Review: JURASSIC PARK IN CONCERT, Royal Albert Hall

It’s incredible to think that is now 30 years since Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park was released. What better way to revisit the iconic film than with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra performing John Williams’ iconic score live-to-picture at the majestic Royal Albert Hall?

Spielberg’s 1993 adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel was a mega-budget smash hit featuring genetically engineered dinosaurs rampaging around a purpose-built theme park.

Even three decades on, the special effects look pretty good, with the most obvious aspect that dates it being the technology within the film. The computers look ancient and one of the most impressive things to the children is an interactive CD ROM-if you even remember what that was!

With a stellar cast, featuring Sam Neill as Alan Grant, Laura Dern as Ellie Sattler, Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm, Richard Attenborough as John Hammond and a forgotten appearance from Samuel L. Jackson as chain-smoking technician Ray Arnold.

The film is a warning against humanity messing around with nature when billionaire Hammond develops technology allowing him to clone dinosaurs from preserved DNA samples. His vision is to create a park to house the creatures and to bring in tourists to view them. When Hammond invites a group of experts and scientists to inspect the park before it opens to the public, a nightmare quickly ensues when a worker sabotages the park’s security so he can escape with stolen dinosaur DNA.

The film won three Academy Awards for Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects. It was a massive commercial success, earning $1.03 billion dollars or nearly 17 times its production costs of $63 million.

The film was John Williams’ twelfth score for the director which captures both the majesty and savagery of the creatures beautifully. The instantly recognisable “Theme from Jurassic Park” displays reverent awe at the majesty of the dinosaurs.

Even in the opening titles, we hear the foreboding four-note danger motif. It returns when the raptors escape: Williams employs this simple, effective theme of danger that is creepily menacing when played slowly and terrifying when sped up. The gentle tones played at the baby raptor is born contrast hugely with the discordant strings when the grown raptors attack.

The effervescent Anthony Gabriele returns to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, who handle Williams’ often frenetic score with aplomb. Frantic strings, ominous drum rolls and dynamic brass all combine to showcase Williams’ incredible skill for building tension and evoking real terror, such as when the jeep threatens to fall through the trees. There are delicate woodwinds to show wonder and calm, used to fabulous effect as Alan and the children observe the brachiosaurus’ from their treetop hideaway, leading to warm French horns as they feed the creatures.

As with all the concerts in this series of films, you are reminded how intrinsic and crucial the score is to the atmosphere, narrative and, ultimately, the success of the film. John Williams captured Spielberg’s vision perfectly; exhilaration and excitement, tension and terror.

A fabulous celebration of the 30th anniversary of this ground-breaking film.

Jurassic Park In Concert is at the Royal Albert Hall tonight (27 October)

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