The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight
2008 - Chris Nolan

The latest installment in the Batman pantheon is a dark and tumultous affair. Continuing 2005's Batman Begins, Gotham City police are about to close down the mafia that have run the city for so many years. Enter the Joker. He lets the mobsters know (in no uncertain terms) that the only they can regain control is to get rid of Batman; and from here battle for the city has been engaged.

The dilemna facing Batman now is simple - can he restore order to Gotham using his vigilante methods? And as much as this film is different from previous Batman incarnations, the vigilante question remains. Law enforcement in this Gotham not only have to take care of the criminals, but also the Batman copybats. Bruce Wayne can see a faint glimmering that he may be able to regain his own life, and maybe even his childhood sweetheart, with the appearance of Gotham's white knight, Harvey Dent. The two contrast in appearance as much as they do in their reaction to the Joker's antics.

This Gotham is very realistic albeit still very dark. This realism was emphasized by the director's restraint with car crashes: instead of the usual fiery explosion when a car was wrecked, or a semi flipped, it did not immediately burst into a fountain of flames. That is not to say there is a shortage of fireballs - the Joker was quite capable in orchestrating them. Some of the chase sequences were filmed in the IMAX format, this is also supposed to add extra clarity to the pictures as well.

The Joker is complex and serious, not at all a funny guy. He appears to take great joy in wanton killing sprees, not really worried about whether he is killing cops or criminals. Of course he really wants to engage the Batman - this is his reason for existence; he is Batman's yang. Ledger's performance of the Joker also lends to the realism of the movie - this clown is very much a twisted and disturbed mind. He is a media mastermind and expert at infiltrating every layer of Gotham's law enforcement offices. You get the feeling that he is everywhere all of the time. If the buzz about a nomination for Ledger comes to pass it will be well deserved - he is the after all, the high light of the movie.

Even though the movie is on the longish side at 2:32, it never feels long - it picks up right from the beginning and never really slows down. Despite the brisk pacing, the central morality play does weigh things down a bit, making for a heavy and serious batman. If you are looking for the light-hearted campy Batman, you won't find him here. If you are looking for a truly evil villain and an uncertain superhero you'll be right at home in Gotham City.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/