Why are people here saying that Hans Zimmer should have scored "Red Dragon"?

Yes, so Zimmer did a lovely job on "Hannibal", I entirely agree. But why references to "Hannibal"? I think people are missing the point of film music...

Film music is there to heighten and enhance a film. That's A film. Not "a series of films". A film.

"Red Dragon" and "Hannibal" are completely different books. The first is an intense crime investigation with the beauty and depths of the Dolarhyde character. "Hannibal" is a gore fest in the beauty of Florence. There should be no comparisons between the two, as they are completely different genres, even if the main character in "Hannibal" has a minor cameo in "Red Dragon".

So we get to the film versions... Michael Mann's "Manhunter" is on interpretation of Harris' "Red Dragon" which took out all fantasy and horror elements leaving a hard faced crime investigation, and the synthesised eighties score fitted it perfectly.

Ridley Scott's "Hannibal" was a visually stunning piece of art, and very beautiful to look at, and Hans Zimmer's beautiful score went with it well.

Brett Ratner's version of "Red Dragon" is more of a tense horror approach to Harris' book. A completely different film stylistically to "Hannibal". And, although I have yet to see the new film, I am pretty damn certain that Danny Elfman's score fits it brilliantly.

I also can not see Has Zimmer scoring this type of film successfully.

Just because Hans Zimmer did good music for one film doesn't mean he can do the same for another completely seperate film which is in a completely different style, and anyone who states the opposite is ignorant of how film music works altogether.

Okay, finished.

Blue Sky

> And, although I have yet to see the new film, I am
> pretty damn certain that Danny Elfman's score fits it brilliantly.

> I also can not see Has Zimmer scoring this type of film successfully.

You said it yourself, you haven't seen the movie. So, your comments are based on what?
bc

> You said it yourself, you haven't seen the movie. So, your comments are
> based on what?
bc

My comments are based on knowing what the film is and the look of the film was the clips and trailers I have seen, as well as the many reviews of the film I have got from websites, articles, and friends. This film is NOT a film about the beauty of Florence...it's a suspenseful criminal investigation / horror fantasy film.

Plus I *know* that Elfman always gets exactly the right atmosphere and tone to fit the films he scores, and many Elfmaniacs have cited "Dragon" as being possibly his best "music within the film" score.

Anyway, the point of my post wasn't to pretend that the music was brilliant for the film when I haven't even seen it myself, it was to merely point out that "Red Dragon" and "Hannibal" are completely seperate films in two different genres, so why all the "Hans Zimmer should have written the music for it!". If people are going to start saying things like that then when "Hannibal" came out you could have said, "Why did Hans Zimmer do the music to this?! Howard Shore should have done it!". That argument is just as ridiculous. "Should" is a stupid word. Howard Shore "should" have done "Hannibal" as much as Hans Zimmer "should" have done "Red Dragon". They're different films, in different styles, with different directors and different atmospheres needed.

That was the point of my post. Stop "should"-ing and appreciate the music as it fits in the film.

Which is what I'm going to do when I see it next weekend.

Blue Sky

I quote:

"the point of my post wasn't to pretend that the music was brilliant for the film when I haven't even seen it myself"

and:

"I have yet to see the new film, and I am pretty damn certain that Danny Elfman's score fits it brilliantly."

...a little inconsistent maybe? Now who's talkin a load of ? Self-contradicting people such as you make me laugh my ass off!

Wow, this was a long time ago...

Well, what I *meant* to say was, "I can't say for certain that the music will work well in the film (because I haven't seen it), but knowing Elfman, I'm sure it WILL".

And of course, I have seen the film now, and anyone else who's seen it will indeed know that Elfman captured the mood and tone of it beautifully (as he always does) and that his score for it is absolutely superb. No-one could have done better.

So saying, I don't listen to the soundtrack of "Red Dragon" that often; as stand alone music I admit it doesn't hold up the interest. But remember that it is FILM MUSIC, and is supposed to be for the film - full stop. Elfman doesn't try to do a Williams style "make sure the music will be listenable on the CD even if that means that it doesn't *quite* fit the images on the screen in the film" attitude.

Blue Sky

PS I was quite disappointed to discover recently that all of the best music in "Hannibal" wasn't actually composed by Zimmer at all... Shame, really...

While I was watchin RD in the theatre I thought the music suited it and helped the mood. However, listening to clips separately on this site, I doubt I would buy the soundtrack. True, the first prioroty should be to serve the film rather than the commercial album, but I think really really good soundtrack music works both ways. A loud chord or short set of notes will make someone jump or feel something in reaction, but a further step from that is to make a well polished piece of good music, and film composers shouldn't give in to the temptation to hold back just because they have images and dialogue to accompany it. Though, granted the time factor, that may be what they simply have to do sometimes (e.g. Zimmer on Pearl Harbour).