THE DARK KNIGHT

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The Dark Knight was one of the most anticipated films of the summer, made obvious by the overwhelming box-office records of the opening weekend. The publicity of the film has been tremendous from teaser trailers to a special edition DVD release of the original, Batman Begins. With previous Batman series sequels having been progressively more and more disappointing, we had to hope that maybe this time around, somebody might get it right… and somebody did. The Dark Knight was the single most satisfying film of the summer and will continue to reel in the crowds, including those who have already seen it.

The plot is seamlessly continued from the first film without dwelling too much into the past. A brief cameo by the Scarecrow brings us up to date and ready to demand payment for the clever cliffhanger left to us in the first: Lieutenant Gordon’s delivery of the Joker card to Batman. Fans of the first film, the comic books, and the Batman legend were squirming in their seats with anticipation. Frank Miller’s newer generation of graphic novels is brought to the screen with as much depth and psychologically twisted chaos as one would expect out of director Christopher Nolan (of Memento fame) in 27 shades of black.

Every cast member holds his own to the monumental storyline presented to us by Nolan and his co-writer and brother Jonathon Nolan. Christian Bale returns as the Dark Knight staying true to his original portrayal, with only a slight lapse in the climax to a certain character’s unfortunate end. We would have expected more from Bruce Wayne, at least. Overall, Bale has come back fierce, stronger and more confident in this role attempted by so many, with a few more impressive stunts.

With Maggie Gyllenhall introduced in the character of Rachel Dawes and the new face of Aaron Eckhart as the District Attorney Harvey Dent and later Harvey Two-Face, we see that adding new talents has not hurt the chemistry at all. Gyllenhaal enters the series fresh, picking up where Katie Holmes left off and leaves what is surprisingly, a good impression. She makes the character her own without reminding us that she is a replacement, despite her starkly different look. Eckhart both charms and disgusts us in his well-played transition from town hero to villain.

Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, and Gary Oldman as Lt. James Gordon all return in their roles, each bringing something familiar and something new to the screen. Each role seems to pick up right where it left and builds as the movie develops. It is a pleasing to go to a movie that keeps us interested in each character’s individual presence and story. Caine provides witty relief and a father-figure presence and with excellent comic delivery. Freeman’s Fox character evolves and challenges Wayne on an ethical level, bringing the story once again into a deeper reality than other comic-book protégés do. Oldman allows us into the character of Gordon and his personal life, affecting that of Batman’s and continuing on with the classic Batman story. We expect greatness out of such experienced actors, and are happy that they do not let us down.

The performance most anticipated however, and for good reason, was that of the late Heath Ledger in the role of the Joker. His portrayal of the Iconic villain has taken a tremendous leap from the goofy prankster of Caesar Romero and creepy funny man Jack Nicholson, and turned it into something far more sinister and far more raw. Ledger steals the screen away from any sense of safety and brings us to the brink of darkness, dangles us over it with a manic laugh, and then plunges us in. What is perhaps the scariest part of this twisted clown and psychopathic criminal mastermind is how real Ledger makes him in both his speech and his mannerisms. Gone are the days of the high pitched madman and here he is now, in all of his chaotic glory ready to take on the Bat. Bale’s and Ledger’s play off of each other is brilliant. They go through stirring stretches to make the villain and hero not just face off, but “complete” each other as the psychotic yin and yang of comic book epics.

Despite the ominous and pleasing shadows cast by the suspense of the movie, it is not without its brief moments of humor and reasons to smile. The theme of humanity is stressed, even in the darkest of times. The more you watch the more you see the two faces of humanity, the dark and the light, and as you watch them both appear in every character you greater appreciate the depth of it all.

On a technical note, Nolan mirrors the emotions of the story wonderfully once again. We were especially struck by the smooth and dark color scheme as well as the master sound mixing that effortlessly pulls the audience in and then takes us on an audio thrill ride of sorts. The simple roar of the Batmobile or crisp effects under Batman’s glider transport us even further into Gotham City and Batman’s legend and leave us with a taste of modern effect capabilities.

What really makes The Dark Knight a great sequel is that it does not overdo it. It is simple and crisp, from lighting and sound to the graphics and the costumes. It is anchored in a gritty reality and underlined with such depth that The Dark Knight makes other comic book movies seem like just Sunday Morning Cartoons rather than modern masterpieces. Nolan takes what we liked about the first movie and elaborates upon it almost nonchalantly. It just fits. There are things for the old fans and for the new fans, from the bat cycle and a whole new arsenal of technology and gadgets to a new villain and a new Commissioner.

This movie is fast paced despite its length, romantic, tragic, and sometimes sadistic and twisted. The only truly disappointing part is that it left us desperately wanting more and not knowing when we will get it or in fact what we will get. As long as the next movie is as fulfilling as this one, we are prepared to wait.

 

* this review was writen by C. Eversoll and J. Duggan*