Raise your hand if you went to film school. Come on, raise them up, don’t be shy; I went there too. Alright, so now that we’ve got that sorted out, do you remember what it was like the first time you watched The Godfather or Citizen Kane or Casablanca in class and realized that those films actually are as amazing as everybody through the decades has said they are? Sure, there were a few detractors here and there, and Citizen Kane isn’t exactly a film that you pop in during a party - but (much) more often than not, it’s clear why the classics are considered the best. Accompanying the idolatry though, was a feeling of futility in realizing that no matter what praise you lavish on such films, you won’t be adding anything to the film’s discourse. Everything that can be said has been said already and your admiration is just another drop in the praise pool. That’s pretty much how I feel in approaching this review for The Dark Knight. Unless I were to take the side of David Denby (and lay off the guy, he’s entitled to his opinion), nothing I could really say here would add anything new to the overwhelming praise The Dark Knight is already receiving. Therefore, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. It doesn’t matter if you’re a proponent of Owen Gleiberman, Roger Ebert, or Peter Travers because they’re all trumpeting the same message that I encourage everyone to believe - The Dark Knight is a phenomenal cinematic achievement and one of the best films of the year.
The tide in Gotham City has turned since the events of Batman Begins. Due to the combined efforts of Batman (Christian Bale) and Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), the organized crime syndicates, which previously ruled the streets of Gotham, are struggling to maintain their footing. In an effort to ensure that Bruce Wayne’s Caped Crusader is well supplied, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) has been installed as CEO of Wayne Enterprises. But perhaps the brightest light of all on the horizon is the appointment of Gotham’s “White Knight,” Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), to the position of District Attorney. Dent, with his fearless determination to justice, has cleaned up many of the crooked cops in the Gotham PD and has been singularly responsible for the jailing of literally dozens of mobsters, including the biggest fish in the pond, Salvatore Maroni (Eric Roberts). In Dent, Bruce finds an ally in the fight to permanently clean up Gotham and subsequently, the chance to return to a normal life where the world doesn’t need Batman and where he can finally be with his love, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
But in the absence of organized crime, chaos prevails. Desperate to defeat the hero who is consistently one step ahead of them, the criminals of Gotham City concede power to a character called the Joker (Heath Ledger), a seemingly psychotic man bound by no laws of morality, psychology, or logic, driven only by a masochistic love of destruction. As Alfred (Michael Caine) explains to Bruce Wayne, “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.” Joker’s tendencies to cross the line continuously push the limits of Bruce’s own moral code. When it becomes clear that Dent is the perennial target and Gotham’s citizens are furious at the escalating collateral damage, Bruce must decide which symbol is more valuable to Gotham City: the Dark Knight or the White Knight.
The Dark Knight posterAudiences were caught off guard by what writer/director Christopher Nolan was delivering with Batman Begins but if pre-sale ticket figures are any indication, they’ve learned their lesson and are buying what Nolan is selling. With such a fantastic predecessor and every element of the sequel kicked up a notch (or ten), it’s unquestionable that The Dark Knight is bigger. But can it really be better?
Oh. My. God. YES.
Take a minute right now to make a mental note of everything you loved about Batman Begins. If you want to write it down, that’s fine too; I’ll wait. Done? Good. One of the elements guaranteed to be on that list is the way Christopher Nolan was able to ground the film in reality. The Dark Knight, though it takes a few creative liberties and stretches of the imagination in terms of gizmos, continues the trend of enveloping the audience in a world that for all we know could be happening right outside. All the explosions, stunts, fights, and relationships exist within a cinematic world very much bound by logic.
You probably would’ve also included something about the well-written, three-dimensional characters on that list. In The Dark Knight, the emotional and psychological complexities of the characters are explored to heart-breaking depths. Not only does the love triangle between Bruce, Rachel, and Harvey tug on our heartstrings, it also explores the more emotionally vulnerable side of Bruce that was only touched on in Batman Begins. In contrast, the delightfully sadistic Joker sharply contrasts the morally upright Batman, pushing Bruce Wayne’s mind to untapped and frightening limits. The sign of a good director is one who can deliver to you exactly what you expect and surprise you anyway. From the explosive beginning where the Joker manipulates a bank robbery to the bittersweet ending where Batman fulfills his dual nature of being the Dark Knight, Nolan makes sure that the ride is not a boring one.
I’m also assuming there’s something on that list about the fine performances Nolan was able to draw from his actors. The psychological labyrinth that The Dark Knight navigates demands much more from each actor involved, and wow, do they deliver. At the forefront of everyone’s mind is Heath Ledger’s iconic performance, which saturates the character with darkly comedic malevolence and sadism. A villain this charismatic hasn’t been seen in quite a long time and Ledger’s performance is more than worthy of inclusion in the top five movie villains of all time. Yet Ledger’s overshadowing his peers speaks more to his brilliance than to the cast’s mediocrity. Maggie Gyllenhaal is an improvement over Katie Holmes in the role of Rachel Dawes, as she accentuates the assistant DA’s virtue and strong-willed character. Opposite her, Aaron Eckhart is surprisingly good in tackling Harvey Dent, a man who, despite his dedication to justice, struggles to suppress the cracks that show as he flirts with the immediate results that vengeance would provide him. This duality provides for an interesting dynamic, especially when including the Batman character, whom Dent supports, and Bruce Wayne, whom Dent writes off as a shallow playboy. No matter which persona is on screen though, Christian Bale once again nails them both.
Now while I realize I haven’t addressed every item you may have on that list, the only way for me to back up my guarantee is for you to go out and see The Dark Knight. Are there flaws in the film? Absolutely, but with a film that attempts to efficiently deal with so many ambitious plot lines, there are going to be a few frays in the threads. In fact, it’s an even stronger testament to the skill of Christopher Nolan and co-writer Jonathan Nolan that the faults in the movie are mostly nitpicks and minor pieces of a much bigger puzzle. If I could make a crude analogy, the film is sort of equivalent to cramming too many presents into one shopping bag. Sure, the bag is pretty heavy and you might keep scraping your legs on those annoyingly sharp box corners that are poking through, but oh my sweet mercy what a joy it is to finally unwrap everything in that bag. In fact, the primary problem with this film is that it’s so damn good, Nolan has set the bar astronomically high for himself and for audience expectations if he should choose to make a third installment. But in the meantime, he’s created something that will be talked about for years to come; something that already has been voted into IMDB.com’s Top 250 at #4 (above the previously mentioned Casablanca and Citizen Kane); something that has been praised so much already, anything you or I will say is just another drop in the praise pool; but most importantly, something that deserves all the praise it receives.
The tide in Gotham City has turned since the events of Batman Begins. Due to the combined efforts of Batman (Christian Bale) and Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), the organized crime syndicates, which previously ruled the streets of Gotham, are struggling to maintain their footing. In an effort to ensure that Bruce Wayne’s Caped Crusader is well supplied, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) has been installed as CEO of Wayne Enterprises. But perhaps the brightest light of all on the horizon is the appointment of Gotham’s “White Knight,” Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), to the position of District Attorney. Dent, with his fearless determination to justice, has cleaned up many of the crooked cops in the Gotham PD and has been singularly responsible for the jailing of literally dozens of mobsters, including the biggest fish in the pond, Salvatore Maroni (Eric Roberts). In Dent, Bruce finds an ally in the fight to permanently clean up Gotham and subsequently, the chance to return to a normal life where the world doesn’t need Batman and where he can finally be with his love, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
But in the absence of organized crime, chaos prevails. Desperate to defeat the hero who is consistently one step ahead of them, the criminals of Gotham City concede power to a character called the Joker (Heath Ledger), a seemingly psychotic man bound by no laws of morality, psychology, or logic, driven only by a masochistic love of destruction. As Alfred (Michael Caine) explains to Bruce Wayne, “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.” Joker’s tendencies to cross the line continuously push the limits of Bruce’s own moral code. When it becomes clear that Dent is the perennial target and Gotham’s citizens are furious at the escalating collateral damage, Bruce must decide which symbol is more valuable to Gotham City: the Dark Knight or the White Knight.
The Dark Knight posterAudiences were caught off guard by what writer/director Christopher Nolan was delivering with Batman Begins but if pre-sale ticket figures are any indication, they’ve learned their lesson and are buying what Nolan is selling. With such a fantastic predecessor and every element of the sequel kicked up a notch (or ten), it’s unquestionable that The Dark Knight is bigger. But can it really be better?
Oh. My. God. YES.
Take a minute right now to make a mental note of everything you loved about Batman Begins. If you want to write it down, that’s fine too; I’ll wait. Done? Good. One of the elements guaranteed to be on that list is the way Christopher Nolan was able to ground the film in reality. The Dark Knight, though it takes a few creative liberties and stretches of the imagination in terms of gizmos, continues the trend of enveloping the audience in a world that for all we know could be happening right outside. All the explosions, stunts, fights, and relationships exist within a cinematic world very much bound by logic.
You probably would’ve also included something about the well-written, three-dimensional characters on that list. In The Dark Knight, the emotional and psychological complexities of the characters are explored to heart-breaking depths. Not only does the love triangle between Bruce, Rachel, and Harvey tug on our heartstrings, it also explores the more emotionally vulnerable side of Bruce that was only touched on in Batman Begins. In contrast, the delightfully sadistic Joker sharply contrasts the morally upright Batman, pushing Bruce Wayne’s mind to untapped and frightening limits. The sign of a good director is one who can deliver to you exactly what you expect and surprise you anyway. From the explosive beginning where the Joker manipulates a bank robbery to the bittersweet ending where Batman fulfills his dual nature of being the Dark Knight, Nolan makes sure that the ride is not a boring one.
I’m also assuming there’s something on that list about the fine performances Nolan was able to draw from his actors. The psychological labyrinth that The Dark Knight navigates demands much more from each actor involved, and wow, do they deliver. At the forefront of everyone’s mind is Heath Ledger’s iconic performance, which saturates the character with darkly comedic malevolence and sadism. A villain this charismatic hasn’t been seen in quite a long time and Ledger’s performance is more than worthy of inclusion in the top five movie villains of all time. Yet Ledger’s overshadowing his peers speaks more to his brilliance than to the cast’s mediocrity. Maggie Gyllenhaal is an improvement over Katie Holmes in the role of Rachel Dawes, as she accentuates the assistant DA’s virtue and strong-willed character. Opposite her, Aaron Eckhart is surprisingly good in tackling Harvey Dent, a man who, despite his dedication to justice, struggles to suppress the cracks that show as he flirts with the immediate results that vengeance would provide him. This duality provides for an interesting dynamic, especially when including the Batman character, whom Dent supports, and Bruce Wayne, whom Dent writes off as a shallow playboy. No matter which persona is on screen though, Christian Bale once again nails them both.
Now while I realize I haven’t addressed every item you may have on that list, the only way for me to back up my guarantee is for you to go out and see The Dark Knight. Are there flaws in the film? Absolutely, but with a film that attempts to efficiently deal with so many ambitious plot lines, there are going to be a few frays in the threads. In fact, it’s an even stronger testament to the skill of Christopher Nolan and co-writer Jonathan Nolan that the faults in the movie are mostly nitpicks and minor pieces of a much bigger puzzle. If I could make a crude analogy, the film is sort of equivalent to cramming too many presents into one shopping bag. Sure, the bag is pretty heavy and you might keep scraping your legs on those annoyingly sharp box corners that are poking through, but oh my sweet mercy what a joy it is to finally unwrap everything in that bag. In fact, the primary problem with this film is that it’s so damn good, Nolan has set the bar astronomically high for himself and for audience expectations if he should choose to make a third installment. But in the meantime, he’s created something that will be talked about for years to come; something that already has been voted into IMDB.com’s Top 250 at #4 (above the previously mentioned Casablanca and Citizen Kane); something that has been praised so much already, anything you or I will say is just another drop in the praise pool; but most importantly, something that deserves all the praise it receives.
