One of Zimmer's most atmospheric and subtly tense pieces of music. It creates the vivid atmosphere of the lagoon as the camera traverses it in such a beautiful fashion. The trembling of the strings suggests an imbalance in the air to counter the beauteous effect of the music itself. It establishes the tone of the film incredibly well, and stands as one of Zimmer's most subdued yet masterful pieces.
14. Theme to The Rock
Believe it or not, Michael Bay used to be a decent filmmaker. Not nuanced by any stretch of the imagination, nor did he craft flawless films, but stuff like Bad Boys 2 and this are fun films to watch and kill time with. Zimmer delivers a score here that'd be fitting to a grand masterful men on a mission film, but it's equally well suited to this so-dumb-it's-so-good action film with no other than manic Nic Cage and Sean Connery in 'not giving a fuck in style' mood, not to mention Ed Harris also giving one of his best 'villainous' performances. The score begins in such a grandstanding military-esque fashion before proceeding into a heart-pounding action sequence theme, and every bit works exceptionally well.
13. 'A Way of Life' - The Last Samurai
Edward Zwick's fun and thoughtful samurai flick ends on actually a fairly unexpected note, it is a defeat of our heroes but in a way that almost seems uplifting due to what the samurai and their strength and resilience symbolized. It strangely works in large part due to the performances of Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe, as well as Zimmer's calming and melancholic, bittersweet and peaceful music that concludes the film in an almost dream-like, zen-like trance. 12.''Putting Ray to Bed' - Rain Man
My favourite part of this soundtrack is the incredibly moving music that first plays in the great scene between Charlie and Raymond where the latter reveals a key part of their shared past. It's a small little refrain that's repeated throughout the film at key emotional junctures, that employs the Japanese lute and pitch-perfect synthesizer sounds to show the comfort and bittersweetness of the two brothers finding peace and happiness in the quiestest moments with one another.
12. 'Molossus' - Batman Begins
While Danny Elfman's Batman score is the more iconic and undeniably more evocative score of what Batman symbolizes, Zimmer's score is no slouch, as it is absolutely perfect for Nolan's series. From the opening barrage of of percussion giving way to that unmistakable heroic theme, all the while continuing to pulsate with the rhythmic beats that amplify the tension in any given moment. Though it may not be the Batman theme, it is most certainly what comes to mind whenever one discusses Christopher Nolan's vision of the superhero. It stands alone as a very impressive achievement.
11. 'This Land' - The Lion King
The Lion King is not a flawless film, but it is an exceptional achievement on the whole, and Zimmer's talents are particularly well-equipped for this sort of score. It's worth noting that the score here is somewhat Star Wars-esque, and not just because it accompanies a scene with James Earl Jone's Mufasa addressing his son in the clouds. It is a deeply emotional and tearjerking tune that was supposedly written by Zimmer with the mindset of coming to terms with the death of his own father at a very young age. Of course not all is gloom and doom as it ends with Simba finding his purpose in life with the help of his father and Rafiki. A perfect song for the most emotionally complex moment in the film.
10. 'What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving The World?' - Man of Steel
Blasphemous, perhaps, but this is probably my favourite Superman theme of them all. It just oozes the Man of Steel through its every pore. I really love how it's utilized at the end of the film, to make such a quiet resolution/wrap-up to the film's events that frankly seem to promise a much better sequel than what we got. This tune suggests Superman as a beacon of hope, a powerful symbol that sprung not just from his powers but from his courage and upbringing. It's a shame that they didn't really use this theme to build upon for the sequel, instead trying to darken things up unnecessarily for a hero who was never really about that life.
9. 'Time' - Inception
Perhaps one of the more overused pieces of music nowadays, that should do nothing to diminish the inherent power of it within the framework of Inception. The film's entire score is solid on the whole, whether it's the more awe-inspiring 'dreamy' scenes or the more tense 'action' sequences, or the blend of both. It's the final piece of music in the soundtrack though, which really is the crowning achievement of Zimmer. It brings everything full circle, along with Leonardo DiCaprio's acting, and earns the final deeply emotional moment completely. It's a grand and very fitting end to a very grand and awe-inspiring film. 8. 'Why Do We Fall?' - The Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises is not a flawless film, but this scene is one of Christopher Nolan's crowning achievements, and Zimmer plays a big part in it. Bruce getting out of the cave is already a very rousing scene in itself as we watch him defy the odds to save his city. Adding onto that is the chanting of the prisoners, a stroke of genius by Zimmer and Nolan. Then Zimmer's score as it ascends and 'rises' as we watch Bruce achieve the impossible, the unprecendeted just caps it all off. It's probably the most climactic moment in the whole film, and Zimmer's score is essential to its memorable quality.
7. 'King of Pride Rock' - The Lion King
I'm enclosing the extended version on the soundtrack here, but this particular piece is used at the very end of the film to bring the Circle of Life back into balance with Scar's demise and Simba's ascension to the throne. Although what one probably remembers most from the film are Tim Rice and Elton' John's lyrical songs, the power of Zimmer's work should not be forgotten either in making the ending of The Lion King a particularly rousing and upbeat one.
6. 'Supermarine' - Dunkirk
A masterful piece of music that works brilliantly as an integrated part of the film, the use of the propellers and meshing of that fast-paced percussion sound makes us feel so in the moment of the battlefield. It's exceptional music that's like so much of Dunkirk, arguably simple in conception, but flawless in execution. It takes together extradiagetic and intradiagetic sounds together and meshes it into a perfect accompaniment to Nolan's recreation of a disordered battlefront.
5. 'Barbarian Horde' - Gladiator
I should note that the thematically similar 'The Battle' is also an excellent piece of music, but this piece takes the whole epic scale of the film, and the unbearable tension leading up, and during the barbarian horde duel in the Colosseum, to incredible levels. It helps that it accompanies one of the best battle scenes ever, but moreover is such a thrilling setpiece in itself. It goes through each of the motions of the battle with such a breakneck pace, and all culminates in the most truly rousing, victorious notes of victory.
2. 'Drink Up Me Hearties' - Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Who doesn't know this theme tune? When one thinks Pirates, one instantly thinks of this insanely catchy score which screams adventure like few other scores do. It's such a great tune that it instantly amplifies some of the lesser scenes in later film, and the downright dreadful On Stranger Tides, just by playing in the background. It does so much heavy lifting in those later films of making scenes seem more exciting and epic than they actually are, and this cheat kind of works for the most part by how effective it is. It works pretty much in any swashbuckling context, and is a cinematic masterpiece all in itself. However, I should note that along with most of the Curse of the Black Pearl tracks, this piece was largely composed with Klaus Badelt, but it still stands as one of Zimmer's greatest creations in that he conceived of it in a demo to begin with. For a similarly excellent tune that's entirely Zimmer, check out 'Drink Up Me Hearties'. It concludes what should've been the completed trilogy perfectly. 3. 'Light' - The Thin Red Line
Perhaps the most thoughtful and contemplative track in this soundtrack, verging on the point of prayer, is another theme which fits in perfectly with the cinematography of the film. I don't know much about the finer technicalities of music composition, but whatever Zimmer does here only serves to amplify John Toll's impeccable use of lighting, whether it's between the foliages of trees or the contrast of sky and land, sky and sea. The plucking of strings and soothing wind instruments all intertwine with one another to create so truly spellbinding musical motifs. It lures you into a false sense of security without ever feeling insincere, and can be seen as the track which gives the soldiers a peace of mind. It's deeply felt music which gradually turns from calm and introspective, into concerned and introspective, as the final minute or so of the song becomes more brooding and ruminative. 2. 'Elysium/Honor Him' - Gladiator
One of the most powerful endings of 21st Century cinema, and Zimmer's score is what really raises it up to that high tier. The visuals and acting, and the sparse and select, but memorable dialogue, naturally do their part, but it's Zimmer's score which makes it really hit home. 'Elysium' is so evocative of that dreamlike, heavenly state of mind and body in the afterlife where Maxmius finally finds peace, and is gently coerced to join his son and wife. Then we get the grand and tearjerking 'Honor Him' which perfectly encompasses all that Zimmer and Maximus have both achieved. I often watch the ending of the film just for inspiration when writing, plus it's just great music, plain and simple. 1. 'Journey to the Line' - The Thin Red Line
Underscoring the most haunting sequence in the film, as the soldiers infiltrate and invade a Japanese soldier's camp, this is actually in many ways a very simple piece of music, but also an extremely harrowing, beautiful, haunting, enlightening musical piece, all in one. It grants such a morally grey area for the conflict going on, reinforcing the film's theme that war is in itself the evil, and not the participants on either side. There's more than 4 minutes of buildup in the song, accompanying the nervous and tense trek of the soldiers as they sneak up on the enemy, and when the powerful notes of the song are unleashed it's so sudden, so explosive.
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