“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain”…. Harvey Dent
The Dark Knight begins with Batman holding his crusade against evil, in a virtually crime free Gotham. The mighty wings of the bat loom over criminal enterprises like an impending storm. Batman and Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman) have an almost mythical hold over the criminals of Gotham. Afraid to do business even at night, fearing the Bat’s wrath, Gotham is becoming a place Batman and Bruce Wayne can be proud of again.
With crime levels at an all time low, Batman, aided by long time friend Gordon and D.A. Extraordinaire Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), decide to take on the true problem, Mob figures and corrupt Cops. Batman hopes that once this work is complete, he may be able to retire The Batman so that he can truly devote his time and attentions to winning back and settling down with longtime friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), though she is currently dating none other than the charismatic Harvey Dent.
But alas, the tranquility is broken and everyone’s plans change when The Joker (Heath Ledger) begins rallying the cities criminals together in an all out campaign to “Kill the Batman”, along the way to bringing Gotham back to it’s knees amongst disorder and chaos. Batman, in a quest to prevent this, realizes that not only will he need the assistance of every one of his closest friends and allies: Dent, Gordon, Rachel Dawes, Faithful Butler Alfred (Michael Caine), and the always entertaining Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), but that ALL of them will have to go much deeper, and darker, then any of them is prepared to go. And thus begins our true journey. Sacrifices will have to be made, and casualties are inevitable, and there are so many.
At a running time of 2 Hours and 32 minutes, it would seem lengthy, but from the super charged opening sequence to the final credits, this movie is one amazing ride. You will hardly notice the time gone. Christopher Nolan proves yet again that he can weave incredibly complex narratives and non-stop action to bring you to the edge and back. And to the edge he goes. Gone are Batman’s inhibitions, morals and fears. Nolan spins a tale of a desperate and passionate figure, filled with anger, rage, hate, love, devotion, and sorrow. Nolan takes Batman to a level I NEVER expected to see outside of the Comic Books. He has delivered on a promise to make this film true to it’s namesake, and honor it’s heritage. Frank Miller would has got to be proud.
But the story is not just a revenge and anger fueled trail of bodies on Batman’s quest to find the Joker. this film examines Batman’s relationships with almost everyone he knows. Gordon, Dent, Rachel, Lucious, Gotham’s Citizens and ESPECIALLY The Joker. And this is where the heart of the story lies. How intricately Nolan examines the polarities in the emotions, actions and motivations of Batman and The Joker, all the while hinting at their similarities. One Representing Order and Hope, the other Chaos and Despair.
As far as performances go, all are good, Bale is the best Batmen ever, and everyone else plays their part. But VERY, VERY, special attention is warranted to Heath Ledgers’ portrayal of the Joker. I am going to make a statement here that some may scoff or balk at, but here me out. Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker is not ONLY the finest portrayal of the Joker EVER, it is without question one of the greatest character performances EVER on film.
Jack Nicholson brought an amazing charisma to the Joker. He brought flair and panache. However, Ledger brings an arsenal. Pain, Despair, Misery, Hatred. He is complex, deep, and brooding. Maniacal, witty, at times humorous, but Unforgettably Frightening. You will forget everything you knew of the Joker from the films before. Jack Who? Ledger is simply PERFECT. That is P E R F E C T in form and function. The only sad or regrettable thing about his performance was that he will not be able to repeat it for a sequel. Know this though: NO ONE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO TOP THIS PERFORMANCE OF THE JOKER. EVER. You will understand once you see it. Believe me. Watching him onscreen, I was memorized. He is the absolute Best Thing in a truly great film.
Since I gave the Joker his time, it is only fair to give the Title character his just deserves. Christian Bale is the absolute, quintessential Batman. It does not get any better. Keaton was fun, but a spoiled, smart-ass brat. Keaton also lacked the looks and charisma for a convincing Bruce Wayne. The 3rd film saw Val Kilmer don the suit. Though Kilmer was definitely more debonair and charismatic as Bruce Wayne, he also lacked the proper chops to meet Superhero criteria. Plus, who can fathom a BLONDE pretty boy Batman? Then, to the delight of Millions of women, George Clooney attempted to fill Batman’s shoes. Clooney is just too hard to judge, as he was screwed by the studio. Forced to share equal billing with Chris O’Donnell, and completely upstaged by the studios blatent attempt to put the movie’s ENTIRE focus on Arnold’s Mr. Freeze ( a TOTAL Cheesefest… don’t even get me started. I would need a whole other post), Clooney fell into a very unfortunate position: He was completely forgettable.
Then, enter Christian Bale. Handsome, Debonaire, and definitely fitting the bill for a convincing Bruce Wayne, Billionaire Playboy, come the true test: How is his Bat? Well, I can say from Batman Begins, his Bat is phenomenal, and it is even better here. This is fueled by the 2 traits that are most important to a believable Batman: Eyes, and Voice. and in Bale, they are both PERFECT. His eyes portray the brilliant fun loving and energetic yet conflicted and brooding man that is Bruce Wayne. And donning the suit only supercharges those emotions, and transforms him into a force to be reckoned with.
It is inevitable, because this movie is going to RAKE in the cash and break records, but I am almost fearful of any attempt at a sequel for this film. Aside from the fact that that most 3rd installments of Superhero movies suck (X-Men 3 anyone?), this movie is just almost impossible to top. Performances from the lead characters, special effects (Two-Face’s look is wonderful), engrossing story line, this film is difficult to match, and as close to a Perfect Summer Blockbuster as you will find. If I had to assign a rating, as a film, it is 5 out of 5. But because of Ledger’s performance as the Joker, it is a 7 out of 5. Watch this film. Love it.
Shawn Michael
Popularity: 39% [?]
July 18th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I heartily agree, Ledger’s Joker will NEVER be outdone, any attempts to do so are futile. Good review!
July 19th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Do you think that Christian Bale is the best movie Batman of all time?
July 19th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Absolutely. Without question. Christian Bale has raised the bar, and he is the very first Batman to be believable as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. More power to him!