The tone of War has shifted dramatically from Dawn. We are now in a darker, more challenging place as we witness Caesar’s unspeakable loss. This mythic character, who has been patient for so long, now begins to struggle with his “humanity” as he embarks on seeking revenge. It is extremely heartbreaking to watch this journey. I believe that behind anger lies sadness, and the ability to skate between the two emotions and not allow yourself to be driven by the anger is something we all strive to avoid in our life. How does someone get passed such an extremely painful loss? I tried to express that emotion by allowing the music to explore these ideas.

Something to listen for: The stainless steel mixing bowls that percussionist Emil Richards used on the original Planet of the Apes score by Jerry Goldsmith on the “Don’t Luca Now” cue.