Hans Zimmer, What's the Appeal?

[AaronJ]

I probably agree with you that Zimmer doesn't typically create memorable, melodic themes in scores. I disagree that he never does, but I agree that it isn't his typical approach.

But I remember when I had season tickets to the opera for about 6 years and was a giant fan (don't listen as much as I used to anymore -- still a fan, jut not as "devoted"), the disagreements my father and I had over Wagner and especially his Ring Cycle would get fairly intense and extended. In film fan terms, it's like someone who is a giant Bergman fan attempting to convince someone who doesn't like Bergman, or foreign films in general about what a genius he was. I'm a huge fan of the film Last Year at Marienbad by Resnais. And I just accept that there are going to be a lot of people who will never even consider it anything other than self-indulgent, narcissistic silliness. That just means that we approach things with different expectations.

I think Zimmer is absolutely excellent at creating mood, and especially a creating a sense of momentum during particular segments. Others find it just boring. That doesn't mean that either of us is right or wrong. It just means, like I said, we come with different expectations.