For the 2009 'Sherlock Holmes' film, composer Hans Zimmer wanted to move away from the 'polite' Victorian sounds of previous adaptations. He chose the hammered dulcimer—a stringed instrument struck with small mallets—as the lead voice for the legendary detective. Zimmer also utilized a 'broken' piano that he bought for $200 and intentionally mistreated to get a gritty, detuned sound. The hammered dulcimer provided a frantic, intellectual energy that mirrored Robert Downey Jr.’s hyper-active portrayal of Holmes. This choice made the legendary character feel more like a bohemian street fighter than a stiff academic. It remains a prime example of how an instrument’s 'color' can modernize a movie legend, making a 19th-century character feel fresh and dangerous for a 21st-century audience.