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None More Dark
Monday, July 21st, 2008 at 12:47 pm by Jami
There are moments when fandom rises out from its dark, geeky corner to expose its awesome might for the general public to embrace. The Dark Knight is one such moment and I am so glad to have lived in a time when such movies can be made.
Forget the hype, forget the viral campaign, forget all the comparisons. The Dark Knight succeeds as a film because it forces Batman to deal with the morality of his fight. What gives you the right to fight crime outside the law? Can you choose between lives when you can only save one? Who’s life is worth more? Are you responsible for the madness you inspire? Is there an end to your fight? As Batman gets thrown into situations where lives depend on his answers, we find ourselves questioning our own morality.
Characters
Heath Ledger’s Joker is a sort of social scientist free from moral constraints. Sociologists would pose a life an death question in the context of an intellectual exercise. Two people are trapped in a burning building, which one do you save? The Joker frames the question in an actual situation. Throughout the film, he challenges Batman and Gotham with these types of problems forcing both to choose. Even more disturbing, the audience can’t help but laugh along with the Joker. Joker’s disappearing pencil trick had the audience laughing hysterically one moment, deadly silent moments later. Ledger’s performance is mind shatteringly brilliant making for one of the most terrifying villains in movie history.
Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent is Gotham’s white knight, an incorruptible District Attorney eager to clean up Gotham. He represents the kind of hero that Gotham City truly needs. But with every hero, there is a fatal flaw. Harvey’s lies in his need for control. Even when he flips a coin, he makes his own luck. But when control is taken away, all that’s left is chance. Eckhart’s performance is quite good. I found myself wanting so much to believe in Dent.
Christian Bale’s interpretation of Batman is one of my favorite. At a Comic Con Q&A session, he stated something to the effect that Batman was his true identity with Bruce Wayne a mere disguise. The voice thing is a little off-putting, but you get used to it. There’s a desperation for Batman this time around. He really wants Harvey Dent to live up to the promise of Gotham’s true hero so he can take off his mask and live a normal life with Rachel. You can probably guess how that goes.
As for Rachel Dawes, Maggie Gyllenhaal is wonderful. There’s real chemistry between her and Bale, something completely missing from Katie Holmes’s performance. Almost wish there was more of her. As amazing as I felt it was, The Dark Knight is a meaty sausage fest. Oh, and another ding, not terribly minority friendly. A few bit characters here and there, the black gang leader of course bites it. So no points on the ladies or minorities. Anyway, Maggie Gyllenhaal, very good. Spunky, smart, and kick ass, a perfect foil for Bats.
Gary Oldman returns as Jim Gordon. Gordon is another one who seems beyond reproach. He’s Gotham’s working class hero, fighting it out with the mob as far as the law will allow. His flaw lies in his trust of the crooked cops in his unit. He kind of has no choice since most of GPD is on the take. But what are the consequences of Gordon’s compromise?
Michael Caine is my favorite Alfred. His version of our favorite butler is a former British army officer. He’s faced the questions that Batman now faces and knows enough to let Batman answer them for himself. There’s a lot of depth to Michael Kane’s performance that we’ve never seen from an Alfred. His accent is that of a former soldier, something you wouldn’t expect from a proper English butler.
Morgan Freeman returns as Lucius Fox. There’s a moment when he himself must answer a question of morality. He does so absolutely. I don’t think any other actor could have brought as much gravitas to the part as he. Brilliant casting choice. I hope he sticks around for more.
Gotham City
I felt the first film gave us an idealized Gotham with a few elements of comic bookyness, especially that swanky monorail. It certainly seemed more realistic than Tim Burton’s Gotham, but the Gotham of Batman Begins still felt slightly fanciful. This time around, Gotham City is gritty and real. It’s a dark city pained by crime and despair. Even in the daylight there’s a wash of grime that coats its surface. Gotham has never felt so real.
The big take home lesson, never fucking move to Gotham. Ever.
Plot
The Dark Knight is a character driven movie. The Joker is the catalyst shaking our characters to their core. This is not a movie caught up in origins or nods to comic continuity or showy effects. This is a movie about choices and morality and the absolute insanity of it all.
It’s quite dark and leaves you unsettled. It jumps you out of your comfort zone and forces you to make those wicked choices along with the characters on screen. And it never really settles you back. It’s no surprise that Nick was left speechless after he and crew saw the early screening.
Darkest Before the Dawn
The Dark Knight exceeded my lofty expectations and then some. I wasn’t expecting to come out of the theater seriously questioning my own morality. I wasn’t expecting performances that deeply disturbed me. I wasn’t expecting to be terrified by an insanely scarred clown. And yet, I experienced all those things and more.
I don’t see how this Batman will fit in a JLA. That would be a mistake. JLA is about superheroes saving the world from world threatening events! This Batman only makes sense in the festering, crime-ridden hell hole of Gotham city. The JLA needs a far less disturbed Batman, maybe the Batman from the first one. Not this one. Gotham needs this one.
The Dark Knight must be experienced in a theater. Go see it now.
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