4. The Zimmer Soundtrack
Didn't expect that one, did you? Let's face it, all the Dark Knight Trilogy soundtracks are sublime. Zimmer's relationship with Nolan is a lot like Spielberg's relationship with Williams. Every time they work together, magic happens. Now, when it comes to The Dark Knight Trilogy, things become complicated. The two Dark Knight films are known for having special musical pieces for their primary villains. In TDK, the Joker's consisted of a constant violin solo. It always gave the impression something BIG was about to happen. And almost every time, it did. Other than that, there was the vintage Begins' main chorus theme (the one where the Bats surround Wayne in the cave) and not much else. It was a tremendous soundtrack, but with the Rises composition - more was simply done. In TDKR, the Bane theme (Gotham's Reckoning) was unlike anything we've heard from a Zimmer track. It was mysterious, dark and incredibly intense. The piece always grew as time went on, starting quiet and concealed then expanding to a loud and climatic end. Then there's the chant. Zimmer shows his true genius here. The dead language, those that speak it and the intensity all come together. It becomes a key part of the story and adds to the character of the film. Simply put, it's genius. Not many films have a soundtrack you can just
listen to. To say you can with the Rises track is the greatest kind of compliment. If you don't believe me, listen to
this piece of the track. When it played during the moment Bruce climbed out of the pit, the four years of waiting for Rises had suddenly all been worth it. That's how special it is.