There are many things that make a movie what it is. It all starts with a story (according to what every How-To book on screenwriting tells us), there is the director and his crew, there are the actors, who bust their asses to bring a vision to life. Then comes the wonderful world of post-production. What is one result of that? The music. Soundtracks enhance the movie going experience. They can make us cry, they can pump us up, they can make us remember the 80’s. Whether it be a musical band or a composer, soundtracks help our favorite movies stay etched in our mind forever.
This week we focus on legendary composer Hans Zimmer. A man who has been going strong for over 100 films and shows no signs of slowing down. He has the accolades to back up his talent, and if the past is any indication, there are more to come.
1. THE LION KING
How can I sum up how this soundtrack made me feel? Well, after the credits rolled I wanted to go out and work on my roar. Look, Be Prepared and Circle of Life are great and all, but good ol Hans capitalized on every emotion he knew we’d be feeling in this film and did his job in enhancing that ten times over with his brilliance. So much so that when I take over the world, I’m using this King of Pride Rock track when I reveal myself to my minions. Purchase the soundtrack here
2. THE LAST SAMURAI
You’ve seen me say it many times on these articles, and it’s just as true in this case as it was in those cases: that sometimes a films soundtrack can make it ten times better than it already is. Last Samurai is a great movie in and of itself, but once again Hans came along and did what he does best, and the rest is magic. The sequence of Tom Cruise acclimating himself to the ‘way of life’ of his hosts, accompanied by Zimmer’s score made me wish I could spend the rest of my life in that place. Anybody else? Purchase the soundtrack here
3. GLADIATOR
The track I’ve chosen for Gladiator is the main reason it’s on this list; it’s called ‘Am I not Merciful?’ Now those who’ve seen the film know the scene and most likely the music it’s referring to. In said scene, this score mixed with the performance of Joaquin Phoenix had me feeling for the poor prick. Was that the desired affect? If it was it worked wonderfully. Yet another homerun for Hans Zimmer. Purchase the soundtrack here
4. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLDS END
Some people have their less than positive opinions on the sequels to the first POTC movie, especially this installment, and quite frankly it’s justified. One thing that can’t be denied though is its grand adventurous scale that is complimented beautifully by guess what, its soundtrack. My favorite scene from At World’s End is the total decimation of Cutler Beckett, such an emotional score for a guy that we’ve hated throughout the entire movie. Just business indeed. Purchase the soundtrack here
5. INCEPTION
Over the years, Zimmer and Chris Nolan have been one of the classic director/composer dream teams we’ve been blessed with. The score to Inception is recognizable in the fact that I’ve heard shades of his work on Batman Begins make its way into this track, and I am not complaining. When I saw this film with my brother for the first time we walked out of the theater floored, one of those rare occasions everyone walks out of the place talking about it. Here’s hoping Zimmer continues to bless Nolan’s already kick ass films with his talent. Purchase the soundtrack here
6. PEARL HARBOR
Why did I choose to feature the soundtrack to this film over the other awesome work that Zimmer has been a part of? I love an underdog, not many people I have talked to have been a fan of this film in the slightest, and I am on that list. But let’s not kid ourselves, when the attack on Pearl Harbor hit and along with Zimmer’s score for this film I was into it like you wouldn’t believe. It was perfect, full of emotion. I guess the bottom line is Hans Zimmer saved this movie for me, not just with the track below…every bit of his work for Pearl Harbor was full of win. Purchase the soundtrack here
VERY HONORABLE MENTION: THE ROCK
Purchase the soundtrack here