The Dark Knight Batman's Theme Music in TDK

[_achilles_]

Extended edition soundtrack

its not on the extended soundtrack you hosted , it's only in that 10 minute preview clip

 

[Gianakin_]

Ah, you were talking about the preview, sorry!

 

[chamber-music]

Holy christ, Hans Zimmer is one of the best composers of all time. What is his background? Mercy...

Two words Spider-Pig

 

[Gianakin_]

The one that does whatever a spider-pig does?
That was a good score for the Simpsons.

 

[_achilles_]

Gianakin_ can you maybe please rip the end theme from the 10 minute preview ?

 

[Gianakin_]

I'll try, I'll have to download it first. Give me some time and I'll see what I can do, ok?

 

[dark_b]

how has batman not earned his theme? he saved gotham at the expense of his family home, his potential relationship with rachel, and his own well-being. what else does he have to do? cure cancer?

who said that zimmer talked about BB's story.
who said that zimmer talked about how bruce didnt earned hes theme?

IMO zimmer meant that BB was an origin and batman begins in the last minute of BB.
so he will be 100% batman in TDK and thats why he will get hes own finished theme in TDK.

 

[up2nogood316]

Long time lurker here, but its time i joined...

In my opinion his main theme will be a combination of most of the well known musical snippets heard throughout batman begins, but im guessing the nearest thing that we have (right now) to his actual theme is a cross between Molossus and some music near the end of the credits.

just listen to Molossus from 2:33 until 2:52.. short but its so good, surely thats what zimmers going to be working with for this 'earnt theme' .. hell id be happy if he just repeated that over and over lol t:

 

[Gianakin_]

Welcome!
I think that his theme will be close to what you said, but I also believe he'll insert new cues to make it evolve. I'm always hoping for something more iconic than BB's theme (but, the soundtrack, on the whole, was superb IMO).

 

[up2nogood316]

thanks! Yea i agree that it'l hopefully be based on that, but he'l add things to improve it further!.. I found the OST to suit the begins world really well throughout the entire film. Im not knocking the elfman theme, thats like one of the best sound tracks EVER but when it comes to the begins world and the music used with it, i think they did a superb job too.

Along with the Molossus bit i said about have a listen to the end credits.. from the start until around 1.25, and also from 6.57 until the end, could be elements from the theme also?

 

[Gianakin_]

My personal hope is that they play with the piee of music that can be heard when Bruce opens the vault that contains the suit, after Rachel gives him his birthday present and goes to Arkham. That is one helluva piece of music.

 

[up2nogood316]

is that on the OST? or is that only found during the film itself, i know theres a few songs they kept off the soundtrack cd for some reason!?..

 

[Gianakin_]

It's only in the movie, it's not even on the extended ost...

 

[El Payaso]

how has batman not earned his theme? he saved gotham at the expense of his family home, his potential relationship with rachel, and his own well-being. what else does he have to do? cure cancer?

So, when you save a city they give you.... a musical theme???

Characters don't "earn" music man.

The first one he wasn't already established as Batman, it was an origin film, it was only at the end where he really was recognized. So thus the abscence of a theme for him. You can expect one in TDK.

There WAS a theme for Batman in BB.

Zimmer does make sense. Batman hadn't really earned the right to have a theme in the first film.

And yet he had one.

 

[Seibei]

So, when you save a city they give you.... a musical theme???

Characters don't "earn" music man.

Actually, they do. It's been a common musical tool, especially in opera, for hundreds of years. Where by character's are given a theme and that theme is slowly developed over the course of the composition reaching it's fullest potential when the hero accomplishes his task.

 

[Hole Shot]

This is the first time I've opened this thread and I can't believe people are actually debating this. They're building a hero and choosing to develop his theme music with him, how often does the composer actually take a role in character development - it's a different and unique idea ....SO LET'S TRASH IT BECAUSE WE'RE SUPERFICIAL COMIC BOOK FANS AND CAN'T LET GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, I thought I read Zimmer saying there were hints of his theme in Begins. I'm not sure what the name of the track is on the official soundtrack, but it's track 13 on the expanded soundtrack (bootleg) and if I had to guess I think right about :40 of track 13 is what I think is developing to his theme.

 

[El Payaso]

Actually, they do. It's been a common musical tool, especially in opera, for hundreds of years. Where by character's are given a theme and that theme is slowly developed over the course of the composition reaching it's fullest potential when the hero accomplishes his task.

Composers give characters a theme that is developed... but characters don't earn them after saving a city or something like that. Not to mention that... once again... Nolan's Batman already has a theme. They just wanted to change it.

 

[Alonsovich]

Composers give characters a theme that is developed... but characters don't earn them after saving a city or something like that. Not to mention that... once again... Nolan's Batman already has a theme. They just wanted to change it.

Actually Seibei has a very good point. If you look closely at classical masterworks like Wagner's operas, Brahms or Beethoven's symphonies... most of them are made with only a pair of motives that combined can be developed into 100 different themes and all with the same origin thanks to techniques like inversion, retrogradation, or even with small rythmical cells formed by as little as two notes can be developed to huge themes. Normally film music composers are clasically trained and use these type of techniques, so it wouldn't be strange that Zimmer could form an entirely new theme with the seeds of his motives for BB. A very little known fact is that Elliot Goldenthal's theme for the Schumacher movies was actually a variation on the rythmical structure of Elfman's theme, only as a little example. It's very possible and likely that Zimmer could do something new with the seeds he himself created.

 

[El Payaso]

Actually Seibei has a very good point. If you look closely at classical masterworks like Wagner's operas, Brahms or Beethoven's symphonies... most of them are made with only a pair of motives that combined can be developed into 100 different themes and all with the same origin thanks to techniques like inversion, retrogradation, or even with small rythmical cells formed by as little as two notes can be developed to huge themes. Normally film music composers are clasically trained and use these type of techniques, so it wouldn't be strange that Zimmer could form an entirely new theme with the seeds of his motives for BB. A very little known fact is that Elliot Goldenthal's theme for the Schumacher movies was actually a variation on the rythmical structure of Elfman's theme, only as a little example. It's very possible and likely that Zimmer could do something new with the seeds he himself created.

If he's going to develop the Batman theme more yahoo.

It's not like there wasn't a Batman theme b/c he hadn't "earned" it.

 

[Maggotx9]

i still cant beilieve that this new batman has a new film out there and still he doesnt have a new theme...i mean c´mon wtf!!they should have made him a new theme with the new movie!

 

[Hole Shot]

If he's going to develop the Batman theme more yahoo.

It's not like there wasn't a Batman theme b/c he hadn't "earned" it.

But what in BB was the theme? The movie didn't really have the standard opening credits sequence to offer us a theme. There's no specific track that comes to mind when I see him on screen.

I don't think the argument that this is just an excuse to make a new theme really flies based on what Zimmer produced.

 

[Jerry!]

Its not about "earning" really, that was a bad choice of words. Its more about development of the Batman character.

 

[El Payaso]

But what in BB was the theme?

You can find it in "Molossus" in the soundtrack. Then again, you can find it in many places in the movie - like in the Tumbler chase, after Batman said the "it's not who I am underneath", when the Waynes are killed and right before Batman jumps off the buolding in the last scene, in many different moods and tones every time - just like any main theme of any movie.

The movie didn't really have the standard opening credits sequence to offer us a theme.

The movie not having an opening sequence is another totally different matter.

A movie doesn't need an opening sequence to have a main theme.

Please don't come with some "Batman hadn't earned an opening sequence" stuff.

There's no specific track that comes to mind when I see him on screen.

Molossus is the track you're looking for.

I don't think the argument that this is just an excuse to make a new theme really flies based on what Zimmer produced.

Zimmer produced a theme for Batman on BB. Now he's producing - apparently - another different theme. Somehow, instead of just changing the theme, he's offering a really odd "explanation" for this decision.

Its not about "earning" really, that was a bad choice of words. Its more about development of the Batman character.

It really was a bad choice. The development thing I can buy it.

 

[Bright Knight]

To be honest, i think Molossus is quite poor.

I liked the Zimmer score... I really did. But as i've said before, the Elfman score for the 89 film is iconic. Play that to ANYONE and they could tell you where it's from.... The same cannot be said for Begins...

I hate to say this, especially since I do appreciate Zimmer's score... But Even Forever had more memorable music... Tying Kiss from a Rose by Seal and Hold me Thrill me by U2 made it a really memorable soundtrack, as well as the fact that the score at least has a discernable batman "theme", both of which Begins lacked.

 

[Jerry!]

It also dated the **** out of those movies. Just like Prince did for B89.