After Spiderman 3, I thought I’d hate another densely packed, content-orgy, comic-book movie. The Dark Knight has about a dozen independent plots orbiting the villainous Joker’s master plan. Each of these little plots could serve as its own episode in the series (Batman going to Hong Kong, copycat vigilantes, etc.), which may be a little off-putting, even in a movie that’s two hours and forty minutes long. I pried myself away from the hype two weeks before the film opened with the understanding that I might hate it. Thankfully, it turned out to be the best superhero movie of all time.
With Batman (Christian Bale) established from the previous film, the way it should be, writer/director Christopher Nolan was able to develop the franchise’s recurring nemesis, Joker (Heath Ledger). Ledger’s performance is so aggressive and unpredictable that you forget it’s him. His voice shifts from high and sneaky to low and terrifying without warning. The prosthetic scarification enhances every emotion, even when Joker stops smiling and says, “I’m not crazy.” Hans Zimmer’s musical theme for the Joker is escalating chaos, complimenting every moment the Joker reveals a little more about his goals.
Nolan went through great lengths to perfect this version of the Joker. For instance, he’ll leave an ironic burning fire truck in the center of a street as a sign that he’s close. It doesn’t seem like anything could beat the razing of the city in Batman Begins, but the Joker’s twisted sense of chaos outdoes the previous film by staging large-scale “social experiments” with the citizens of Gotham. There are few echoes of Ra’s al-Ghul in Joker’s goals (looking to bring out the killer tendencies in Batman and the people of Gotham), but he gets to be much more dangerous. Joker also proves to be a physical match as well, discounting Batman’s indestructibility in the armored suit.
As much as the film concentrates on Joker, it pays more attention to the ill-fated Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Eckhart’s performance leaves a shocking impact with every turn of the character. While it may be obvious where this path leads, the ending is still very surprising. I was not wholly satisfied with the span of the character, but I believe Nolan was attempting to foil our expectations of the ending. Taking this into account, the movie is more satisfying as a complete story. Sadly, there’s little to talk about Eckhart’s performance that won’t give away everything.
Ledger and Eckhart manage to eclipse the performances of both Christian Bale and Gary Oldman, who were the focal characters of Begins. The characterization of Batman gets to be intensely altered by the recent rise in violence, as more “freaks” and even copycat Batmen challenge his authority. Bale gives a sense of desperation to the role of Bruce Wayne, as both his finances and control over the city suffer from his incorruptibility. He’s driven to the edge by the Joker and comes to the realization that he may have to kill him. A common complaint fans will have is Bale’s Batman voice, which is a roar that should be a whisper.
Lt. Gordon (Oldman) remains the grounding character that must manage the relationship between Batman and the police. This time, Gordon starts bending the rules, teaming with Dent and Batman to destroy the mob. This control is compromised by the entrance of the Joker, who only perpetuates the cycle of chaos.
The social issues brought up by the heroic alliance come to question the ethics of the three, who have taken an almost fascist oath to take back the city. As such, Batman comes to lower his own standards, becoming much more violent and aggressive in order to piece together the Joker’s plans. This psychology of the character will no doubt have its fans clamoring over the message the movie sends about Batman’s political views. His existence as a vigilante contradicts his goals of peace-- an irony the Joker obsesses about.
Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan seem to have cut the fat off what David Goyer has given them. The film is streamlined and isn’t dragged down by anything useless. Perhaps that could be deemed a flaw, as it spares no time for people to catch up. You can’t just leave to use the restroom while watching this film (there’s nothing after the credits; I learned that the hard way). Aside from that, The Dark Knight feels like an end-all Batman movie, changing anyone’s concept of the character and franchise, even the readers’.
The film is much darker compared to the other highest grossing movies (even Revenge of the Sith and Return of the King), because it sinks into this dark atmosphere of Gotham and falls deeper into it with no chance of turning back. The climax leaves a promise without a setup, leaving the next installment a mystery at best. Hopefully, he’ll do some detective work next time, but as it stands, The Dark Knight is the definitive story of the hero and the genre.
Poster image @ imdb.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment