Picture Coney Island on a sweltering summer day: swimmers crowd the water as the low, insistent pulse of Jaws—“dun-dun… dun-dun…”—grows louder and faster. Suddenly, the beach empties as people scan the waves for a great white shark. This iconic theme from the 1975 film shows how a score can shape an audience’s emotions, sense of time, and perception of narrative tension. The Japan Society highlights that power in ‘Music by Ryuichi Sakamoto’, a film series honoring a composer whose work spans genres and decades. The series opens with the animated feature ‘Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise’.
