The Dark Knight: Full Review

By / July 21, 2008 /

There have been many Batman stories told in different types of media in the past 50 years. From the old radio shows to the 1943 serials, 1966 TV series comedy and the late 90s ultimate betrayal of the character ice skating around… coming full circle to the better then you would expect reboot with Christian Bale in 2005. None have come closer to envisioning The Batman as told from the story lines of “The Dark Victory” or “The Killing Joke”, than this one.

There have been many Jokers as well. Will you watch this and forget about Nicholson, Romero, or even you’re own imagination of the Joker incarnate? Heath Ledger in one of his final performances besides Terry Gilliam’s upcoming new film, does his best to carve his own way. The energy in the theater shifts when he is on the screen. His Joker is capable of anything at anytime, simply because he has nothing to lose. He doesn’t want money, he doesn’t want power, he wants chaos and he delivers it. There is no origin story. He creates his own story of his scars and lies about it throughout the entire movie with no one, not even the audience knowing the truth. He is nameless and shameless. If there ever was a character on screen that embodied evil, this is it.

Christian Bale suits up again and does even better. His character learns the true nature of himself and Bale performs it with aplomb. He is torn between doing what is right for himself and for the City of Gotham. This movie still delivers on action, two-and-a-half hours worth, but the battle is also much more cerebral. This is Batman, who is the detective and the only one capable of taking responsibility when things go wrong in his city.

This is really more than a Batman story. This is good and evil battling it out. One of the main themes of this film is that both sides need each other. Joker is the only one crazy enough to see that. His character’s belief is that anyone can be corrupted, even Harvey Dent, played to the chin by Aaron Eckhart. There are no ice skates here or stainless steel bat-suits, this is director Chris Nolan’s dark version that harkens back to The French Connection or Dog Day Afternoon. The cinematography by Wally Pfister is extraordinary, capturing the essence of darkness without letting us lose sight of any of the action. Much has been said about Ledger’s performance and indeed he does deserve an Oscar nod, but so does the editing. Edited by Lee Smith, the story interweaves in what otherwise could have been a confusing mess. Mr. Smith found a way to piece it all together to the most dramatic and combative conclusion.

Few summer movies have gotten such critical acclaim and blockbuster success at the same time. This one does indeed deserve both.