The Score Auteur: Hans Zimmer

Many film composers have a style that is easy to recognize: Jonny Greenwood is known for dissident strings, erratic percussion, and unsettling rhythms, while Trent Reznor is known for being minimal, cold, and distant. Hans Zimmer, by contrast, may be one of the most wellknown and prolific composers in the world (he even performed at the 2017 Coachella Music Festival), but his style can be rather difficult to pinpoint. Sure, he has his fair share of trademarks for example, the sound of ticking serves as an aural motif in films like The Thin Red Line, Interstellar, and Dunkirk. And his big, driving percussion shows up in everything from Christopher Nolans Inception and The Dark Knight to Michael Bays The Rock. But what really earns Zimmer the crown of auteur is his approach to composing. A more traditional composer might approach a film with the simple intent of enhancing its emotional impact. A happy scene would get happy music to make us feel happy. A sad scene would feature sad music to make us feel sa