Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert. Director: Paul Dugdale. 158 minutes. Rating: M
I had almost forgotten just how important a soundtrack or score is to the overall success of a film. Then I think back to Gladiator (2000) and the music that helped create the sense of loss, its ethereality and universality, which tugs at the audience as Maximus dies. Of note in this film are the vocals of Australian Lisa Gerrard, those swatches and samples of human sound, of what she calls the music of the heart as it lends an almost otherworldly aspect to the score.
In this excellent documentary we see the avuncular genius Hans Zimmer as he gives us an insight into his creative process. What comes across most crucially is that he believes in the power of collaborative generosity in the way that each of his musicians gets their moment and acclaim. Few artists have such humility – he is not jealous of another’s virtuosity but praises it lavishly and authentically.
The mood on stage is energetic and purposeful with a real sense of the performers as an ensemble gathered together to treat the audience to a musical extravaganza. Camera shots zoom in on the Zimmer and members of his orchestra. We see their hands and faces and their feeling for the music they are producing out of guitar, violin or flute. There is both fabulous spontaneity and wonderful precision in the performances, especially in the thrilling sudden endings. There are grand orchestral passages, electronic wizardry and gentler musical musings.
Zimmer believes that we are all storytellers and the big screen is a medium that tells other versions of the stories of who we are as human beings and our profound connections with each other. Zimmer tells us that his best teacher was failure. He also relies on instinct to draw out the emotion in certain scenes and to subtlety add to the characterisation implicit in the actor’s performance. For example, he saw in Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean the need for cheek and levity in his character and this was echoed in the score at certain points in the film.
Zimmer calls what he does with the integration of electronica and traditional orchestration the addition of audio colour to the cinema experience. He says his job is to aim for either the heart or the feet of the viewer.
This documentary reveals a number of settings especially the Arabian desert and Dubai’s Coca Cola Arena. We see Zimmer and friends having lots of fun on stage and the audience lapping it up. Zimmer was not always touring and it was at the behest of Pharrell Williams (Happy) that these orchestral manoeuvres in the dark came to fruition. Now, this humble gifted man enjoys being on stage – he says he feels like a rock star – and sharing the marvels of the music he has created over the years.
During the documentary we are treated to excerpts from Dune, Inception, Wonder Woman, Interstellar (his personal favourite) The Lion King, Batman, Dunkirk, Dark Phoenix and Gladiator. What I found particularly charming is his imagined audience goer – Doris – who has had a hard day at work. Zimmer imagines her and wants his music to create a two-hour space for her to forget the struggles of the daily grind.
Between the orchestral performances there are interviews, filmed in black and white by way of contrast to the light and sound shows, with directors such as Christopher Nolan and Jerry Bruckheimer and musical and acting artists such as Billie Eilish, Timothy Chalamet and Zendaya. Zimmer reminds us of the collaborative nature of the vision shared between director and composer and how important that is in lending the film another layer of involvement for the viewer.
This documentary, at 158 minutes, is long. However, it gave this reviewer an insight into Zimmer’s creative process and how the right music enhances the cinematic appeal of the film. It’s a sort of magic, a sensory sorcery, which guides and interprets our viewing experience.
My lesson learned is that next time I go to see a film I will be ever more alert to the musical cues, clues and prompts inserted into the visual narrative. This is an aural artform that adds another dimension to the overall appreciation of a film.
Hans Zimmer is the widely acknowledged, enormously liked, prodigious master of the genre. Recommended.