Indiana Themes

Indiana Jones - Raiders or the Lost Ark shows extensive use of musical themes and motifs scored by John Williams, none more famous than "The Raiders Theme" otherwise known as "Indy's Theme". The theme is used at several points during the course of Raiders of the Lost Ark and further used throughout the subsequent Indiana Jones films.
The theme represents everything that our protagonist stands for, his image and his identity. Indiana is a good guy, a hero, an adventurer and an exciting man to follow. Through use of predominant brass in the main melody we relate to a sense of heroism as we do with a military soldier. When strings enter we feel a sense of mystery in the adventure that Indiana is on before the brass once again takes over our ears.
The theme is written in C major, again projecting a sense of heroism and good nature. Our character is a simple man with feelings trying to save the world. The harmony between strings and brass cause a further sense of larger than life hero, similar to the John Williams score of Superman. Percussion follows the rhythm of the melody without overpowering the composition or becoming to over the top, instead of driving through the mix it aids as a movement.
The theme although capturing our character for who he is, is used in moments of triumph, when Indiana is overcoming a hurdle or has defeated that hurdle. This is why the theme becomes a symbol for heroism, it is the overcoming of evil through the action and excitement that we see on screen that allows the theme to be more than a musical cue but a statement of relief.