The Unforgettable Musical Experience of Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert.

 

Esta nota se encuentra participando en El Desafío de Peliplat Abril 2025 y por tanto puedes apoyarme con un like ingresando https://www.peliplat.com/es/article/10050638/the-unforgettable-musical-experience-of-hans-zimmer-friends-diamond-in-the-desert

In the beginning, there was nothing but dust in “A Time of Quiet Between the Storms” and then music happened transforming this desolated desert into an oasis full of life, fresh emotion and abundant creativity.

Introduction

A few days ago, I had the privilege to assist to one of only four limited screenings of the Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert documentary concert and it was truly an unforgettable cinematic experience that I will always cherished for the rest of my life.

I have been a Hans Zimmer’s follower since I was a child, of which I became aware of this living genius with The Dark Knight Trilogy score, and since then, every time I read a book or write a text, I usually put his music in the background for inspiration because there is so much human feelings in his melodies that magic happens.

I have listened to almost all of his film scores, even replay them through time, so I am quite familiar with his work and I can easily recognize which song corresponds to which movie. That is why when I heard about his latest documentary concert being screened on my city, I did not hesitate to buy tickets in advance so I wouldn’t miss the show since we are talking about 2 screenings for each part of the world. Really?

So it is not a film that you would find in a theater near you, specially right now, and that is sad because there is so much that you can learn about Zimmer’s career, and having special guests asking relevant questions and sharing their insights really makes you think seriously about his and our personal growth. At the same time, it also inspires us to fully embrace life from the darkness and light within ourselves.

Maximus's quote about “What we do in life, echoes in eternity” can easily be applied to Hans Zimmer. That is why this living genius is a huge deal on a personal level, beyond the film industry. As he himself said it during the interview segments, he does not work for directors, producers or writers. He makes music for people like us, people who goes to the movies hoping to have a good time, and he delivers regardless of whether the movie is a box office success or a failure.

Therefore, I am going to go over and analyze this feature with both my mind and my heart, and I will do so by breaking down each section to address each one individually. Forgive me if I go on too long, but believe me when I say it's necessary. But first, I must clarify that I will only mention the highlights, since it is no longer available to rewatch, I will rely on my memory to provide justice to the material because every minute of its two and a half hours is worth it.

Structure

For those who don’t know Hans Zimmer, nowadays, it is consider almost an equal to John Williams, except that Zimmer is recognized for combining electronic music with traditional orchestra and giving new uses to the voice vocals through a variety of synthesizers. For that reason, he was awarded 2 Academy Awards for Film Score, 1 BAFTA, 2 Critics Choice Movie Awards, 3 Golden Globes, 4 Grammy Awards, 6 Prime Time Awards and a Tony Award.

Probably you have listened to his work, it is impossible not to after working on more than 100 movie scores. Even if you don’t know his name, you will always remember that moment that touched your soul. And with three or four notes, you are instantly transported to the scene when Mufasa was killed by Scar or where Maximus revealed his true identity to the Emperor after his epic battle in the Colosseum.

This happens in our minds without the need of movie scenes as he decided not no include on his concerts. We just connect to the feeling and we replay our favorite parts of those events with or without the need of imagination. That is how the Diamond in the Desert was structured, not as a traditional concert where we only see the conductor leading an orchestra but instead there is a coordinator giving directions to each of his valued members, because they are simply the best of the best and they prove it by playing together.

He even commented that it is not about playing well, but rather getting along with your colleagues. It all comes down to good relationships, and it is easy to spot it during the presentantion thanks to the inclusion of an interview every two or three songs. In addition to calming emotions as one gets sentimental. To say that one can also relax and even laugh with some unexpected revelations.

Editing

As I said it, the editing was unconventional, which it is not only good but also great because it looks and feels frickin' awesome. I am impressed by the direction of Paul Dugdale and his editing and sound mixing team. Mr. Zimmer decided to film some of his suites in different locations, and through editing, they managed to merge these two places from different eras and make them sound like one, which ended up hitting our minds in an unexpected way. Making reference to the Dark Knight and Gladiator’s medleys, obviously.

Seeing each of the core musicians shine, alone or together, in different settings and lighting effects shows us how hard they work to deliver a truly spectacular performance. Therefore, it is important to show my respects to Cellist Tina Guo who steals the show with her Wonder Woman and Pirates of the Caribbean’s portrayals, and my total amazement at those crazy and long notes from Guitarist Guthrie Govan during his Man of Steel solo. What a moment! and of course it is impossible to forget Vocalist Loire Cotler for putting her voice on the line on Dune part I and Part II numbers!

It is a nice balance to have the interviews on black and white, sort of “filmed” from a cell phone. Here we don’t see them in a 16:9 Widescreen, but instead in Format 4:3, which I believe was the first standard format for television and computers. It helps us relax and focus on the simplicity and at the same time intimate moments between Zimmer and his guests. Thus, we can truly hear them unveil their musical collaboration. We also get a glimpse into Zimmer’s creative process behind these epic songs.

Interviews

It is great to hear Zimmer’s conversations with Billie Eilish, Sir Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, Finneas, Jerry Bruckheimer, Johnny Marr, Pharrell Williams, Tanya Lapointe, Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. If I had to choose my favorite: I would probably go with Christopher Nolan for his best work on Interstellar, because it became a real challenge for Zimmer to compose something so personal and to do it without seeing the movie.

He also confesses that Nolan once unplugged his console to convince him that enough was enough after thanking his team. “I need it a father” Zimmer replied sincerely, revealing the importance of delivering his best work to date every time he works on a film. No matter his long list of hits, Zimmer remains a humbled man, even if he refuses to admit it.

It was very moving listening to Billie Eilish reveal how helpful Zimmer was during their collaboration on 007: No Time to Die, where she and his brother learned a lot about the movie industry. Speaking of those people how think they know it all, but they are actually limited by the past due to their rejection of the future. To create new music, one must unlearn everything that have learned.

My biggest surprise was Timothée Chalamet. After learning of his involvement in Interstellar, I thought it was great that Zimmer acknowledged that they had both worked with directors Nolan and Villeneuve, and explaining the effort they put on Dune’s films regarding the timing was indeed very interesting to hear. As they perfectly understands the creative process that it is required in order to transmit what needs to be transmitted between takes. Chalamet is not only well informed, but he prepares for each of his roles, doing so with Zimmer’s music to really get into character.

This is something that I shared with this young actor, because Zimmer’s songs are really helpful in my writing process. What better way to develop a character’s personality or get inspiration for a scene? The same goes for Zendaya, who explained how The Lion King inspired her to pursue acting. But the biggest revelation, at least for me, was discovering that musicians Pharrell Williams and Johnny Marr were responsible for pushing Zimmer to become a rock star.

It is all about working together, sharing the moment and above all, creating music. I can relate to every one of their speeches, and I am very aware of the impostor syndrome Zimmer deals with daily. After nearly fifty years of career, he stills feels like that outsider who only took 2 weeks of piano lessons. This speaks very high of him; about how thankful he is about life and his friends.

Admittedly, if Pharrell hadn’t convinced him to be his main guitarist at the Grammys, the ten year journey that led to the Diamond in the Desert tour would never had happened, and therefore instrumental music would never have been fully appreciated or valued on the same level as pop and rock songs does. Truly speaking, this is pure art without egos to overshadow it, and anyone who has had the chance to see this film can clearly appreciate that.

Locations

The use of all areas of the Coca-Cola Arena was excellent, the arrangement of the band and orchestra was perfect. What is curious is that no one stays still, not even for a minute. Everyone is always moving, including Mr. Zimmer, one minute is upstage and next, he is with the audience playing electric guitar. It is beautiful how well he interacts with each participant and also gives them credit for doing what he can’t which is executing the difficult notes, those unreachable accords that we love to hear from the award-winning score of Dune.

Taking advantage of the Dennis’s Dune part II production, Zimmer used the iconic landmark Burj Al Arab for the main intro which was breathtaking to witness on the big screen. How the camera zooms into the dunes as it follows singer Loire Cotler’s raw, soaring voice, was indeed powerful. Once she is reunited with the drummer, one hit and the show grab us without notice. Honestly, I did not expect this! Nobody did.

As for Gladiator’s, he travels to the Arabian Desert to make us feel as if we were there in that moment. This would not be possible if Lisa Gerrard had not been present: hearing her voice while everybody is enjoying the scenery with the art direction was a tearful moment. I did feel like I was being there exactly where Maximus fought and die for a free Rome.

The Al Wasl Plaza dome was perfectly used to shock us internally with Interstellar medley. The lighting effects and witnessing how big and small the composition is perceived around the dome was engaging as it was playing The Dark Knight Trilogy from top of the Dubai building. That and witnessing Zimmer on the piano playing Time, a fan favorite song from Inception. It was a truly intimate moment, perfect for closing the show in a simple and high note.

Setlist

This eventually leads to the setlist that was displayed, and as you noticed through this extensive analysis by now, we are indeed offered the greatest hits from his last 40 years career. To our astonishment he chooses to play Wonder Woman 1984 and Dark Phoenix of which I loved. Both superheroes films flopped at the box office but I can’t deny how rich they felt on a live stage and also how the female musicians are given the spotlight on a huge and empowering level as the score and having the electric cellist was the cherry on top.

Suddenly, three notes and everyone went crazy to the catchy Pirates of the Caribbean tune. It was a nostalgic and dynamic 14 minutes segment that spanned all three films (1-3). According to Jerry Bruckheimer, Zimmer not only rescued the production, but was responsible for turning it into an iconic event that forever will be remember for his fun, sassy and mischievous cords.

I really enjoy Jack Sparrow’s personality reflected in the ever-changing rhythm, but even more so, the smoothness and melancholic love theme, because it reminds me of Will and Elizabeth tragic romance. In a way, it gives me hope that every love story can endure even if they are destined to failure. I believe this and Gladiator’s songs spoke very highly of the band and orchestra by showing us that they are really the best at what they do in a whole international level as Hans Zimmer puts it.

He is all about the truth and we can see it when he pushed them to their limits during the Dunkirk segment. Imagine Inception without a break, that is how the tunes goes, fast and faster every time until it crashes and burns in our minds, and then later, without our permission, they make us revisit our childhood with a blast from the past suite of The Lion King. Has it really been thirty years? It is hard to believe, and knowing it is described as a requiem for Zimmer’s father breaks my heart.

I was seven years old when I watched The Lion King for the first time, and honestly hearing Lebo M singing the beginning of The Circle of Life to the He Lives In You became a tearful and devastated moment. It was like reliving Mufasa’s death all over again but at the same time, regaining hope in myself and in the future of humankind.

In Conclusion

Time stops when you witness the Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert docu-concert feature. Yes, it may be as crazy and chaotic as life itself, but that is the beauty of it: the opportunity to be vulnerable with yourself and your loved ones, to remember everything we have experienced from childhood to adulthood at or outside the movies.

We have so much in common with Hans Zimmer and his friends, including each member of his band and orchestra because this is also their show, and they deserve full credit for what they achieved in each of their live performances. There is nothing they can not do, for them everything is possible and that is why they deserved a tremendous applause.

And the best part is that it was created for people like us, people Hans refers to as Doris. Since his early beginnings, he has been writing to an imaginary and hardworking woman, who, instead of spending all of her money at a bar, she does it by going to a movie theater. Because of this, Zimmer goes to great lengths to reach our hearts and ensure a deep and moving experience, and I am happy to say that, in the end, he truly delivers on his word and specially with his music.