While never a huge Batman fan -as in one who read the comics and the graphic novels - I’ve appreciated the vision of Tim Burton, who brought a stylish version of the DC franchise to life back in 1989. And even though Batman Returns was a some what derailing of what he did in the first film, the franchise went off the rails with Batman Forever (due to the horible performance of Jim Carey) and Batman and Robin (just the whole thing, really).
Then in 2005, Christopher Nolan brought the franchise back in a slick, well made piece of eye candy. But beyond the action and mechanical effects, Nolan brought a sense of psychology to Batman, that in a sense, the Caped Crusader had to be bit off his rocker, just like the villains.
Now three years later, The Dark Knight offers us an even deeper, darker look into the mind of a killer and hero out to get him. Writer/director Christopher Nolan along with his brother Jonathan, unwind a complex drama about a corrupt city and the few willing to risk it all to save it.
The film is wonderfully layered, often ambitious tale with its many mind games and characters that also features a bravo performance from the late Heath Ledger as the psychotic Joker - a role that is bound to get him an Oscar nomination - while Christian Bale as Batman and Bruce Wayne must decide that classic Star Trek motto of the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.
Batman, unlike the Spider-Man franchise or even X-Men, is set more in the real world, thus more believable. He has no super-powers, thus he must use wit and brawn to succeed. This makes the audience feel a more part of the story. That The Batman makes his battle with The Joker more personal, forces him to look at his own beliefs and even forces the audience into asking what they would do when confronted by such a moral dilemma.
As noted, Heath Ledger’s performance elevates him beyond the cartoon aspects that became Batman’s nemesis’ during the earlier film series, with the exception of Nicholson's role as The Joker. His audacious take on the role, dark and full of menace makes The Joker one of the best villains a super hero franchise has ever created. The fact that The Joker has no moral dilemma, no soul makes Ledger’s performance even more impressive.
Perhaps, looking into your dark side, looking into a pit of nothingness that is The Joker, was Ledger’s downfall. Jack Nicholson had warned Ledger of the power of The Joker. A creature with no soul, is bound to consume you.
Meanwhile, Maggie Gyllenhaal does fine, in what amounts to a small role here, as Rachel Dawes, but even here, she surpasses Katie Holmes wooden performance in Batman Begins. The rest of the cast elevates the film also, with a bigger role for Gary Oldman’s Jim Gordon and the evolution of Harvey Dent from White Knight of Gotham City to Two-Face. The always reliable Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine could read the ingredients to rat poisoning and make it sound brilliant.
And while Nolan only spent three weeks in Chicago filming Batman Begins, he spent three months for this film, giving the city a chance to shine, even though we never really see any of its classic landmarks, with the exception of Lower Wacker and the Chicago River. And that blowing up of the hospital in Cicero was way cool.
I’m curious now, where the franchise will go from here. Ledger’s performance and tragic death is bound to haunt the next film, and it will be hard to top. Whether Nolan returns to direct or not, when that third film gets made, it will need to honor what Nolan has started with these two films, and not let the franchise become the sad, silly, and overproduced, with over the top villains that would eventually kill the franchise the first time around.
Then in 2005, Christopher Nolan brought the franchise back in a slick, well made piece of eye candy. But beyond the action and mechanical effects, Nolan brought a sense of psychology to Batman, that in a sense, the Caped Crusader had to be bit off his rocker, just like the villains.
Now three years later, The Dark Knight offers us an even deeper, darker look into the mind of a killer and hero out to get him. Writer/director Christopher Nolan along with his brother Jonathan, unwind a complex drama about a corrupt city and the few willing to risk it all to save it.
The film is wonderfully layered, often ambitious tale with its many mind games and characters that also features a bravo performance from the late Heath Ledger as the psychotic Joker - a role that is bound to get him an Oscar nomination - while Christian Bale as Batman and Bruce Wayne must decide that classic Star Trek motto of the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.
Batman, unlike the Spider-Man franchise or even X-Men, is set more in the real world, thus more believable. He has no super-powers, thus he must use wit and brawn to succeed. This makes the audience feel a more part of the story. That The Batman makes his battle with The Joker more personal, forces him to look at his own beliefs and even forces the audience into asking what they would do when confronted by such a moral dilemma.
As noted, Heath Ledger’s performance elevates him beyond the cartoon aspects that became Batman’s nemesis’ during the earlier film series, with the exception of Nicholson's role as The Joker. His audacious take on the role, dark and full of menace makes The Joker one of the best villains a super hero franchise has ever created. The fact that The Joker has no moral dilemma, no soul makes Ledger’s performance even more impressive.
Perhaps, looking into your dark side, looking into a pit of nothingness that is The Joker, was Ledger’s downfall. Jack Nicholson had warned Ledger of the power of The Joker. A creature with no soul, is bound to consume you.
Meanwhile, Maggie Gyllenhaal does fine, in what amounts to a small role here, as Rachel Dawes, but even here, she surpasses Katie Holmes wooden performance in Batman Begins. The rest of the cast elevates the film also, with a bigger role for Gary Oldman’s Jim Gordon and the evolution of Harvey Dent from White Knight of Gotham City to Two-Face. The always reliable Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine could read the ingredients to rat poisoning and make it sound brilliant.
And while Nolan only spent three weeks in Chicago filming Batman Begins, he spent three months for this film, giving the city a chance to shine, even though we never really see any of its classic landmarks, with the exception of Lower Wacker and the Chicago River. And that blowing up of the hospital in Cicero was way cool.
I’m curious now, where the franchise will go from here. Ledger’s performance and tragic death is bound to haunt the next film, and it will be hard to top. Whether Nolan returns to direct or not, when that third film gets made, it will need to honor what Nolan has started with these two films, and not let the franchise become the sad, silly, and overproduced, with over the top villains that would eventually kill the franchise the first time around.
1 comment:
i still wish Katie Holmes had stayed on board as Rachel Dawes for the Dark Knight; it was like the time spent getting familiar with her character in Batman Begins was wasted...
Post a Comment