The quote 'Some men just want to watch the world burn' describes the Joker in 'The Dark Knight.' To represent this chaos, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard used the electric cello. Rather than the warm, classical tones of a traditional cello, the electric version was processed through heavy distortion and synthesizers to create a 'razor-blade' sound. The Joker’s theme consists of a single note that slowly rises in pitch and intensity, played by cellist Martin Tillman. This 'rising' sound created an unbearable sense of anxiety in the audience. The instrument became the sonic embodiment of the Joker’s unpredictable violence. This remains a legendary example of how 'corrupting' the sound of a beautiful classical instrument can perfectly support the philosophy of a movie's greatest villain and his most terrifying quotes.