If I could sum up this film in one word, it would be…
Revolutionary. Why? Because it reinvented ‘good guy versus bad guy’, ‘right versus wrong’, and most importantly, ‘good versus evil’. This has been an element that they’ve tried to imitate with modern action/adventure films, but none that I’ve seen have done it as brilliantly as THE DARK KNIGHT has. Please join me as I explore how The Dark Knight has done this in simplistic analytical fashion.
Batman versus Joker is arguably the biggest feud in comic book history. This film took this feud that began in 1940 (Batman #1), and 68 years later, took it to another level. They can make 20 more films pitting Batman versus Joker, and no matter how lousy the films would be, they would make big money just because of the notriety of the feud alone. Let’s explore the psychology of ‘feuds’.
I’ve been born and raised in the wrestling psychology. And the wrestling psychology is this: build a bad guy by having him beat smaller good guys, and build a good guy by having him beat smaller bad guys. When you’ve built both characters up to their maximum crowd-reaction (or ‘heat’, as we like to call it), pit them against each other for a huge box office hit. Have the bad guy go to his wicked ways and cheat to beat the good guy. Then just as the good guy looked all but finished, have him make a huge superhero comeback for the big win, and all the fans who invested their time, money, and attention to the storyline get a huge payoff. This is obviously the ‘template’, and can be done in a variation of different ways, including the bad guy winning. The Dark Knight took this template and created an amazing variation that made for a 150 minute roller-coaster ride that kept even the most ADD-intensive viewers hooked on to each second.
The Joker. They took this character that in the film industry, until this movie, was a comedy character (which is a great character in itself). They incorporated the comedy aspect of the Joker, and mixed it with an insane, sadistic maniac (which is what they evolved the Joker character to in the comics). Even though I want to try to avoid talking about it, because it’s been covered everywhere else, Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker is unreal. I didn’t really know the guy, I’ve never seen any of his other movies, but after seeing this performance, I can’t help but wonder what a shame it is that he passed away, putting an end to his portrayal of “The Joker” forever. The Joker is the glue to The Dark Knight, he’s the one you pay to see, and he’s the one that delivers.
Batman. I’ve been critical of Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne since the last film. I haven’t followed the comic series long enough to get an accurate portrayal of how Bruce Wayne is, but I can’t help but think that Michael Keaton’s/Val Kilmer’s Bruce Wayne is the most accurate. I don’t buy Bruce Wayne as a charismatic playboy. It doesn’t make sense, considering his depressing past, watching his parents die and travelling the world to learn martial arts, which should’ve been a humbling experience. That being said, I think Bale’s Batman is phenomenal, the best portrayal yet.
Harvey Dent. I think this character was definitely the sleeper of this film. You pay to see Batman versus Joker, but Harvey Dent is the character you walk away thinking about the most. Although I thought Tommy Lee Jones’ Harvey Dent was a riot, this film is by far a superior portrayal of the character.
They built the bad guy to his absolute worst, they built the good guy to his best, and they pitted them against each other. Who won? It’s ultra-cliché, but you, the viewer did. I walked into this film like every other film, with my critic hat on, ready to criticize the movie for the smallest inconsistencies because of how over-hyped it was, beating The Godfather’s #1 position on IMDB’s Top 250. I walked out of this film thinking that it was one of the best films I’ve ever seen. It’s already smashed records, it will probably smash more, and as much of a nonconformist I consider myself to be, I think the film deserves it.
I don’t have an HDTV, nor do I have a Blu-Ray player. But I will buy the Blu-Ray. I think anyone that has ever taken an interest in creative writing should watch this film to see how it’s done. For the first time, I have nothing bad to say about a film. Seriously, this is one of the very few 100% positive reviews I’ll ever write in my life.
Why so serious?
~ Ricky Leone
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