More than 1,000 movies and TV shows feature Wagner on their soundtracks, yoking him to all manner of marching armies, swashbuckling heroes, and scheming evildoers. The composer has infiltrated every phase of movie history, from silent pictures to contemporary blockbusters, and his master array of archetypes lurks behind the fantasy and superhero narratives that hold sway in Hollywood today. However, his fraught legacy has led to contradictory associations: filmmakers have had trouble deciding wh