THE DARK KNIGHT
US, 2008, 152 minutes, Colour.
Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Chin Han, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall.
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Year by year, the stakes rise higher and higher for quality craft in plot and writing, in creating characters, in stunt work and effects and excellence in cinematography in the film versions of comic book heroes. In many ways, versions of Batman have led the way, from Bob Kane’s original comics, through the comedy television series in the 1960s to Tim Burton’s breakthrough into darker and deeper waters with Michael Keaton in Batman of 1989. Burton did it again with Batman Returns. When Joel Schumacher took over during the 1990s, he painted the stories with brighter colours with more caricature villains and tried out Val Kilmer and George Clooney as Batman. The audiences tended to dwindle. The end of Batman?
Christopher Nolan declared a resounding no with Batman Begins in 2005. He took the Batman story very seriously and created a narrative of how Bruce Wayne become the warrior that he is, his training in Asia and his return to Gotham City to combat evil. With Christian Bale as the hero, he created a Batman that was a tormented man, a loner who, as Batman, was his freer self but, as Bruce Wayne, wore the mask of the idle playboy. Critics and fans appreciated the totally serious treatment, its strong writing and performances by a distinguished cast. This was raising Batman from pop art to popular art.
Could Nolan repeat or even better his Batman Begins? It looks as though he has – and the initial box-office success combined with critical favour.
A recommendation. If it is possible to see the film on an Imax screen, this is best. Nolan filmed some of the action sequences with Imax lenses and they look spectacular as do the city vistas of Chicago and Hong Kong.
This Batman story is even more serious than Batman Begins. Nolan wrote the story with David S. Goyer (the Blade series) and has shared the writing credit as before with his brother Jonathan. Bruce Wayne is even now more tormented. In his fight to free Gotham City, he has become branded as a vigilante and the police have been urged to arrest Batman. Batman has a set of rules about the use of violence and sees himself as a saviour rather than a vigilante. His two advisers, his butler Alfred, played again by the effectively never-changing Michael Caine, and his Board chief, the inventor, Lucius Fox, played with his customary gravitas by Morgan Freeman, try to help him to see what he must do and where he must set limits.
As the film opens (with a bank robbery and the revelation that Mob interests and their Chinese connections are controlling the city), we find that police chief, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman becoming something of a screen elder statesman) has been collaborating with Batman to target the mob (led by Eric Roberts). However, the new DA, Harvey Dent (a quite charismatic Aaron Ekhart) is courageous in confronting the gangsters and is aided by Bruce Wayne’s former girlfriend, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gylenhaal). Hundreds of criminals are imprisoned. Will Bruce Wayne at last be able to give up his costume, cape and mask as he says he wants? Or, will he, as Rachel tells him, continue to need to be Batman?
No easy answers because a new criminal mind appears in Gotham, the Joker. He is not a sinister pantomime villain as Jack Nicholson portrayed him in 1989. Rather, he is a madly menacing psychopath and sociopath, played with an unsettling blend of realism and surrealism by the late Heath Ledger. He makes a tremendous impact in this unpredictable characterisation, mad of appearance with his caked whiteface, smeared red lips, green stringy hair and unkempt wardrobe, mad of voice in speech and cackle, mad of action with no scruple in killing individuals or whole groups. He is fascinated by Batman and enjoys their confrontations.
Not being in any way expert on Batman characters, I missed the significance of Harvey Dent’s name as he appears as the Gotham hero and so did not make the connection with Two Face (Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever) until a dramatic climax.
As we left the theatre, a colleague asked me what was the moral of this Batman film. With his socialist stances, he was not in favour of a hugely wealthy hero who fought to maintain the American way of life. That is definitely not the case here. Batman is a hero confronting crime and evil. He uses his wealth to help fight crime. But, this time he is attacked as a vigilante. He feels guilty that so many innocent people have been killed because of him. The law has not been able to eradicate crime. He seems to retreat into himself leaving society to try to help itself. This is not the confident American comic book hero of so many films. The present Batman is not the fulfilment of the American dream.
1.Audience knowledge of Batman? The history from the comics to the 60s television show, from Tim Burton’s films through Joel Schumacher’s? Batman Begins?
2.The popularity of Batman, Christopher Nolan’s interpretation, his origins in the first film, childhood, his training, Asia, return to Gotham City, his mission? His double life as Bruce Wayne?
3.The cinematography, the IMAX sequences? Gotham City, Hong Kong, the locations, the beauty of the cityscapes? Sinister? The action sequences, the stunts? The sweeping scope of the film? The atmospheric score?
4.The opening, the bank, the number of Jokers? The bank manager and his reaction? The robbery, the robbers shooting each other? The ironic dialogue? The real Joker as the survivor?
5.The film seen in the context of American heroes? The situation in America in the 21st century and the Bush administration? Heroes and vigilantes? Law and order? The Mob? Foreign investment, the Chinese, eastern European Mobsters? The Joker? A world of crime?
6.Batman seen as a vigilante, taking the law into his own hands, the police wanting to arrest him? His trying to help? The confrontations with the Joker, the set-up? Collaborating with Jim Gordon, the plans to trap the Mob and their money dealings? Batman and Lucius Fox, going to Hong Kong, the abduction of the Chinese accountant, the ascent into the plane? The rounding up of the criminals because of the evidence? The mass group of criminals in court?
7.Bruce Wayne, life in his new home, with Alfred, his manner of dress, the car? Batman and Bruce Wayne as two sides of the same character? Batman working with Jim Gordon but not revealing himself? His love for Rachel, her waiting for him to give up his mask? His ability to do this or not? His social status, going out to meals, the meeting with Harvey and Rachel? His decision to throw a party for Harvey Dent’s campaign?
8.The Mob, the group, Salvatore Maroni as the leader? The multinational group? The deaths, the money, the witnesses? Using the Joker? His imposing himself on them? The elimination of the judge, the commissioner, the threat to the mayor? Batman confronting the Mob, Maroni and his reliance on the Joker, his death? The Joker and his burning the Mob’s money?
9.Jim Gordon as a character, serious-minded, his work? His collaboration with Harvey Dent? His family, the confrontations with the Mob? His seeming death? Becoming commissioner? Protecting his family and reappearing? His wife and son? His collaboration with Batman to rescue Rachel and Dent? His being too late to rescue Rachel? Dent getting his revenge, abducting his family, the scenes where he pleaded for their lives? Batman coming to the rescue?
10.Rachel and her work, her love for Harvey Dent, the discussions with Bruce, her work against the criminals, the note for Bruce, given to Alfred? Her being abducted, tied to the gasoline, talking to Harvey before her death, the shock of her death?
11.Lucius Fox, his place on the board, his integrity, going to Hong Kong, the good advice about the illegality of the deals, his inventions, the surveillance at the end, his ethical principles, his walking away?
12.Alfred, his assisting Bruce, advice, their discussions? Rachel and the note, his not giving it to Bruce?
13.The Joker, Heath Ledger’s performance and praise for it? His appearance, his clothes, his face and the makeup, the red gash, his hair? His manner of talking, swallowing, his sliced mouth? The story about his father slicing his mouth, the story about his wife? The nature of his madness? Violence, wanting power? The robbing of the bank, his dealings with the Mob? Burning the money? The killing of the judge, the notes, the commissioner? His plans, the meeting with Batman? Taking Rachel and Harvey Dent? The explosions? The hospital, the evacuation, his appearing as a nurse, setting off more explosions? The final confrontation? Batman and the Joker as two sides of a character of good and evil? Evil and madness?
14.Harvey Dent, his work in Internal Affairs, his campaign, promises to the city, his becoming the DA, relationship with the mayor, the commissioner? His relationship with Rachel, her working for him? The meal and meeting Bruce Wayne? Jim Gordon’s suspicions, collaborating with him? The arrests? Bruce throwing the campaign party for him? The threats, his taking on the responsibility, the press conference and saying that he was Batman? His imprisonment? His being freed, abducted? The final talk to Rachel – and his survival and her death?
15.Dent’s injuries, his becoming Two -Face? Motivated by revenge, the change of personality, his plan to avenge himself with killing Jim Gordon’s wife and children? The confrontation on the docks? Batman intervening? His death?
16.The press conference, Bruce and his willingness to identify himself?
17.The accountant, with Lucius Fox, the audit, discovering the truth about Bruce Wayne? Going to the television, the advertising, the promotion of the program revealing Batman’s identity? The Joker not wanting this? Wanting Batman anonymous? His threats? Bruce in his car, crashing, saving the accountant – but indicating that he keep quiet?
18.The corrupt police, giving information, the Joker using them, the van, the woman who betrayed because of her ill mother?
19.The hospital, the evacuation, the search for Harvey Dent, the Joker’s presence, disguised as a nurse, the explosions?
20.The ending and its uncertainty, Jim Gordon and the police hunting Batman as a vigilante? The unexpectedness of so many deaths? Lucius Fox’s departure? Alfred and Bruce Wayne in retreat? Law and order and the possibilities – but people unable to control crime?
21.The film’s attitudes towards law and order, the vigilantes? The state of American politics in 2008?
