The Dark Knight
4/4
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Some Menace
Without a doubt, Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" was the most talked-about movie of 2008. Much of that had to do with the flawless use of viral marketing, a relatively new form of advertisement at the time, but by and large most of it had to do with the sudden death of its star, Heath Ledger a few months before it was released. I remember going to the Chase Park Plaza theater to see it, and people were lining up in droves. Not since "The Phantom Menace" was their a movie that was this anticipated. Still, with all the hype and excitement, few people were prepared for the megapunch that Christopher Nolan had unleashed.
The story takes place six months after "Batman Begins." Bruce Wayne/Batman (Bale), Lietenant Jim Gordon (Oldman) are taking down the mob in Gotham City. The criminals are getting desperate, and in comes The Joker (Ledger), an oddball in clown makeup and a Glasgow smile. He offers them a deal: for half of their combined assets, he'll kill the Batman. They agree, and he unleashes a reign of terror that will bring Gotham City to its knees.
What makes Nolan's "The Dark Knight" stand out is not its grim tone (although no one is going to call this lighthearted), but the fact that it shows how normally good people can do terrible things when they're pushed to the limit. As the Joker puts it, when everything goes according to plan, no one panics. But when you introduce a little anarchy into the equation, that's when things descend into madness.
And that's exactly what the Joker does. Forget the cartoons or Jack Nicholson. Nolan and Ledger's Joker is a new breed of villain. This is a deranged psychopath who delights in causing chaos. He wreaks havoc not by killing people (although he does do that), but by putting them into impossible moral positions. Kill one famous person, or face the destruction of a whole building. It's the ultimate ethical argument, and by putting devastating consequences on either side, The Joker is able to bring about complete anarchy.
The best performance in the movie is given by Heath Ledger. Say what you want about the awards going to him only because he died suddenly (there is merit to this argument...action movies rarely get any awards recognition), but you'll change your mind when you see his performance in "The Dark Knight." Never has Batman faced a villain this vicious. He's an complete sociopath, and his motives are simple: he has none. He's causing chaos because he thinks it's fun.
The other performers are good as well. Christian Bale, the great character actor that he is, slides effortlessly back into the role as the billionaire playboy with a secret identity. Michael Caine returns as Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler and confidant, Morgan Freeman is also back as the Q-like Lucius Fox. Finally, Gary Oldman once again plays Jim Gordon, the heroic cop. New additions are Maggie Gyllenhaal, taking over for Katie Holmes as Bruce's love interest, Rachel Dawes, and Neil Labute regular Aaron Eckhart, who plays "Gotham's White Knight," Harvey Dent. Gyllenhaal has the tougher job; she's playing a role that the public has already accepted as someone else. The gifted actress is more than up to the task, and she makes the role her own. In fact, one can argue that she's superior to Mrs. Tom Cruise. Eckhart is also very good. He's all wit and optimism, and he believes his own press. But with every rise, there is certain to be a fall.
Christopher Nolan is one of the hottest names in the film industry these days, and it's not hard to see why. He knows how to tell a story that appeals to both our intellect and our emotions. His use of desaturated colors is terrific, and he can generate a considerable amount of tension.
And yet, I am not among the fanboys who say this is "the best film ever!" Nor am I among the critics who give the film a coveted four star rating (two of my favorite critics, Roger Ebert and James Berardinelli, did). Why? I'm not so sure. The whole thing doesn't quite mesh perfectly, I guess you could say. Maybe it's because I never believed that anything could happen at any time. Maybe it's because there are little clips that seem to be missing here and there. I've seen this movie a number of times, and I'm still not sure.
That being said, it' a great movie, and I enjoyed it. And lest I still seem reserved about my praise for the movie, I am very excited for the sequel.
Revision: Originally, I gave this film a 3.5/4, and after viewing the film a few times, I realize that this is inaccurate. The thing is that this film is so complex and so thematically dense that with all the adrenaline and terror that Christopher Nolan generates, it's easy to lose sight of what the film is saying. But if you really pay attention, it is there. The line between heroism and vigilantism, what pushes people to anarchy. Nolan never lets us catch our breath for a second. That alone is worth the 4/4.
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Some Menace
Without a doubt, Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" was the most talked-about movie of 2008. Much of that had to do with the flawless use of viral marketing, a relatively new form of advertisement at the time, but by and large most of it had to do with the sudden death of its star, Heath Ledger a few months before it was released. I remember going to the Chase Park Plaza theater to see it, and people were lining up in droves. Not since "The Phantom Menace" was their a movie that was this anticipated. Still, with all the hype and excitement, few people were prepared for the megapunch that Christopher Nolan had unleashed.
The story takes place six months after "Batman Begins." Bruce Wayne/Batman (Bale), Lietenant Jim Gordon (Oldman) are taking down the mob in Gotham City. The criminals are getting desperate, and in comes The Joker (Ledger), an oddball in clown makeup and a Glasgow smile. He offers them a deal: for half of their combined assets, he'll kill the Batman. They agree, and he unleashes a reign of terror that will bring Gotham City to its knees.
What makes Nolan's "The Dark Knight" stand out is not its grim tone (although no one is going to call this lighthearted), but the fact that it shows how normally good people can do terrible things when they're pushed to the limit. As the Joker puts it, when everything goes according to plan, no one panics. But when you introduce a little anarchy into the equation, that's when things descend into madness.
And that's exactly what the Joker does. Forget the cartoons or Jack Nicholson. Nolan and Ledger's Joker is a new breed of villain. This is a deranged psychopath who delights in causing chaos. He wreaks havoc not by killing people (although he does do that), but by putting them into impossible moral positions. Kill one famous person, or face the destruction of a whole building. It's the ultimate ethical argument, and by putting devastating consequences on either side, The Joker is able to bring about complete anarchy.
The best performance in the movie is given by Heath Ledger. Say what you want about the awards going to him only because he died suddenly (there is merit to this argument...action movies rarely get any awards recognition), but you'll change your mind when you see his performance in "The Dark Knight." Never has Batman faced a villain this vicious. He's an complete sociopath, and his motives are simple: he has none. He's causing chaos because he thinks it's fun.
The other performers are good as well. Christian Bale, the great character actor that he is, slides effortlessly back into the role as the billionaire playboy with a secret identity. Michael Caine returns as Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler and confidant, Morgan Freeman is also back as the Q-like Lucius Fox. Finally, Gary Oldman once again plays Jim Gordon, the heroic cop. New additions are Maggie Gyllenhaal, taking over for Katie Holmes as Bruce's love interest, Rachel Dawes, and Neil Labute regular Aaron Eckhart, who plays "Gotham's White Knight," Harvey Dent. Gyllenhaal has the tougher job; she's playing a role that the public has already accepted as someone else. The gifted actress is more than up to the task, and she makes the role her own. In fact, one can argue that she's superior to Mrs. Tom Cruise. Eckhart is also very good. He's all wit and optimism, and he believes his own press. But with every rise, there is certain to be a fall.
Christopher Nolan is one of the hottest names in the film industry these days, and it's not hard to see why. He knows how to tell a story that appeals to both our intellect and our emotions. His use of desaturated colors is terrific, and he can generate a considerable amount of tension.
And yet, I am not among the fanboys who say this is "the best film ever!" Nor am I among the critics who give the film a coveted four star rating (two of my favorite critics, Roger Ebert and James Berardinelli, did). Why? I'm not so sure. The whole thing doesn't quite mesh perfectly, I guess you could say. Maybe it's because I never believed that anything could happen at any time. Maybe it's because there are little clips that seem to be missing here and there. I've seen this movie a number of times, and I'm still not sure.
That being said, it' a great movie, and I enjoyed it. And lest I still seem reserved about my praise for the movie, I am very excited for the sequel.
Revision: Originally, I gave this film a 3.5/4, and after viewing the film a few times, I realize that this is inaccurate. The thing is that this film is so complex and so thematically dense that with all the adrenaline and terror that Christopher Nolan generates, it's easy to lose sight of what the film is saying. But if you really pay attention, it is there. The line between heroism and vigilantism, what pushes people to anarchy. Nolan never lets us catch our breath for a second. That alone is worth the 4/4.
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