# What makes Hans Zimmer-Christopher Nolan movies so special? And other great duos?



## stirandfry (Jan 2, 2023)

Hi all! I made a little video reflecting on the special qualities of the six films (so far!) made with Hans Zimmer composing and Christopher Nolan directing. Would love to hear what you guys think. Anything I've missed? I'm sure there is! Thinking of turning this into a little series about the great director-composer duos. Any you'd like to see? High on my list are Williams-Spielberg, Elfman-Burton, Hurwitz-Chazelle, (Nate and Marielle) Heller and Reznor-Fincher.


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## JJP (Jan 2, 2023)

Other suggestions:
Sam Mendes and Thomas Newman
The Coen Brothers and Carter Burwell


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## ed buller (Jan 2, 2023)

Hermann & Hitchcock
Curtiz & Korngold
Goldsmith & Verhoeven
Lean & Jarre

Best

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## pbobcat (Jan 2, 2023)

Not that well-known, but my favourite is Kieslowski/Preisner.



Preisner's Lacrimosa, written as part of a tribute to Kieslowski a few years after his death, was used to great effect in Mallick's Tree of Life.

Edited: previous link not working!


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## patrick76 (Jan 2, 2023)

Shyamalan/Newton Howard


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## The Retroblueman (Jan 2, 2023)

Let's not forget Hans' work with the Scott brothers!


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## BenG (Jan 2, 2023)

Like the idea of exploring duos! Some others;

1. Michael Abels - Jordan Peele
2. Johnny Greenwood - PT Anderson
3. Michael Giacchino - JJ Abrams
4. Theodore Shapiro - Ben Stiller/Paul Feig
5. Alan Silvestri - Robert Zemeckis


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## KEM (Jan 2, 2023)

The only thing that will ever beat Nolan/Zimmer is Nolan/Göransson


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## RogiervG (Jan 3, 2023)

John Williams & Steven Spielberg


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## Pier (Jan 3, 2023)

The Retroblueman said:


> Let's not forget Hans' work with the Scott brothers!


Also Harry Gregson Williams.


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## nolotrippen (Jan 3, 2023)

Barry and Bond


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## signalpath (Jan 3, 2023)

Wojciech Kilar and Roman Polanski: _The Ninth Gate_ (1999) and _The Pianist_ (2002).


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## Markrs (Jan 3, 2023)

@stirandfry Great work on the video, really enjoyed it!

Another pairing is Darren Aronofsky and Clint Mansell


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## telecode101 (Jan 3, 2023)

Lynch & Badalamenti 









Blue Velvet (film) - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org












Wild at Heart (film) - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org












Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org












Lost Highway (film) - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org












Mulholland Drive (film) - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org





List goes on and on .

I think they more than anyone contribute a unique body of distinct American cinema that competes with modern Euro cinema for what can be considered art cinema that is detached from Hollywood/Disney/Netflix commercial money making cinema.


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## storyteller (Jan 3, 2023)

Horner/Cameron

Not sure you could have two of the highest grossing movies of all time without this combo.


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## The Retroblueman (Jan 3, 2023)

storyteller said:


> Horner/Cameron
> 
> Not sure you could have two of the highest grossing movies of all time without this combo.


Was literally just about to post that one - well, in the spirit of my post above - there's also Cameron/Fiedel


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## sundrowned (Jan 3, 2023)

Moriccone/Leone


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## Niah2 (Jan 3, 2023)

You guys have forgot to mention Quentin Tarantino and...err...various artists :D 


No but seriously:

David Cronenberg/Howard Shore (I believe shore has scored all of Cronenberg's films)

Also,

David Fincher/Howard Shore (I know David Fincher has used other composers as well with excellent results but I really love when he has collaborated with shore in the past like with se7en, The Game, Panic Room.


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## BenG (Jan 3, 2023)

Niah2 said:


> You guys have forgot to mention Quentin Tarantino and...err...various artists :D


Pretty sure Scorsese also loved working with ‘various artists’ too… Another great duo 🤣


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## Robin Thompson (Jan 3, 2023)

nolotrippen said:


> Barry and Bond


This is an interesting one because it's really a composer-producer duo. I wonder what it was like for new directors to work with Barry on later entries. Was Barry receptive to new ideas or was he more "get out of my way son I know how to do this"?


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## NekujaK (Jan 3, 2023)

Clint Eastwood and Lennie Niehaus (at least 14 films together).


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## NekujaK (Jan 3, 2023)

John Carpenter and John Carpenter
Charlie Chaplin and Charlie Chaplin


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## NekujaK (Jan 4, 2023)

Oh, and of course Godfrey Reggio and Philip Glass. The music and the visuals are so tightly intertwined, it's hard to imagine one without the other.


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## nolotrippen (Jan 4, 2023)

Robin Thompson said:


> This is an interesting one because it's really a composer-producer duo. I wonder what it was like for new directors to work with Barry on later entries. Was Barry receptive to new ideas or was he more "get out of my way son I know how to do this"?


He did a number. of movies for Bryan Forbes, all very different (Deadfall and The Wrong Box for example) as well as Richard Lester (The Knack, Petulia). I think Forbes let him have his way while Lester rather got in the way (didn't even want him to score Robin and Marion but the producer intervened). Here's a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2574865769


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## nolotrippen (Jan 4, 2023)

NekujaK said:


> John Carpenter and John Carpenter
> Charlie Chaplin and Charlie Chaplin


Don't forget Chaplin had a LOT of help (David Raksin for example) as he couldn't play anything or read/write music.


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## Crowe (Jan 4, 2023)

I'd say 'Tim Burton and Danny Elfman' is my favorite duo, with 'Nolan and Zimmer' a close second.


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## stirandfry (Today at 8:17 AM)

Markrs said:


> @stirandfry Great work on the video, really enjoyed it!
> 
> Another pairing is Darren Aronofsky and Clint Mansell


Thank you! Ah of course, great shout!


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## stirandfry (Today at 8:18 AM)

BenG said:


> Like the idea of exploring duos! Some others;
> 
> 1. Michael Abels - Jordan Peele
> 2. Johnny Greenwood - PT Anderson
> ...


All great suggestions! Yes Abels and Peele is fast becoming one of my favourites working today.


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