The Dark Knight (Warner Brothers)
Dark Is the Key Word
In 2005 Christopher Nolan reinvented our view of the world of the Batman saga with his film Batman Begins. This was a more serious look at the man and the myth, and it stunned the critics and wowed audiences. Christian Bale emerged as the Batman portrayer we all wanted to see again and again. Now three years later Bale and Nolan are back with The Dark Knight.
This movie is even darker than Batman Begins and has a more philosophical approach to its story. We are now faced with the issue of whether or not Batman is a hero or a vigilante. Does he operate within the law or outside the law And does he get a pass from law enforcement because he is doing their job for them
More importantly is the issue of whether or not Gotham City is safer than it was before Batman appeared on the scene. With the vicious crime that appears at the start of the film, it appears the criminals are not intimidated by the caped crusader. One insane criminal known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) is openly unafraid of Batman.
District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is doing all he can to put the top criminals behind bars. He is actually putting his life on the line and it is gaining him attention and renown. Plus it has gained him the heart of Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) once the love of Bruce Waynes life.
Rachel and Bruce (Bale) split up because of his duties as Batman. Now she is torn between the two men and in love with them both. Her association with them puts her in immediate jeopardy.
Because of the attention on Harvey Dent and the Joker in the plot, Batman/Bruce Wayne becomes something of a supporting player. And because their stories are so dramatic Eckhart and Ledger garner most of the attention for their acting. Ledgers untimely death before the release of the film threatened to hamper the audience reaction it deserves, but his brilliance won them over.
Ledger erases all memories of Jack Nicholsons performance as The Joker. He is rivetingly evil in his portrayal, making the eerie voice as creepy as his painted face. Then there is his reptilian way of flicking his tongue out as he speaks. It all adds up to a total picture of insanity and amorality.
Eckharts role is not as showy as Ledgers but his acting is equally impressive. He manages to insert nuances into his characters personality that are subtle but important. And when his character is burned and becomes Two Face the changes in his personality are staggering.
Michael Caine is welcomed back in the role of Alfred, Waynes butler and Batmans confidant. Morgan Freedom returns to the role of Lucius Fox, the provider of Batmans equipment. Gary Oldman is back as Police Lieutenant Jim Gordon, and Cillian Murphy makes a brief appearance as The Scarecrow. All of these actors add to the enjoyment of the film.
As the main female in the cast Gyllenhaal has a responsibility to the audience to make Rachel someone for whom we care and for whom we are concerned. She fails in both respects. In truth Gyllenhaal drags the film down each time she appears on screen. Katie Holmes received terrible reviews for playing this character in the first film but Gyllenhaal is as bad as she was and maybe worse.
The film is rated PG-13 and that is a mild rating for a film as violent and intense as this one is. Parents should be aware this is no comic book, silly film but rather is a dark, disturbing look at crime and its aftermath.
The Dark Knight is a little overdone at two and a half hours and could have ended several times before it actually did. It also would have benefited from more of the action sequences taking place in broad daylight rather than in the gloom of night.
Is the film worth seeing Absolutely. But is it the ultimate Batman film I dont think so. I think that honor still goes to Batman Begins.
I scored The Dark Knight a caped 7 out of 10.
