While watching The Batman, many were distracted by the film's score, namely its similarity to another classic soundtrack that accompanied a cinematic struggle between good and evil: Star Wars. During several scenes, in which the Dark Knight looms from out of the shadows, the music is strangely reminiscent of "The Imperial March" from The Empire Strikes Back. The two themes actually share the same ancestor, a classical music piece that itself brings forth several connotations of evil and death.
The first installment of the latest cinematic Batman trilogy starring Robert Pattinson featured music composed by Michael Giacchino, winner of the 2009 Academy Award's Best Original Score for Disney Pixar's Up. Reuniting with Matt Reeves for 2022's The Batman, the pair previously collaborated on Cloverfield and Let Me In. Other songs on The Batman soundtrack included Nirvana's "Something in the Way," which masterfully lent the film a tender yet angst-ridden tone, compounding the reinvention of Bruce Wayne as an emo teenager. The Star Wars movies' iconic scores were composed by the legendary John Williams. Throughout his unparalleled career, Williams has crafted some of the greatest scores in cinematic history. Williams' "The Imperial March" first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, accompanying the appearances of the villain, Darth Vader. The theme would appear in each subsequent Star Wars movie, either in full or referenced melodically as a motif.
The score for The Batman featured a "Batman Theme," which reminded many of Darth Vader's villainous music from Star Wars. The similarities are, in fact, due to a classical source from which both themes took inspiration, Chopin's "Funeral March." The somber, haunting classical tune first appeared in the 1830s and has since become synonymous with death and funerals, conjuring impressions of grief and pain which audiences learned thanks to its appearances in various media, most notably in early animations such as the Looney Tunes.
These connotations are beautifully exploited by Williams, who heralds each arrival of Darth Vader with subtle metaphors of death and pain. This is achieved through the opening notes of the "Imperial March," which are an inversion of the opening to Chopin's "Funeral March." The Batman's theme utilizes two of these opening notes in a four-note, repeating pattern that mirrors the half-notes and rising and falling effect of Chopin's "Funeral March." By referring to Chopin's piece, Giacchino can take advantage of the same implications as Williams, except repositioning them from a criminal point of view rather than a victim's perspective. Rather than the innocent members of the Rebel Alliance fearing the death that follows the evil Vader's arrival, Gotham's criminals fear the arrival of vengeance and the Batman.
Though "The Imperial March" does not appear in the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope, so strong is the association between the theme and Darth Vader that many still forge a connection between the imposing theme and Vader's first terrifying entrance. By recalling one of the most iconic movies of 1977, Reeves perfectly complemented The Batman's 1970s-influenced Gotham design which loomed over his vision of the Dark Knight. This connection also drew parallels between Reeves' imposing Batman, whose silhouette and shadow would truly terrify the criminal underbelly of Gotham, and the foreboding presence of the black-clad Darth Vader, whose iconic image frightened a generation of cinema-goers.
Matt Reeves' explosive superhero debut featured many fascinating intricacies for fans to sink their teeth into. Whether it's major clues about The Batman's Riddler or more subtle details in Catwoman and Batman's suits, Reeves' movie delighted and teased fans in equal measure, stoking the calls for a sequel. Previous Batman sagas have retained the same character themes over multiple movies, suggesting that Giacchino's Chopin-influenced score will be returning to terrify Gotham's underbelly, along with Batman himself.