Zimmer Reactions

Compiled by Jeff & Lukas

We've gotten a lot of reactions both by mail and E-mail to our recent interview with Hans Zimmer (FSM Vol. 2, No. 7). One guy called us and was practically screaming, "What right does he have to call himself a composer?" We're like, uh, don't ask us. In any case, here are some of the E-mail comments:

Jeremy Moniz writes:

Great article on Zimmer, it's nice to hear his side for the first time. Second, I'd have to say of Jason Comerford and his innovation article, his updated response really comes of as being a one-note ploy to just smash Hans Zimmer all because he (Jason) hates his music and wants all film scores to sound the same.

He points out, and so does Zimmer, that the music cruises over the action and rarely comments on it--well how about John Barry. Now granted Zimmer gets action and Barry gets drama but the deployment of music is similar; only Barry gets to constantly do slow dramas where music can fill lulls. Zimmer coats action with active music. The curse is he gets typecast with more and more action and the style gets stretched severely.

But with Jason, he's getting irate because he hates rock and roll elements being included more and more. Which I don't mind because it kills the monotony of just another score being pumped out. Oh here comes another sappy Edelman score, oh here's another Shaiman comedy score, oh and here's another Zimmeresque action score. There is so much there and so much to complain about. Zimmer though does try to innovate his own style, he isn't just scoring mindlessly, he just gets to score mindless movies. Broken Arrow was mind numbing music for a dumb movie. And then you ask does the music stand up away from the film... in this case you would have to like the style which Jason hates... Jerry Goldsmith pioneered this style somewhat - just listen to some of the sections of Extreme Prejudice & Rent-A-Cop. I wouldn't say any of the music is mindless, it's just similar in style and usage.

It just isn't fair to bash Zimmer & Elfman because they've made it big through a less classical means. They've got the talent and they've proven themselves, especially Elfman, and just like ALL composers they are at the mercy of the producer system. And the only way to fight that system has been to establish a tight collaborative union with a director who cares about film music. Spielberg, Schaffner, Dante, Verhoeven, Cronenberg, Hitchcock... much of innovation came out when master director and master musician combine into one powerful storytelling force, when that doesn't happen.... the music tends to suck OR the devotion and talent of the composer shows through anyway, like Christopher Young does. And I'm just curious, did Lalo Schifrin get this kind of flack when he did Dirty Harry, Bullitt and Enter the Dragon? I've always liked his material and I'd bet funk scoring makes Jason's skin crawl.

Man, this Zimmer thing is just never going to end. It'll be interesting to see just how much a decade or two's hindsight effects our view of the '80s and '90s pop/rock-informed scoring style. I think many fans of orchestral scoring, myself included, automatically cringe the instant they hear a rhythm section in any kind of film score. Yet I'm finding myself getting all warm and gooey with nostalgia when I hear rock riffs from the scores of the '60s and '70s. Certainly there's room for the Zimmer action style (and Zimmer has created much more than the hammering synth-blast action approach for which he's been pilloried)--the problem is in the out-of-proportion influence of that style which often dictates that every modern action movie be scored the same way. At least one composer I spoke to recently pointed that out as the reason many film composers are frustrated: they're always being asked to sound like Hans. Unfortunately, so is Hans. -Jeff Bond

Chris Caine writes:

J and Z don't mix it seems: Jason, Jeff.. and any other J names who don't appreciate Zimmer. Tell you what... that's absolutely fine! Don't torture yourself, listening to the selected scores again and again; taking the time to whine/whinge; and regurgitate the same old level of ignorance.

Appreciation is a subjective matter, especially when dealing with the polysemic nature of music (art). Older music has a nostalgic feel to it; don't confuse that with balanced comparisons, if the latter is at all possible. What is the face of contemporary film music? Did Zimmer define it? What is the effect of completely ruining it?

Quote: "FSM came to me to talk about The Peacemaker. We ended up talking about being able to master the art of criticism." - Hans.

My curiosity: Have you listened to all of Zimmer's work? Has it been on the re-sequenced and edited CDs only? What sort of stereo quality do you have? How good is your ear? Ever factor in context? Are you able to discern subtle changes? Once again: Crimson Tide - does NOT sound like Backdraft, nor The Rock, nor The Peacemaker. I make that observation on first-time listens in the cinema. Yes, I may seem to be a bit biased as I appreciate Zimmer probably more than anyone else. But I do not listen to him all the time. I do have a very wide ranging library. I just like to make more learned observations rather than some hasty pop-based mentality statement. Would it be true that the same listeners who feel Zimmer sounds the same, are the very same ones who want to hear the same thing? And are most likely to have not heard any of his scores like Paperhouse, Younger and Younger, Two Deaths, Green Card etc.

Yes, it is true that directors have requested the Zimmer action trademark score - would that be 'voice' someone referred to recently? Or style? In any case, listen more carefully and open minded before "repeating yourself." Now, it is TRUE that cues from Renaissance Man, League of Their Own, Cool Runnings are pretty much the same... and it is the slow dramatic one, not any of the action cues. Open your ears. One may argue that criticism can only cover what is available (less popular scores not being easily found on CD - "I only have CT, The Rock and Broken Arrow."), well then go watch the movie instead (if you can). I don't have many pre-80s titles in my collection, but that doesn't mean I dislike them not even having heard them yet. I just haven't had much access or opportunity to appreciate them yet. I look forward to discovering good music, from whichever period it was composed... classical music... scores - contemporary classical music. Good music is good music. That is how I interpret my appreciation.

Sir, the private believes that anything further he will say will only get him into more trouble, sir! By the way, what exactly does it mean to "whinge?" -Jeff Bond

We just saw Annie Hall in a revival theater last night where Woody starts the movie telling the old joke of two old Jewish ladies at some restaurant retreat: First lady: "The food at this restaurant is terrible!" Second lady: "Yes, and such small portions!"

I don't know what that has to do with this--maybe how certain people slam Zimmer and then buy all his CDs. The movie he is doing that I'm really looking forward to is The Thin Red Line for Terrence Malick. Let's hope that doesn't sound like The Rock! (I'm sure it won't.) The Zimmer scores I like are things like Rain Man, Driving Miss Daisy, and I'll Do Anything (an album no one heard). The scores I've had problems with are the big action ones where it sounds like Morricone meets this synthesized assault. I have a prediction that that style, however, will go out of favor faster than we think, and then we'll look back at scores like Crimson Tide and either think "How cool!" (like I do with Dirty Harry) or "Ugh!" (like I do with most of Maurice Jarre's synthesizer-only scores). -Lukas Kendall

Well, this has been an especially incoherent installment. If you have any comments, write us! MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com