The Dark Knight - A Review

This is an old post written after the ecstatic first viewing of "The Dark Knight", one of my all time favorite movies, when the film first released here in Pune. I am reproducing it here again as a submission for the Reel-life Bloggers contest run by wogma and reviewgang.

The Knight is Darkest

I am incoherent (should probably turn off the TV).

The anticipation was there for the last three years. The excitement, had now become palpable. It had become almost too hard to concentrate on work. I don't remember the last time I got this excited. May be it was the hype. May be it was the raves being showered already by the critics. But mostly, it was curiosity, I suppose. Can the Bat seem plausible in the real world past its origins? How do they make it real, this time?

But first, my story till the multiplex. Ah.. no, doesn't matter anymore. Suffice to say that it involved waiting, more waiting, tickets, cancellation (Are you Serious), disappointment, more waiting, tickets, waiting, traffic jam, parking full (Oh.. no!!), parking open, running, settling in the seat, just in time.

Back to the earlier question. Do they succeed in fitting the Bat in Big Apple? Yes, very much so. Does the Joker provide a plausible enemy? Yes. Does the Joker rise to become a formidable foe? Yes. Are the encounters engaging enough? Yes. Are they spectacular? Yes. Do we know more about Batman? Yes. Does the Bat's character progress? Yes. Are performances competent? Very much so. Are there wow-inspiring shots? Yes. Is the movie as atmospheric as a Batman movie should be? Yes, even in the real world. Finally, does Heath ledger perform as well as everyone is raving about? He nails it.

A word about character development. The Nolan brothers impress again in this regard. Every central character in the movie is well fleshed out. The Joker's was obvious as he was the movies, er, joker. But the attention given to DA Harvey Dents character is impressive. The character is quite likable and almost has leading man potential which should be probably in part be credited to Eckhart's performance. He keeps the character fallible yet sympathetic and believable even when he turns a raging maniac. Freeman has been given more scope in terms of role play. But I was impressed by Michael Caine as Alfred. He is the pillar to both Batman and Bruce Wayne and provides that much needed support when either of them lose sight of their purpose. He is the Bat philosophy. Caine eeks out a finely balanced performance. Gary Oldman as the commissioner of police is good. Probably one of the normal guy characters in a franchise which is so full of dark, twisted tones. But I don't find his character as strong or in need of any more fleshing out than what has already been done in this movie. About Rachel Daws, I certainly wasn't expecting the twist. So, that was bit of a surprise. Maggie Gyllenhaal does well.

Now, lets move on to the two central characters - Batman and the Joker. From now on, if somebody says Joker, it should always remind everyone of this one. The conception is brilliant. The entry is nothing short of superb. It should end up as the one of the most iconic shots ever. The Joker is pure evil. He has no sympathy. He only has disdain for everyone save for one, Batman. Because he to him, is an able adversary, a worthy conquest. He has a maniacal zeal that resembles enthusiasm more than wicked fury. And he is scarily believable. Heath Ledger has given performance of a lifetime. His was cut short. He will live on with us. As the Joker, he is entertainingly creepy and scares the wits out of everyone. I don't even remember Jack Nicholson's Joker after this one. But probably its unfair to compare the two performances as the tones of the two films are completely different. But I can safely say that Heath has outdone Jack Nicholson in in dark demeanor stakes. I sincerely hope that his portrayal does not evoke mindless followers in the real world.

I would be disappointed if someone else was given the Oscar. Its not his tragic death that evokes this emotion but the pure genius of his portrayal. We have been denied a great and versatile actor.

Now, what about Batman? I don't think The Bat's character has been dissected so well in any other movie. I am sure I will see more of it as I have a second or third repeat viewing. He certainly has been given a hard time. He has been made to make tough choices. Batman struggles. By the end of the movie, he loses more than he gains. But by bearing the emotional cost, by sticking to the general good, he ultimately remains the Hero, he should be. He frees himself. Bale gives a finely matched performance. He ultimately wins approval as both Bruce Wayne and Batman.

This film has given me what I missed primarily in Batman Begins. An uncompromisingly evil Villain. Because idealists, as the League of the Shadows, can't inspire awe and fright. They merely evoke the need for removal. The movie, then, becomes a bit too dependent on pyrotechnics. To match the Batman, one needs more than that. Because Batman has an emotional core that needs to be matched. The Joker completes Batman. This movie, then, is not dependent on the big action sequences that are prerequisites of a big Summer blockbuster. They are there but as required ingredients rather than the sole purpose of the meal. The real fireworks, come from the drama and choices the characters have to make.

The length of the movie is testimony to the detail put in for each character. At two and half hours, the movie ends up a bit longer than expected. But I certainly didn't end up grudging that. To be honest though, I was a bit worried about the other audience in the hall. But somehow the movie struck a chord with the audience which is rare for a summer actioner. To my surprise, I was audience to a spontaneous applause as the credits rolled. Imagine that for a supposedly popcorn flick! This brings me to the ending. The choice of the ending is a bit bold, rather unsettling. The Bat chooses to be an outlaw, hunted. I am not sure if that's the way, Batman is intended to be. May be it is. In a way, it seemed closure for Nolan and Batman. To me it seemed that Nolan is taking his last bow. I sincerely hope not. If he does take up the mantle again, I will be very curious as to how they move forward in the direction they have taken. How does anyone go forward from here? Only time will tell.

By the first half ended, I had already got everything I had come for. I sat transfixed letting it unfold and soaking it all in. Even if the movie had ended there, at one and half hours, I had got all that I wanted to see. So, anything more was just a bonus. The next hour didn't let me down either. When I came out of the theater, I was wrestling with two words - magnificent and mind blowing. I couldn't settle on either. It is too dark to be magnificent. It is too disturbing to be mind blowing. But I could finally believe in the Knight. And he is the darkest.

(Probably, a second viewing will make me look at things a little more in perspective.)