‘Dark Knight’ Raises the Bat-Bar to New Heights

There’s a large group of people who claim that comic book heroes are the modern day Greek myths, that Batman, Spiderman, and Superman are the new representations of our flawed yet eternal selves. I admit that I was one of the people who laughed at the notion and said smugly “Comic books are just comic books, nothing more.” But with the release of the insightful and provocative new film ‘The Dark Knight’, I may have to whistle a different tune. For ‘The Dark Knight’ gives us an entirely new and epic vision of a timeless hero that we know all too well. But not only that, it forces us to ask hard questions of sacrifice, responsibility, and doing the right thing that in no way talks down to us or goes overboard. It is quite simply, a masterpiece.

The sequel to the 2005 hit ‘Batman Begins,’ has reinvented the character of Batman but kept his struggles and themes of psychological duality the same. In this version, Batman (Christian Bale) fights his most famous advisory, the Joker (the late Heath Ledger), only he isn’t born by falling into a giant tub of chemicals, this Joker is the victim of an abusive and psychologically damaging childhood. On top of that, this Joker isn’t as suave or as funny as many past renditions (Jack Nicholson, Cesar Romero, Mark Hamil, ect), this Joker is a straight up psychopathic terrorist. That’s not to say he doesn’t have his funny moments, but this Joker seems a lot more like a real life serial killer then he does a comic book super villain.

The Joker's plan is along the same lines of the character we grew up with: he doesn’t want money, fame, or power, he just wants to make everybody’s life miserable. He threatens to kill hundreds if one person doesn’t die, he forces innocent civilians to chose between life or death, and he delights in attempting to break down and mentally cripple the only person who can stop him, Batman. In order to prevent this mad man’s reign of terror, Batman calls upon the help of the few people who still believe the people of Gotham are worth saving: Police Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and his old girlfriend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal replacing Katie Holmes).

But Batman’s (or rather Bruce Wayne’s) friends can only do so much. It is ultimately the caped crusader that the Joker wants, and the only person who can destroy him. Through a series of terrorist acts and psychological tortures, Batman constantly struggles with his own morals and mortality to try and save the city while keeping his ethics and his sanity. But the Joker is a hard person to stay ethical around, as the only thing that brings him joy is lower people to his level and spreading his onslaught of chaos.

‘The Dark knight’ is the first comic book franchise movie I’ve seen that is not intended for children in any way, shape, or form. Even comic book movies that are rated R like ‘Sin City’ or ‘Blade’ are often aimed at the ’13 and up’ crowd. But ‘The Dark Knight’ asks tough questions and in no way cops out or gives us a safe happy ending, it is brutal, dark, and heavy in adult themes. People wishing for a traditional comic book movie will get something very different, but in a way, it is still an evolution of that art form. Batman has evolved from child friendly serials to gut retching drama. And even though Batman has always been very dark in nature, this is certainly the darkest and most grown up of the big screen versions. There is action, there are effects, and there are people in costumes, but the film somehow grounds us in a reality that seems very close to home, and no longer seems like “just a comic book movie.” It is deeper, it is stronger, and it is powerful film making.

Christian Bale does well as the Dark Knight and Heath Ledger is often quite terrifying as the Joker. Both actors are taking on roles that many of us have cemented in our minds from past versions and yet give their own fresh and equally impressive take on the role. I only have but one problem with the film, it is minor but it does make a difference; the Batman suit is…well, silly. The mask often looks too thick, the suit has strange indentations, and the cape looks like something bought at a Halloween store (half the colors don’t even match). When Keaton first appeared in his bat-suit, demanded respect, authority, and even fear. This bat-suit looks very military based, which is fine, but it doesn’t look very threatening, which I believe was Batman’s original idea. Sometimes I did catch myself giggling when I saw his long pointy nose peeking out from behind the shadows, and that’s probably not the effect that the movie had in mind. But this is just a small dent in an otherwise superior masterwork. Director Christopher Nolan has not only reinvented the Batman franchise, but he has redefined the whole genre of the comic book movie, which will no doubt have a large effect on future films.

So who will like it? People who are fans of Batman will love it, as will many people who are not. Anyone who is a fan of intense thrills and haunting ethical dramas will talk about this movie long after it’s over.

Who won’t like it? Fans of the more innocent and comical Batmans of the past will probably think this film is too serious for its own good. Most children will be either bored or terrified of this movie. I’m not sure why it got a PG-13 rating, but it definitely deserved to be an R (unless your 13 year old isn’t scared of carving bloody smiles or faces that are half melted off).

My thoughts? ‘The Dark Knight’ is spectacular. It’s dark, disturbing, meaningful, and uncompromising. It takes big risks that have big payoffs, and has truly raised the bar for other comic book movies that proceed it. It is a landmark that many should see and discuss. It not only matches the Batman films of the past years, it surpasses them. It has left its mark on the Batman franchise as well as on cinema. It truly is, I am forced to admit, a modern day Greek epic.

Douglas Darien is a featured writer for Xomba.com. Read the rest of his work here or visit his website www.thatguywiththeglasses.com