SMT Weekly Flick by Paul Krismanits
Batman (Christian Bale) interrogates The Joker (Heath Ledger).
Why So Serious?
The Dark Knight (Rated PG-13) 152 mins.
When Batman Begins opened three years ago there were a great deal of skeptics. Just a few years before the Batman franchise had reached an all-time low with the horrendous Batman & Robin, and there were few out there who truly believed Batman could be made a relevant movie character again. But then something happened, a miracle really. Batman became real. Gone was the cartoonish invulnerability of previous incarnations, replaced by a very human character. This Batman was no superhero above the realm of normal human ability, he was just a man trying to make a difference. He could be hurt, both physically and emotionally, and he had limits. Not only this, but the film itself was both brilliantly acted and directed, altogether outdoing not only every other Batman film to date, but most other movies period. Batman Begins more than revived the beloved Batman character, it made us care more than ever before, and it left everyone wanting more. Three years later, we have gotten our wish.
The Dark Knight takes place a little over a year after Begins ended. Batman’s assault on Gotham’s underworld has begun to yield major results, and all of Gotham is beginning to clean up. Inspired by their caped crusader, the people of Gotham have begun to stand up to the mob which has run the town for so many years. Helping greatly is the new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who has taken a public stand against the criminal element of the city (giving him the title of “Gotham’s White Knight”), and Jim Gordon, the police Lieutenant who runs an undercover unit and acts as liaison with Batman. Outwardly, everything seem to be on the right path, but there is an undercurrent of activity going on in the criminal world. There is a new face in town, a man known only as the Joker, and he has big plans for Gotham… and Batman. As far as the plot goes, I will say no more, except that it proves to be more intricate and intriguing than any film in years. The Dark Knight is not an entertaining film as much as it is an experience. Christopher Nolan (who produced, directed, and co-wrote the film) has created a masterpiece on every level.
As in Begins, The Dark Knight is about Batman the man, and we see the man challenged as he has never been before. Christian Bale once again assumes the mantle of the bat, and he perfectly embodies Bruce Wayne. He is once again joined by Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, and Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, and they are all excellent as would be expected. The same be said of newcomers Maggie Gyllenhaal (who replaces Katie Holmes as Bruce’s love-interest Rachel Dawes) and Aaron Eckhart (as Harvey Dent). And while every single performance is dead-on, it would be a bad joke to pretend that Heath Ledger as the Joker does not steal the show. He is incredible, giving a performance for the ages which will both haunt and fascinate viewers from now until forever. If a posthumous Oscar is not in store for the man after this, then my faith in the Academy will forever be lost.
With an ensemble cast and characters, epic cinematography, and a story almost Shakespearean in nature, The Dark Knight is a film that is as flawless as anything I have ever seen. This is not a comic book movie, it is a film of the highest order. Batman’s struggle with the Joker takes the viewer into a battle of wills which rivals anything ever put on the screen and can only be described as unforgettable. Ledger’s Joker is a man who cares about nothing but disrupting “the established order” to create chaos, giving him no rules by which he must play. He is the opposite of everything Batman stands for, and as a result pushes him farther than he cares to go. “I know what I must become to stop a man like him,” Wayne remarks at one point, and we all wonder if he can really go there. The Dark Knight shows us. This is a movie about good and evil, it is about hope, faith, and the loss of both. It is about integrity, morality, love, and sacrifice. And it is about the choices we make in the direst of situations.
The Dark Knight is not only the best film of the year, but of the last five. To not see it because of its comic origins would be to rob oneself of an exquisite experience. It is Mozart opposite a sea of Salieris. The film is dark, and scary, and it is not for the youngest viewers as a result (although there is minimum swearing and no sex), but it is from that darkness it inspires. As Harvey Dent says, “the night is always darkest before the dawn.” As far as films go, this Knight could not shine any brighter.
SCORE: 5/5
