Jul 24, 2008 05:10 PM
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If there was one movie which I was eagerly awaiting for it was The Dark Knight. And many reasons for it.
Christopher Nolan, one of my favorite directors, with such movies like the Prestige, Insomnia, Memento and of course the best Batman in the series, Batman Begins.
Christian Bale, one of the best actors in Hollywood now, with a series of stunning performances inPrestige, American Pyscho, Equilibrium and of course the best actor to don the black cape and mask in Batman Begins.
A series of ensemble talent in Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Aaron Ekchart who can light up any scene with their acting.
And of course Heath Ledger, my other favorite actor, with some solid performances in Brokeback Mountain, The Brothers Grimm. But here he was taking on the role of the Joker, a role immortalized by Jack Nicholson in 1989. As also the fact that tragically this was Ledgers last movie. Can he live up to that?
The Story
The movie starts off with the Joker( Heath Ledger) robbing a bank and double crossing his accomplices for the money. Batman aka Bruce Wayne( Christian Bale)meanwhile along with the police comissioner of Gotham City, Lt James Gordon( Gary Oldman),contemplates bringing in the new district attorney Harvey Dent( Aaron Ekchart)to fight the mob. The reasoning is that Dent could be the hero to Gotham City, what Batman never was. Things have not been made better by crooks making use of the Batman suit, and bringing a bad name to him.
The mob turns to the Joker, after Batman apprehends one of their men, to help them fight him. The Joker makes an announcement that unless Batman turns himself to the cops, more and more people shall die. Batman decides to do so after the Joker goes on a killing spree. Dent meanwhile trys to draw out the Joker claiming he is the Batman, however just as the Joker is about to kill him, the real Batman and Lt.Gordon arrive, and save him. The Joker is apprehended and during interrogation reveals thatRachel Dawes( Maggie Gyllenhal) his love interest and Dent are in danger.
Batman tries to save them, but in vain as Rachel dies, and while Dent escapes, one half of his face is burnt. Dent meanwhile blames Batman for his misery and Rachel's death, whom he also loves. The Joker meanwhile instigates Dent against Batman, Gordon, and rival mobsters. Watch the rest of the movie to see how Batman battles the Joker, while facing up to another nemesis Harvey Dent aka Two Face.
Christopher Nolan created one of the best Batman movies with Batman Begins, and he again shows that skill in the Dark Knight. Nolan as can be seen from movies like Insomnia, Memento and Prestige, is a maestro at characterization and executing in multiple layers. Of all the superheroes, the Batman is the most complex and the darkest also, something right up Nolan's alley. Here there are different levels at which Nolan works on, Batman vs Bruce Wayne, where Wayne is quite weary and unsure about his alter ego.
Another angle is Batman vs Harvey Dent aka Two Face. One source of conflict is the love triangle between Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes. Another one arrives later when angry with Batman, Dent himself becomes a vigilante, going on a killing spree. The method of Dent flipping a coin and then eliminating his rival, seems to have been influenced by No Country for Old Men.
And the main one Batman vs Joker. In 1989, people saw Batman for the Joker, and this time though Christian Bale is a far better actor than Michael Keaton, people still flock for the Joker. The Joker is a villian, whom you just cant ignore. Like Gabbar Singh, he is the guy who terrorizes Gotham City, with sheer evil and malevolence. We are given more insights to his unhappy childhood, especially when his father attacked his mother with a knife."Lets put a smile on that face" and"Why so serious" are going to be two cult classic quotes, for sure. And the classic line he delivers to Batman **" What would I do without you? ... You complete me".
*And for all those who love their thrills, chills and spills there is enough. The opening heist scene, Batman's capture of the Chinese mob accountant Lau, and a superb chase scene between the Batman on his Batpod and the Joker in a truck.
And then the performances from the ensemble cast. Michael Caine as Bruce Wayne's loyal butler cum advisor Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, who makes most of Batman's equipment are as solid as ever. And so is Gary Oldmanas the honest Lt. Gordon.
Aaron Eckhart who mostly appeared in indie ventures like Thank You For Smoking, gets an excellent role as Harvey "Two Face" Dent, and makes the most of it. Christian Bale, apart from proving he is one of the excellent actors in Hollywood, also proves that he is the best actor period, to don the role of Batman. He makes us care for the man in the suit.
And yes of course the prime reason- Heath Ledger. Taking up a role immortalized by Jack Nicholson in 1989, would be a challenge for any one. Could Ledger live up to it? And yes he does. Heath Ledger does not try to be Jack Nicholson, and that makes all the difference. Where Jack's was an over the top, part comic portrayal, Heath gives his own interpretation to the character. He makes it more evil, more menancing, more siniser. Portraying a conflicted, troubled, pyschopatic individual, he chills you with his gestures. Heath could end up winning the Best Actor posthomously, but one thing for sure, Heath Ledger's Joker will soon make it to the top spot in the list of screen baddies. Hannibal Lecter, Keyser Soze and co, move over, it is the Joker who is going to make it now.
