The Darkest Knight Shines Brightest

If you’ve ever come down off a high then you know what it feels like to leave a theater after seeing Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Words escape you. Your senses are readjusting from overwhelming stimuli. You breathe again for the first time. You try to reconcile what’ve you seen. You struggle to readjust yourself to world that’s a little less spectacular. Simply, there is no film, superhero or otherwise, this year as spectacular as The Dark Knight.

Nolan, along with screenwriter brother Jonathan, has crafted a masterpiece of drama that explores heroism, morality, and terror with fury and elegance. The ensemble cast (Bale, Ledger, Eckhart, Oldman, Caine, Freeman, Gyllenhal) deliver earnest nuanced performances that snatch their characters from their 2-D roots and render them as fabulously three dimensional human beings. The efforts cast and crew combine to create a story that is at once disheartening and promising. In The Dark Knight, Batman along with District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Gordon attempt to stamp out organized crime in Gotham when they are faced with an seemingly unstoppable menace in the form of The Joker. But The Dark Knight is more than Batman’s latest crusade against the villains of Gotham, it is a morality tale about the choices and compromises we are forced with in the face of overwhelming, and at times irrational, opposition. It is one of the most intellectual 9/11 films to arise from that tragedy, exploring and questioning the lengths protectors go to ensure the security of their communities against terrorist forces. It is the greatest superhero/comic movie ever committed to film and, at this moment, there is no opponent worthy enough to contest that title.

The Dark Knight achieves greatness on every level of filmmaking and storytelling. Visually, the film is amazing. The grounded realism of Gotham (or Chicagotham) makes the audience believe in this world. The city feels lived in. Like it’s heroes, Gotham is worn, weather-beaten and broken. Nolan’s choice to use a location shooting was successful in Batman Begins, but here it is perfected. Gone are the Narrows and the CGI WayneTrain, only the dirt and brick of a very real Gotham remain. To maximize the dark glory of Gotham, Nolan filmed several scenes in the IMAX format. This format allowed Nolan to expand the scope of certain scenes and demonstrate just how real, massive, and fragile Gotham is. Gotham is indeed fragile. In many of the superb action scenes, the city is purely battleground where everybody is a casualty. Nolan expertly orchestrates the destruction of Gotham, and Hong Kong in a fabulous infiltration scene that is more Bond and Borne than Batman, with amazing concertos of chaos. The opening bank robbery, the SWAT Wagon Chase, and the climactic battle over Gotham harbor are all paragons of suspense, tension, and violence. The action is The Dark Knight is never derivative and always flows organically from the conflicts between the main characters.

Performance-wise, the cast is truly unparalleled. The performances in The Dark Knight will be lauded for decades. Heath Ledger’s Joker is magnificent. There’s has never been an interpretation of The Joker as menacing, maniacal, and morbidly merry as Ledger’s. To steal a line from Mr. J, we deserved a better class of villain and Ledger delivered. Ledger’s Joker is an unpredictable force of chaos. The way he slinks, constantly chews, and gazes with twisted glee could frighten the staunchest hearts. Of particular note are Joker’s “disappearing pencil trick,” the intense interrogation with The Bat, and his disturbingly comic attack on Gotham General Hospital. This is a Joker to fear, and for that Ledger will always be remembered.

Not to be outdone by Ledger, Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart bring honest pathos to The Dark Knight, shining as the two-thirds of the Knights of Gotham. Bale continues his superior performance as the earthy, troubled Bruce Wayne, this time struggling with the price of vigilante crusade. The beauty of Bale’s Batman/Bruce Wayne lies in his understated humanistic yet heroic approach. For as disturbed as Bale’s Batman is, he is very human, responding to overwhelming with real frustration and proving himself heroic by doing what no one else will, or can, do. Ably aided by his anchors Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Batman has two wise father figures whose wry humor and spot-on insight prevent Batman from becoming as twisted as his rogues. Not to be unheralded is Gary Oldman’s Lieutenant Gordon. On screen, Gordon has never been as forceful or heroic as he is in Dark Knight. In Begins, Oldman’s Gordon was developing into a fearless Serpico for the 21^st Century, an honest, courageous cop who crusaded valiantly against corruption in the Gotham PD. In Dark Knight, Oldman pushes the character even further proving that Gordon is more than Batman’s authoritative liaison, but a staunch avenger in his own right. But among these heroes of Gotham, none shine as brightly and purely as District Attorney Harvey Dent. Eckhart’s Dent is a charismatic underdog crusader in the vein of Jimmy Stewart or Spencer Tracy. Dent is decent and earnest to a fault. He truly believes that despite the overwhelming darkness Gotham can be saved. Dent’s forthrightness earns him the support of Gotham’s other crusaders, Batman and Gordon. As the three embark on a mission to save Gotham , they will go down a path of compromise, disenchantment and tragedy that affects Harvey more than the others. Watching Eckhart guide Dent into a tragic spiral is a true feat and must be seen to be truly absorbed. I will not spoil Dent’s story (even though most of us know where it’s going), but it is truly heartbreaking to see what the evil of the world can do to the even the strongest will.

Indeed, the story of The Dark Knight could shake the most solid wills. What begins as an intelligent battle of wits between criminals, cops, and vigilantes escalates into a collision of wills between heroes who may be villains and villains who exceed the limits of that title. Comparing Dark Knight to Michael Mann’s Heat is beyond fair as much of the combat is psychological. The battle between Batman and Joker is a chess game played at its highest level. Before the two ever come to blows, they engage in intense games of cat-and-mouse to see who will determine the fate of Gotham. By the end, even the audience is unsure who is more of a threat to Gotham. The fact that I can talk about the psychology of characters in a “comic book film” speaks volumes about Nolan’s achievement. Nolan has removed the stigma of the comic film, one which relegates even the best comic films to summer memories come award season, and delivered a work of cinematic art. I applaud Nolan for not being satisfied with simply adapting the source material and aiming to create something the makes the audience think. As all great art encourages debate and discussion, so does The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight gives us pause and dares us to consider the price of safety and the compromise of heroism. In an age without heroes, Nolan has given us the story of a few brave souls who gave their all in the face of a losing battle and dared to shine against the darkest night.

Heroes suck, Villains rule!

With the release of The Dark Knight, and the overwhelming acclaim of Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker, many fans and critics have cited the stories of The Joker and, potential villain, Harvey Dent as superior to Batman’s. This creates a paradox: the movie is, technically, Batman’s, but the villains prove much more interesting. Why is this? Simple. While heroes represent the best of what we could be? Noble, brave, civic-minded. Villains, while often displaying our worst traits, reflect our desire to embrace individuality and break free from social constraints. Specifically, villains have four qualities that make them infinitely more interesting than the average superhero:

• Villains are agents of change
• Villains are patently individual
• Villains are fearless in the face of law and order (or at least they appear that way)
• Villains are outlaws who exist beyond systems that maintain order

First and foremost, villains are agents of change. In most cases, villains seek to enact change on their world rather than maintain the status quo. In the case of the Joker, he wishes to toss the world into to chaos just to see what will happen. In Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth sought to destroy, what he saw was an imperfect world. Despite terrorist tendencies, the arch nemesis of the X-Men, Magneto simply wanted to prevent the genocide of his people (mutants), and maybe create a world where his people are treated equally. Prince Nuada (Hellboy II) tried to prevent the extinction of his race (fantastic creatures), even if it meant the extinction of another, more obviously oppressive race (humans, as usual). Villains take the steps to change their world, sometimes for the better mostly for the worst. The best villains normally pave their way to hell with good intentions, consequences be damned. Unlike heroes who uphold the status quo (i.e. Superman, Green Lantern, Captain America, Iron Man, etc.) and aim to keep the world exactly as it is, villains dare to change world, whether we like it or not. Either way, you can’t hate someone for being proactive.

Second, villains are patently individual. Rarely are there two villains who are exactly alike. Villains are often more colorful than the primary color or basic black/white heroes. They have dazzling, attention grabbing costumes and weapons. Think of the Joker’s acid bathed green-purple-white-red ensemble, or maybe Green Goblin’s Halloween-style getup, or Dr. Doom’s retro-medieval toga and armor ensemble. Bottom line, most villains look cooler than heroes. Really, who wants to dress up like an intergalactic cop, wear their underwear outside a pair of tights, or drape themselves in a flag when you can rock a snazzy suit, creepy mask, or full regalia. Beyond the colorful costumes, villains operate in the grey matter of the moral spectrum. Their psychology is rarely black/white. Villains can be terrorist one day, anti-heroes the next. Magneto repeatedly works with the X-Men for the greater good. Lex Luthor constantly champions the will of the common man over the Superman. Dr. Doom once took over the world and made safer and more productive than ever. Villains break the rules because they, and in many cases they alone, look beyond the vision of the average, oppressed citizen.

Villains do not fear paragons of law and order. Most of us seize up when we see sirens in our rear view mirror, but do you think the Joker, Two-Face, or even The Sandman are worried about getting a speeding ticket. Fearlessness is a trait shared by heroes and villains. Both show courage in the face of odds that the average person cannot fathom. They will face a hail of gunfire, nuclear explosions and certain death, all in pursuit of their goal. Many of us barely have the courage to ask for a raise(though these days, that is quite risky), but can you imagine facing death for your convictions, or maybe just to get the money to feed your family.

Villains are outlaws who subvert the systems that oppress us. In almost every villain origin there is a point where the villain decides to buck the system. Two-Face chooses vigilantism over proper police procedure. Green Goblin prefers violent corporate takeovers that leave bodies and collateral damage in their wake. Lex Luthor uses money from his own business to fund any endeavor he chooses. The Joker believes in a world without rules. Or does he? Outlaws and rebels are always enticing to people who feel trapped by circumstance. They do what we wish to do. Break out. Kick ass. Take no prisoners. And live by our own rules. Their moral complexity never hampers their vision or their purpose. Rare is the villain who sits on the rooftop, musing about their daily angst. They’re too ambitious and driven to put. They know what they want and they are unafraid to go get it. They follow no rules but their own. They are devoted only to their needs and convictions. While this is less appealing than the noble, self-sacrifice of the hero, it speaks directly to the heart of man, a heart which is often selfish and petty, but always desires freedom.