The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight is the sequel to Batman Begins and like any good sequel, it improves upon the original in every way. The story starts around a year after the events from the first film. The mansion hasn’t been rebuilt yet, so the new bat cave is in an underground base of some kind which is much more sophisticated looking in terms of its technology. Batman (Christian Bale) is busy fighting criminals while helping Gordon (Gary Oldman) take down the Mob. The film takes a lot of time establishing the continuation of the events from the first film by having Batman re-capture the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) at the start of the film, since he was one of the loose ends of at the end of Batman Begins. The only loose end that isn’t mentioned is the section of Gotham known as The Narrows. In the first film, The Narrows (the section of Gotham containing the dreaded Arkham Asylum) is completely overrun with psychotic criminals and cops who have gone completely insane due to the spread of the Scarecrow’s poison. At the end of the film it is sealed off from the rest of the city and Gordon describes it as “lost.” This is never brought up in The Dark Knight and I guess we’re just supposed to assume that it is still a hell on earth, but doesn’t have anything to do with this film’s plot. Before I get too caught up in nitpicking a detail that is irrelevant, the film’s story is as follows. The Joker (Heath Ledger) is stealing money from the mob and as a result of this and the recent force being exacted on them as a result of the holy trinity of justice (Batman, Gordon, and the new D.A. Harvey Dent), the mob organizations are forced to take desperate measures. These desperate measures include allowing the mysterious Joker to call the shots for them and as a result, the whole city becomes under threat from complete anarchy and chaos while the heroes struggle to maintain their own codes while being driven to their limits.

The Joker is an iconic character that has been depicted before in films by actors like Cesar Romero from the 1966 Batman: The Movie and more famously Jack Nicholson from Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman. I’ll admit that I was a big fan of the Jack Nicholson version growing up and I couldn’t imagine anyone doing it better than Jack. I changed my mind after the first scene of The Dark Knight. The Joker depicted in this film isn’t tied to Bruce Wayne’s past in anyway; in fact he doesn’t even have a back-story (aside from his different versions). This character is simply a force of nature that can’t be reasoned with or stopped by any normal means. His motive is to cause chaos and panic. Why? Because it’s funny. Because it’s what he does. Because he can. Because he doesn’t have a reason. There is no logic to the character or how he works. It is because of this that we as the audience can accept all the things he manages to pull off during the film that are impossible or implausible (how can one man working with crazy people move so many oil drums around the city without being noticed?). During the course of the film, anything he does is accepted. This is due to director Christopher Nolan’s use of the character and of course, Heath Ledger’s performance. Heath Ledger gives him a fluctuating voice sounding both mocking and cartoonish, while within the same sentence he can change tone, sounding like a snarling beast. The Joker in The Dark Knight doesn’t laugh as much as his predecessors, but when he does, the high pitch cackle leaves an impression on any scene. Every aspect of Heath’s interpretation of this character from his mannerisms (constantly licking his lips and the inside of his mouth due to the scars of a Glasgow smile) to the way he walks contribute to making this character feel unique (despite being a character whose been around since the 30s) and yet familiar; a true redefinition of the character. Christopher Nolan uses him just the right amount, making the audience crave his next scene without being overwhelmed by the character. The more evil he does, the more you hope Batman can stop him. All these things make this version of the Joker not only one of the best superhero film villains, but one of the greatest (if not the greatest) villains in cinema history, placing him amongst others like Alexander DeLarge and Darth Vader.

Needless to say, this film features some great acting. Christian Bale is once again great as Bruce Wayne/Batman. One of the aspects I enjoy most about his performance is the distinct identities he fulfills as the character: Bruce Wayne the playboy, Bruce Wayne the man, and Batman. As Batman he adds this voice that separates his performance of the character from any other. The voice is that of a growling creature, because that is what he becomes when he puts on the costume. He literally becomes the creature that is Batman. It is not the same as merely wearing a suit and using gadgets; when he is batman, he changes utterly. This is why, no matter the circumstance, if he is in that costume he maintains that voice. Gary Oldman is flawless as always and brings a lot to the character of Gordon while Morgan Freeman and Michael Cain are once again great as Lucius Fox and Alfred. Aaron Eckhart is worth mentioning and does something pretty incredible with his role as Harvey Dent aka Two Face. He manages to not only make the character likable as a hero turned villain, but manages to stand on his own as a villain against the Joker. Amazingly, even though he is not the lead antagonist, he manages to avoid being dwarfed by the Joker and adds to an incredible finale to the film. Maggie Gyllenhaal (replacing Katie Holmes from the first film) gives Rachel a bit more spark, making her a more memorable character (the character of Rachel in the first film was one of the weaker aspects). Aside from the acting the film has a great story (with characters that are analyzed to every detail) and some amazing special effects. The scenes shot using the IMAX camera are particularly memorable, the most memorable of these being the spectacular chase scene featuring the Batmobile and the Bat-pod. Christopher Nolan deserves high praise as he manages to pace to the film in such a way that the run time (being 152 minutes) is almost unnoticeable. Something interesting is always happening on screen and you don’t really relax until the credits roll. Easily the greatest of the genre, The Dark Knight is statement about what a superhero film can be, and as far as themes and subject matter go, this is a great crime drama as well. Truly a must see.