter. I mean these are some of the most recognized films and this one man has created music for all of these, including many, many others. Incredible!

[@bruce3238]

U forgot to mention indiana jones. :)

[@RedJLP]

罗英杰 Bruce Even so, John Williams is still the man, the myth and the legend of film music

[@bruce3238]

RedJLetsPlay no doubt about it man.

[@dawngordon6750]

Agree his a genius

[@misharightjustice1901]

Ben Wang : Schindler's list never forget

[@rogerfinney6809]

I was privileged, some years ago, to attend a concert in Columbus's beautiful Ohio Theater in which John Williams conducted what you might call his "greatest hits". At the conclusion, the audience, with a standing ovation, brought him back for so many curtain calls -- it must have gone on for ten or fifteen minutes, at least -- it was only after Williams pantomimed that he needed to go to bed that the crowd finally released him. A great tribute to an incredible composer. I doubt his record of achievement will ever be surpassed.

[@MrDeadhead83]

This might be a wired thing to say but John Williams music goes beyond the film makers themselves. In this clip all the OG film makers (Lucas, Speilberg) as well as the newer ones (Abrams)are looking at him in complete awe. And its easy to understand why. His music elevates films and stirs an emotional resonance.

[@kthegreatgaming427]

Seeing Kobe here smiling brought a tear to my eye, Rest In Peace ❤️

[@m1ke1981]

Such a humble and articulate man.

[@delboyjh]

Playing the music to “A New Hope” when he was walking to collect his award, just as Luke, Chewie and Han did 😭

[@liamnevilleviolist1809]

1:03 "First of all... *burp* ..what an amazing evening this is..." What a legend!

[@tylerjacobson8012]

ive never clapped at a youtube video before but this video and specifically spielbergs beautiful speech he gave thanking john for making movies magical made me so jovial that it just happened. theres a reason why we have a leviathan shark that terrorizes a town, a man who finds himself while he searches for famous artifacts, or heroes that battle in the stars, and his name is john williams. the man who makes dinosaurs walk, a man who makes a child and his friend fly in front of the moonlight. may you live forever john.god bless you and your beautiful talent that made me love and believe that films are magical.

[@revo1974]

Great post!

[@Pianomn626]

My wife is in bed sleeping, but when everyone stood, I did as well.

[@kevnar]

Ask any random person off the street to hum a movie theme, and 9 times out of 10 it will probably be a John Williams piece. Iconic is the only word to describe this man.

[@qpopuiuzmnmb]

John. John, my man. You deserved this DECADES ago. You deserved it EVERY TIME you wrote yet ANOTHER theme that billions around the world hummed to.

[@danradu231]

And also the classiest dude in all of Hollywood.

[@justinwmusic]

"I know, but they're all dead!" 😆Hell of a punchline!

[@carlrosenzweig1867]

You're not wrong, but I think of it as much more than a punchline. It's a very sweet way of saying "John, you're the greatest living composer".

[@brice2585]

This is the first time I've heard this man speak but I feel like I know his voice so well through his music.

[@w3sp]

Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, etc. are all great composers. But John WIlliams is leagues above everyone else. Already 91 years old I'm already scared of the day where I have to read about his death. May he turn 100 years old and bless us with more music that will live on for centuries to come.

[@johnny12022]

John Williams becomes the fourth person in the universe to ever recieve the Throne Room salute

[@manuelorozco7760]

You got to be kidding!

[@AllieKitaguchi]

How humble does a person have to be to have 20+ grammys, 5 oscars, numerous other awards, and be universally recognized as one of the greatest composers of all time to stand in front of a room and say, "Tomorrow morning, when I'm back at work, I will try to deserve all of this."

[@krizan1]

The partnership between Spielberg and Williams is amazing. He's literally composed all but five of his movies, 29 out of 34. 😊

[@manuelorozco7760]

And the Fabelmans I have to say is Williams in his most intimate sound I’ve heard him write

[@sspdirect02]

The best way to describe John Williams is the he gave the films of Steven Spielberg and the Star Wars movies their voices.

[@mecanzie2741]

"Tomorrow morning when I'm back at work, I'll try to deserve all of this". This man could not deserve anything more than legendary status in the history of cinema.

[@ColeEdits]

The Beethoven of our time.

[@TN-uz5vu]

The first John Williams❤

[@jarredkennedy6131]

John is now 90 years old. Let us all continue to cherish and respect him, so he goes out knowing how loved he and his work were.

[@Collateralcoffee]

I think the word is humble....... what a man. The one thing that we all still need to understand is this: Mozart... dead. Beethoven... dead. Stravinsky... dead. Debussy... dead. This guy: He is alive, and we actually have the chance to see him and hear him talk and listen to his music while he is still here, and he certainly deserves to be named with all these great composers in the same sentence. John is a blessing and a phenomenon. If you can go see him, do so. It is indescribable, certainly one of the greatest moments in everyone's life.

[@MusicchannelFX]

let it sink in. He gets an award and walks to the stage to Music, which he composed, which he gets an award for.

[@sonnic1995]

Man... i love Danny elfman, James Horner, Hans Zimmer... but John Williams is the best!

[@lil.kaiakreations]

Ludwig van Beethoven whispered in the ear of John Williams ... and music became magical and timeless for generations to come. "Do not only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine." -- Ludwig van Beethoven

[@matthewmask]

0:32 Kobe! RIP the legend 24.

[@r.c.c.10]

I hope in the 2020 Oscars he receives a honorific Oscar for his whole career, now that he has completed his last OST (not only for Star Wars but actually hislast one).

[@rolandofgilead43]

he last one? i do remember reading that he said he wasn't going to do anymore star wars films but i haven't heard he's retiring

[@r.c.c.10]

@@rolandofgilead43 Well, I am not sure, but I think that.

[@ownagegaming4909]

i hope this man will never die

[@paperchasindude6578]

Me too

[@Marbletrain60GR]

What makes me even more happy. Is how all the comments are positive about the man who made most of our childhood live.

[@vinithkumar7245]

I am from india..but this man made my childhood awesome😍😍😍😍

[@Drakengard65]

Legend. I really hope that they will build a statue of John in Hollywood. One of THE greatest if not the best composer to ever walk this earth.

[@pho3nix-]

The man, the legend. Thank you!

[@JediPhoenix1976]

This man is singlehandedly the reason why I'm such a fan of film scores. Horner, Silvestri, Goldsmith, Shore, Zimmer, Giacchino...I appreciate so much of their work, but Maestro Williams sits above them all.

[@boopermoo7362]

I’ve said it a million times and I’ll say it again, Star Wars is NOT Star Wars without John Williams.

[@falfieri3167]

0:33 Damn I didnt expect to see Kobe there 😕

[@Renebear]

Falfieri rip Kobe 😔🙏

[@Kyle_Evers]

Kobe was such a huge fan of John. Kobe was a real one :(

[@marlenehqz]

John actually composed Kobe’s short film “Dear Basketball”!

[@MedChemist1]

I'm an amateur musician, I play clarinet to relax, recharge and, when in an ensemble, socialise. There is a lot of music that gets played a lot by community orchestras since it's recognisable and not too challenging to play and among my favourites are the works of John Williams. The fact that he can write such impactful music but not strain his musicians, rather, make the playing genuinely pleasurable is a mark of utter expert mastery of his composition and orchestration. He coaxes the most beautiful sounds from us as musicians, rather than forcing us. The extra ping of a glockenspiel, the dovetailing of scales between 1st and 2nd wind players so that we sound as one instrument, but share the load, mixing the timbres of instruments with sublime precision,. It's evidence to not only a mastery of his craft, but to taking it a level that his predecessors could only dream of.

[@rr7firefly]

Whenever I hear truly brilliant people sharing their thoughts on receiving a great honor with such widespread recognition I always marvel at the depth of how they understand what their work is about (what it is for) and the depth of their heart in the commitment they have made to create on the level of genuine excellence. John Williams fully deserves the highest honor possible for his music.

[@toddgrogg2810]

The way steven, looking at mr.william's, is like a young boy looking at his dad.with strong emotional feeling's.that is emotional.

[@Alienadin]

Such a sweet, humble and witty man. The world would be a dark place without his immense contributions to cinema magic. The Star Wars Saga (I-VI) alone has the greatest score ever written. Thank you, Sir John WIlliams. You are the greatest.

[@THC800]

Man that Starwars medaling ceremony theme as Mr. Williams approaches to the podium was perfect, absolutely perfect.

[@anthonyalexander9991]

G.O.A.T period.

[@FreakieFan]

Ennio Morricone deserves an AFI awards. He's never been honored enough, and getting enough praise for his masterful film scores! Williams has been stacking up Oscars for years, Morricone won for the first time ever at 88 years of age. He deserves this!

[@MarloMaravillas]

He basically wrote the theme songs of my life.

[@rakeshgautam1986]

Of a REAL HUMAN'S life!

[@jaclpz]

“..and tomorrow morning when I’m back at work, I will try to deserve all of this.” HUMBLE man

[@SunnyBear]

The punchline to his Spielberg story is truly top notch, perfectly delivered!

[@dsijes01]

Thank you Mr. Williams for your wonderful, inspiring music! Life would not be the same without you!

[@josepablo1514]

The more humble you are, the more success you get. Williams is the Tchaikovsky of XXI century.

[@HD_Simplicityy]

A living legend. God given. The Greatest film composer ever. There will NEVER be another like him when he passes. Although Howard Shore is probably my favorite because of his beautiful work on The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Williams is the greatest.

[@JG-ze2oy]

I completely agree! My favorite movie of all times is Lord of the Rings and I love its music but man, John Williams's scores are out of this world!

[@user-oy9zy4ds9m]

Alan menken is pretty damn good

[@paperchasindude6578]

The man's a Genius

[@Wikingking]

Shore's work for the LotR trilogy is the closest one can ever get to the genius of Williams. That score is just as epic and magnificent as the best of Williams'. But the superiority of John Williams is obvious for me, Shore needs to have at least 3 or 4 more of that to be at least mentioned on the same platform. But the LotR score is obviously perfect.

[@JamesonEst1780]

Spielberg is right when he points out that possibly hundreds of people make a film, but one man brings it alive! John Williams does exactly that, he is the greatest at what he does!

[@DelightLovesMovies]

I love John Williams, I'm always happy and smile when I hear his music.

[@pizzasallad216]

saw Kobe in the background. 2020 RIP Kobe and GIGI

[@snoopypeanuts5364]

The true meaning of title of G.O.AT. & still humble & a gentleman.

[@MrDanloren]

That’s how you accept an award! Such a humble person. Incredible!

[@JoshWiseAudio]

I mean, could there have been a more perfect selection of his pieces as he walked to that stage?

[@DVerdier73]

Totally agree ! John Williams is the genius of our time !!!

[@reyfernandezjr]

What a humble man. such an honor to be in this generation.

[@ultrajudyfan]

Thank you for the music Mr Williams!

[@alexbittonagy4808]

What a most generously humble & respectful man, to make mention of "many deserving colleagues who would certainly have been wonderful candidates for this." A true creative genius & man of the highest caliber. Long after he has departed this world, his music will endure......

[@colleencupido5125]

Alex BittoNagy: Thanks so much for your comment. John Williams IS probably the greatest of all film composers. His ability to seemingly have an inexhaustible fund of melody makes me think of Tchaikovsky and Puccini. And it's a little sad that most of the movie composers mentioned in these postings are almost exclusively of the past few decades. Where is the mention of Max Steiner, Franz Waxman, Miklos Roza, Dimitri Tiomkin, Bernard Hermann? Whether comparing John Williams to other film composers or the Greats of music for hundreds of years, I myself am reminded of the beginning of Dante's Inferno, where he sees in Limbo the writers Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Ovid and such and they all motion to Dante to come, be one of their group. I would love to think the greatest music composers of the last 500 years would do something similar when the Almighty finally calls John Williams home.

[@terrycharnley]

So true about what he says about music and movies. Movies are a relatively young medium, a little over a hundred years old, but music goes back centuries. What a guy.

[@spencerfrankclayton4348]

A wholesome ceremony wherein the recipient actually highly deserves the award!!

[@darkprose]

John Williams is one person that I can imagine saying to a friend like Spielberg, "This films deserves a better composer." Williams' humility rivals his musical talents, and that is saying something. All indications suggest that his friendship does, too. When he leaves us, my sadness will be overwhelmed with my gratitude. I can't imagine a world, nor do I want to imagine one, that did not have John Williams in it.

[@Murilo5150]

Williams is a god!

[@taariqensal7404]

The fact that they played Throne Room from Star Wars as John's theme music when fetching his award.

[@MrTheJo92]

3:08 I think that's as excited as Harrison Ford will ever get.

[@alberteinsteinthejew]

He is truly a living legend! Now I'm worried who will replace him after he died!

[@adammullarkey4996]

An award 40 years in the making, and long deserved.

[@May04bwu]

This man is a true gem. I can't even explain with words how much I love his music.

[@andybrimer8216]

What's interesting to me is of all the famous and, in some cases, household names, he has had more quiet impact than all of them combined over the last 45 years.

[@fajarsetiawan8665]

Most people know John's works from films like Jaws, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, annd all of that kind. But to me, his greatest score ever written is Schindler's List. It's a musical epitome of melancholic and grief, yet also spiritual, moralistic, and even somewhat hopeful. That score is the first time of my experience on how music can touch your heart and soul deeply.

[@MartyhaanMusic]

"I'm really much too young for a thing like this" So humble, so funny, so wise. God, please let John become like 107 years old

[@wilson0lyra]

I would like to thank the American Film Institute for this amazing, outstanding tribute to John Williams. HE DESERVES IT! John is UNIQUE, he is a living legend and an inspiration for all of us. I am so proud that I had the chance to watch him conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014 at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood. I was lucky enough to have his signature (also Mark Baranov, violinist) on my CD! Thank you John William and thank all the wonderful team of musicians who contributed to give life John s greatest compositions!

[@themightyboush]

John Williams is, without a doubt, my favourite film score composer. Truly well deserved award. It'll be a terribly sad day when he passes.

[@brucekent7488]

The world and our lives are mucb sweeter because of his MUSIC. how can someone be this GREAT?????

[@Crasher_7]

The perfect score to present him the award!

[@agustinbaletti]

i love you sir williams. you are the best

[@30021811]

Well, as a comments reader this might be the only KZbin video that restores my faith in humanity with respect to peoples responses. Such is the power of the music written by this great man below there is nothing but praise and admiration, all richly deserved.

[@Meg_Lovegood]

As a child i would play the Star Wars movies on VHS just ta listen to Johns work as i would draw (before my mother bought me the score on vinyl) my art would be nothing with your work good Sir. Thank you, with all my heart and joy, thank you.

[@robertmcgorty46]

The Greatest. NO ONE COMES CLOSE to this Incredible Man.

[@bernadetteellisha4396]

My childhood and life wouldn't be the same without John's genius music. Thank you Sir!

[@jonathanb2541]

Perfect choice of music for him to walk on to stage with

[@Hmurr1515]

Him and Hans Zimmer, absolute legends. Untouched.

[@petertremblay3725]

I am 53 and every single week since Star Wars debut i am playing the soundtrack while i work since it is the most inspiring score ever made. If a music score give you the shivers each time you listen to it then rest assure that a genius was behind it.

[@RippanYT]

I owe this man so much for all them amazing moments in my life sitting in the theatre . Such talent!

[@Account-user]

_Tomorrow morning when I am back at work I will try to deserve all of this._ John Williams is not just a composer he's a whole set of emotions of several generations that no award can express❤