The Dark Knight (2008) Directed by Christopher Nolan
”You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Harvey Dent, District Attorney, Gotham City.
When Heath Ledger died from drug interactions on January 22, there was wide speculation that this role had driven him around the bend. While it is true that the process of creating the persona of the Joker was difficult, and intense, and involved living in a hotel room for a month, reading Alan Moore’s “Batman: The Killing Joke” and “Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth” for inspiration, watching “A Clockwork Orange” and keeping a diary of the Joker’s thought processes, I think it is a disservice to Mr. Ledger to say it led to his death. He took three prescription drugs at the same time; this is a tragedy, but not some sort of death wish.
I hoped that this role would be a worthy swan song. It seemed to me it would be his lasting legacy, no matter how it turned out. Let me just say, this is an Oscar contender.
One of the recurring themes of Batman is the psychology of obsession, and the making of madness. It is no accident that all of Batman’s foes go to Arkham Asylum, and not to prison. Frankly, if a real live person did what Bruce Wayne did, I would say that is the place for them.
But Batman is right; he is a symbol. And he has struck fear into the hearts of the criminal lords of Gotham. But for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Bruce Wayne: I knew the mob wouldn't go down without a fight. But this is different. They crossed the line.
Alfred Pennyworth: You crossed the line first, sir. You hammered them. And in their desperation they turned to a man they didn't fully understand. Some men aren't looking for anything logical. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.
And that is the essence of the Joker. He loves Chaos. He revels in Anarchy. But more than that, he believes, absolutely, and with unshakable conviction that Anarchy and Madness are the basic building blocks of humanity, and that civilization is nothing but a thin veneer over a beast that is as twisted, ugly, and loathsome as him. It is his mission to bring that evil and anarchy to the surface.
And he has a pet project in mind….The Batman.
Batman too has a pet project; to retire. He desperately needs to pass the torch to another hero, one with a public face. If he can find a hero who can be a symbol for the revitalization and moral character of Gotham, then he can give up being the bat, and perhaps…in a normal life, he and Rachel could have a life together. He hopes he has found that hero in Harvey Dent.
But the Joker is half right. There is something nasty and ugly in each and every one of us. It is just not all there is. We are not monsters wearing people makeup, we are human beings, with two sides to our personalities, the good, and the bad, and most of us choose which face we present to the world.
The Joker is every bit as relentless as The Batman. He believes in his ideals as strongly as Bruce Wayne believes in his. And that makes him a worthy antagonist.
Can the Dark Knight stop this man without becoming as much a monster? Where is the dividing line between the face of righteousness, and the face of obsession? And how many people will he destroy before he is stopped?
Batman is not a hero. He is the protector of Gotham. He is whatever she needs him to be. And that is not the definition of a hero….
On the technical side...we get to see a face of Gotham we usually do not see; the daylight side. Someone once said that Metropolis was New York on a June afternoon, around 2, and that Gotham was New York, below 14th, on the coldest night in November.
Gotham looks...grungy. In the light of day, it looks like an industrial town. I love this consistancy. Gotham broods in the dark, and just sort of festers in the light.
The special effects on this movie are also first rate. There are a lot of pyrotechnics, because as the Joker points out, his favorite things in life, dynamite and gasoline, are cheap. He can use a lot.
The make up department is also brilliant, although, technically, I guess some of it is CGI. The point is, the whole effort blends seamlessly to create a believable environment.
There are several stellar performances in this movie; Christian Bale is always good; it is hard to project emotion with just stance and the bottom half of your face. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman as Batman's support staff are amazing. Caine's rough affection and cynical cry of Bulls*** keep Bruce from being eaten by the Bat, and Lucius' ethics keep the Bat on course.
Another delightful tidbit is the mayor. Nestor Carbonell not only looks like a silverspoon silkslick career politician, he played Batmanuel on the short lived The Tick series. (Based on Der Fleutermaus, who is based on Batman.)
I thought Gary Oldman's performance as Jim Gordon lacked a certain edge that was there in the first one, but the story called for a more worried Gordon. Oldman still turned in a great performance.
I had high hopes after Batman Begins that this franchise would not slip into camp and frivolousness, like the last one did. After Heath Ledger’s tragic death, I hoped it would make a suitable legacy. It suddenly became more important that they get it right.
The follow-up to Batman Begins,The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayn...More at eCOST.com
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