Independence Day is a bombastic movie with an equally bombastic soundtrack. I love it for its simplicity. The villains have scary music, and the heroes have heroic music. Not much ambiguity there.

But there are about 20 seconds tucked away in between heroic and villainous themes that touch something deep inside me and make me stand in awe. It comes when Captain Steve Hiller pilots an alien spaceship up to the Mother Ship in orbit around the Earth.

The flying theme as he soars higher into the atmosphere is full of excitement and energy. However, something magical happens as soon as he enters outer space. The theme suddenly gets quieter and more melancholy. There’s a masterful feel of longing in it that makes my heart ache each time I listen to it.

Captain Hiller has been waiting his whole life to get into space. He wanted to be an astronaut, but his application was denied. Seeing him finally reach space and say, “I’ve been waiting for this my whole life” is one of the most satisfying parts of the movie. And Independence Day is packed with satisfying moments.

Like I said, it only lasts 20 seconds at most, but it’s my absolutely favorite part of the soundtrack, even better than the President’s Speech track. I wish it would go on for several minutes. However, the film is so efficient at telling its story that this small theme quickly leads into the villainous Mother Ship theme. Here’s how that scene plays out in the film:

It’s so beautiful, isn’t it? The emotions packed into those few seconds leave me craving more. That’s something Independence Day does extremely well. It thrills me and leaves me wanting more, so I can watch it multiple times without getting bored. Even if it was just to reach those 20 seconds of perfection, it would still be worth it. Thankfully, the rest of the movie is so good that it’s always a rewarding experience to get to that high point.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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