I admit I was biased going into the film having looked forward to it greatly.
Even so… I was astounded. “The Dark Knight” deserves perhaps the attention it is receiving lately in the media. It is phenomenal. Many of us celebrated “Batman Begins” as the antidote to the silliness of the first few (modern) Batman films with Michael Keaton then George Clooney. Dark and edgy. Batman/Bruce Wayne as a tortured soul.
“The Dark Knight” is more than a worthy sequel to “Batman Begins” – it is perhaps an apotheosis. A “cinematic triumph” to use the tired but here appropriate cliche. The story. The writing. The sets. The action. The directing. Even the music. But the characters – who are part of the drama. (And is not drama a crucial part of effective art? What will happen? And how will the characters change?) And the acting.
I do not like to jump on bandwagons. I was never a big fan of Heath Ledger. (Not that I ever disliked him either.) But he dominates this film. Nay Heath Ledger does not dominate but rather a being called the Joker dominates. There is almost no Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” – there is only a personification of Chaos who borrows the body of Heath Ledger (who can only be seen beneath the makeup for a couple brief moments – appropriately enough when the Joker for brief moments is restrained).
In his first extended scene the Joker enters a room – actually a scene – with about two dozen criminal bosses and their lieutenants. Within seconds they turn into background against which the Joker manifests his dark and chaotic energy. His “magic trick” is one of the most brilliant moments of the entire film.
Collectively “The Dark Knight” evokes basic issues – it could take days to work through all the implications and arguments and insights. Social order versus social chaos. How to fight evil and crime. By the rules or not? And what happens to those upon whom we rely to fight evil and/or restore social order? What is the true nature of human beings – especially when under extreme stress? Terrorism versus civilization. The answers – rather the suggested answers – sometimes shock and surprise.
That is part of why the Joker is so evocative and disturbing. The criminals of Gotham City have rules – even sociopaths have a kind of code. The Joke has none. He has no rules. No code. He does whatever he wants. He does whatever he can. Efforts to promote “order and security” work partly – the film suggests – only because even criminals in part observe the rules. What happens when you face someone who does not?
See it.
Various reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.
