BATMAN-ON-FILM.COM - A Review of "THE DARK KNIGHT" by Sean Gerber (8/2/08)

THE DARK KNIGHT - A Warner Bros. release, presented in association with Legendary Pictures, of a Syncopy production. Produced by Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan. Executive producers, Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy, Thomas Tull. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Screenplay, Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan; story, Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer, based upon characters appearing in comicbooks published by DC Comics, "Batman" created by Bob Kane.

Bruce Wayne/Batman - Christian Bale
The Joker - Heath Ledger
Harvey Dent - Aaron Eckhart
Alfred Pennyworth - Michael Caine
Rachel Dawes - Maggie Gyllenhaal
Jim Gordon - Gary Oldman
Lucius Fox - Morgan Freeman

When Lieutenant James Gordon handed Batman a calling card from a new, more theatrical criminal in Gotham three years ago, I was excited to say the least. As I was walking out of the theater, however, I began to worry. I was thrilled that The Joker was coming back to the silver screen, but saddened that my favorite villain was only going to appear in what would be the second best Batman movie ever. Simply put, BATMAN BEGINS was the best Batman film I had ever seen by a wide margin and I just did not think it could be topped.

I was wrong.

THE DARK KNIGHT is the absolute best Batman film ever made and the best film ever adapted from a comic book (I won’t call it a “comic book movie” because it isn’t one). As high of praise as that may be, it still doesn’t feel like enough. THE DARK KNIGHT is a great film regardless of genre and deserves to be recognized as one of the absolute best films of this decade.

Never before have I seen a film that seamlessly blends the action and excitement one expects from a summer blockbuster with the compelling, thought-provoking substance of an epic crime drama. THE DARK KNIGHT even goes so far as to explore the post-9/11 world we live in and how far we are willing to go to stop a terrorist and ensure our safety even when that means betraying our own values and ethics (and does so without a political agenda or taking sides). More importantly, the film examines what it means to be a hero in a morally ambiguous world. Regardless of whether or not someone considers him or herself a Batman fan, this is an important film that needs to be seen, probably two or three times.

That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty in the film for the actual Batman fans to enjoy because there most certainly is. The characters and themes that separate Batman’s world of story from other superheroes are all present and showcased beautifully under the direction of Christopher Nolan with a spectacular ensemble performance by the cast. Christian Bale picks up right where he left off in BATMAN BEGINS as the definitive Batman and Bruce Wayne. He’s as pompous as ever under the facade of “Playboy Bruce” and his real Bruce Wayne brings out the quality that makes Batman so attractive to fans, he is human. With or without the mask, we empathize with the triumphs and tragedies Bruce endures in the film. Bale’s second turn in the cowl proves to be a much more established Batman that is the most intimidating, most well-rounded version ever presented on screen.

Gary Oldman surpasses his brilliant performance as Lt. Gordon in the first film and meets the challenge of a greatly expanded role in TDK. He’s a good cop doing the best he can with what he has. Gordon is a much more three-dimensional character in this film with Oldman portraying the cop, the friend, the husband, and the father. He’s an “every man,” doing what he thinks is right in a city that is rapidly escalating out of control. Oldman’s Gordon is arguably the most relatable character in the film.

Aaron Eckhart brings Harvey Dent and Two-Face to life like never before. His Dent is the charismatic, passionate crime fighter from the comics and he is so endearing that a real sense of loss comes from his fall. As Two-Face, Eckhart is brutal and tragic all at once. It’s painful, as it should be, to watch Gotham ’s “White Knight” turn into a vengeful villain bent on enforcing his newfound morality of chance.

There’s so much that can be and already has been said about Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker, so I’ll just start by saying that it is the best I’ve ever seen and that includes all previous live-action, animated, and comic book versions of the 68-year-old icon. Heath Ledger IS The Joker in this film. He’s psychotic, vicious, anarchic, chaotic, charismatic, and funny in a way that makes you hate yourself for laughing. Heath’s performance is the DEFINITIVE Joker and it will be for a long time to come.

The rest of the cast turns in great performances as well. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman showed why they are two of the most highly regarded individuals in their craft as Alfred Pennyworth and Lucius Fox, respectively. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays an authentic, believable Rachel Dawes, removing the character from the “weak link” status she had in BEGINS. Chin Han, Nestor Carbonell, Eric Roberts, Richie Coster, Joshua Harto, and Nathan Gamble also handed in noteworthy performances as Lau, Mayor Garcia, Salvatore Maroni, the Chechen, Coleman Reese, and James Gordon, Jr., respectively. Despite the standout performances by the film’s stars TDK deserves to be recognized as a brilliant ensemble piece.

Of course, all of these amazing performances were made possible thanks in no small part to a wonderfully written screenplay from Jonathan and Chris Nolan with story help from David Goyer. These guys get Batman and they certainly understand The Joker. TDK is littered with influences from classic Batman tales like The Long Halloween and Batman: Year One. The Joker they put on the page for Heath to play combines the greatest, most important stories from the character’s history including BATMAN #1, THE KILLING JOKE, and ARKHAM ASYLUM. By adding their own twists to each of the characters while incorporating elements of classic comics, the Nolans crafted a story that is completely faithful while remaining refreshingly original.

The score, composed by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, compliments the film and does the images on screen justice. There may not be an iconic “Batman Theme” like Danny Eflman’s effort for Tim Burton’s films, but the music is still just as powerful and just as moving. The Joker’s two-note theme is just spectacular and that high-pitched hum that occurs just before The Joker’s appearances in the film makes good on Chris Nolan’s comparison of Heath’s Joker to the shark in Jaws. You hear that sound and you know trouble is coming, but you don’t know exactly how or when. It’s just perfect.

The visual effects are remarkable in scale and, more importantly, their authenticity. Knowing that they really flipped an 18-wheeler and the Batpod really can perform all the feats on the screen restores the true feeling of movie magic in the viewer. The minimal use of CGI is greatly appreciated and the CGI that is used is as seamless as it gets, especially with Two-Face. Nathan Crowley and his team deserve recognition, as does Wally Pfister whose cinematography captured and framed every stunt and every amazing performance beautifully.

The man who deserves the lion’s share of the credit is of course the director, Chris Nolan. All the Oscar-caliber performances, the brilliantly crafted story, the cinematography and the visual effects all came under his direction and Mr. Nolan deserves to be recognized by the Academy in his own right. Nolan has crafted an epic that defies the stereotypical constraints of the superhero genre and set himself apart from his peers.

This is Nolan’s best film to date.

All these words, and all this praise I’ve been heaping on the film and the team that created it still feels insufficient. This film has made an impact on me like no other before it, both as a Batman fan and fan of cinema. It is as fine of a film as I have ever seen and it has totally turned my vision of what a Batman film could be on its head. Never before were my expectations of a film so high and TDK still managed to exceed every one of them.

THE DARK KNIGHT is the greatest Joker story ever told, the greatest Batman story ever told, and above all else, it is an absolute masterpiece.