Batman is possibly one of the most fascinating characters in fiction. His origin is universal – he could be anyone anywhere who witnessed his parents being murdered and swore that if it possible no one else will suffer his losses- he could be in any time period and still work. And, there is no deux ex machina about his powers. Bruce Wayne – the man behind Batman – is who he his, and does what he does because he has trained himself to, he has achieved – not because some god or alien or something else gave him powers. He has a great rogues gallery – Joker, Penguin, Ras Ul Ghul, Riddler, Bane …, and a wonderful supporting cast – from Robin to Gordon,

I have enjoyed most movie adapations of Batman -except the terrible Batman and Robin. I have enjoyed the animated series, and the comics. However, Dark Knight is more than a Batman movie. It is cinema.

 

Dark Knight follows [tag]Batman Begins[/tag] and further explores the character of Bruce Wayne and his mission to clean up Gotham. Bruce Wayne is no Tony Stark who has ventured into the superhero space by accident, nor is he [tag]Peter Parker[/tag] bitten by a radio active spider. He is not the last son from a planet that gives him earth shattering powers, nor is he someone who was gifted a ring by a dying alien. Everthing that is, and everything that he does is driven by his demons. He would be the Batman even if didn’t have shit loads of inheritance. He is someone has planned this since he saw his parents murdered. He is dedicated, committed and longs for a day when he doesn’t have to wear a Bat Suit and jump of buildings.

This isn’t a movie about a superhero. It is a movie about a man who does the right thing. He has cool gadgets to do it with, but, the story is not about the gadgets. Director [tag]Christopher Nolan[/tag] – in fact is rather compact with his gadgets & action sequences. There are no long lingering stylised action sequences. The action is compact, short and brutal. People get killed, maimed and brutalized . And, it is not pretty. If anything it is realistic and stomach churning. After, the last few superhero flicks where scenes seemed to be fillers between action sequences, this was definitely a relief. The action is an inherent part of the story, not its core. At its core the story is about three men who believe in justice in their own way and follow the rules.

 

• there is Bruce Wayne – who is dedicated to being Batman. He believes in Order. He fights on the line, without ever crossing it. Both the cops and the cons know that although he is brutal, ruthless and relentless, he doesn’t kill. [tag]Christian Bale[/tag] reprises his role of Bruce Wayne /Batman and breathes layers and complexity into the role. In the comic books, Batman is often Bruce Wayne. I suppose writers find it easier to write the driven superhero. However, in both the films it is Bruce Wayne who is Batman. Bale infuses the character with power, pathos, and passion. Yet, there is a surprising vulnerability about character. You want him to win not because he wears a flashy costume and drives an array of great vehicles. You want him to win because he is a man trying to do what is right.
• There is [tag]Harvey Dent[/tag] who is the District Attorney. He believes in the Law. He cannot be scared away and has been waging a one man crusade against organised crime. If Batman is Gotham city’s Dark Knight, Dent is its white knight. And both the Dark and the White Knight are in love with the same girl – Rachel Dawes.
• There is Commissioner Gordon – who is dedicated to being the only honest cop in Gotham. He believes in Batman. However, as someone working within the system – he tries to follow it as best as he can. He doesn’t live in a world where he can trust too many people.

And then, to wreck havoc in all their lives and in the lives of the inhabitants of Gotham city arrives the Joker – a completely amoral individual with no rules. The Joker in this film is not mad. He just has no values, norms or rules to tether him. All he does is what he wants – and that is unpredictable.There are no grays in his character Heath Ledger has created one of the most chilling villains in film history. . there is no pathos, no back story, no abused childhood. Nothing. He comes into the film as a fully formed force of nature and turns lives upside down. He makes everyone question who they are, what they stand for, and how far will they go. He changes the rules of the game.

 

If Batman represents Order, Joker represents Chaos. And they are locked in battle for ever

 

Batman : Why do you want to kill me?
The Joker: I don’t want to kill you. What would I do without you?

Despite Heath Ledger’s brilliant performance, the film is not the Joker’s story. It is the story of Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent and the choices that they make when pushed to the corner. Will they really cross the line?

The premise of the film is simple. The concept of a masked vigilante attracts all sorts of nutcases. There are those who honour him and imitate him. And, there are those who are out to destroy him. The Batman’s appearance has both intended and unintended consequences. The intended consequences are the system feeling empowered to go after crime. Harvey Dent is an example of that. The intended consequences is also the mob running scared. But, the unintended fallout is the Joker

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 watch it burn he does. He wrecks Dent’s life and face and then goes on to corrupt his sense of decency. He plays a bizarre variant of the Milgram experiment with the citizens of Gotham. He taunts, prods and torments Batman till he almost crosses the line.

The film is engrossing. The acting is superlative. You believe that this city exists as do its denizens. You feel for them.  The  action sequences were great. They seemed to the point and real. The film has a depth and realism that moved the characters beyond a comic book into the world of flesh and blood. The violence is very real and is brutal . The only thing that I didn’t like too much was the theme music. I really liked the themes used in the earlier films and the cartoon series.

pics: ign.com