Wes Anderson's 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' features an Oscar-winning score by Alexandre Desplat that used several rare Central European instruments. One of the most unique was the Marxophone, a fretless zither with a specialized keyboard that bounces metal hammers onto the strings. This produces a mandolin-like tremolo. The Marxophone’s mechanical, antique sound perfectly matched the film's 'dollhouse' aesthetic and the legendary performance of Ralph Fiennes. Desplat avoided traditional orchestral strings entirely, opting instead for a mix of Marxophones, balalaikas, and cimbaloms. This gave the film a whimsical, 'folklore' quality that became a cinematic legend in its own right. The instrument's inclusion showed how obscure, turn-of-the-century technology can be used to build a meticulously detailed movie world.