The B-List: Dark Knight's Soul Emerges After Struggle
July 30th 2008 02:35
It’s taken me almost 24 hours to absorb the experience that is The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s latest addition to the Batman canon.
And, I’ll be the first to say it, it was different. Even unexpected.
I think I have probably been gorging on the shock and awe approaches of the other Super Hero films this Summer – Iron Man and Incredible Hulk - and therefore forgot that in the pantheon of hero-dom, The Caped Crusader is one different dude. No real super powers, no rocket-launching suit or titanium heart, no mutantism or super-human strength. Just a very human guy, driven by a deeply burning fire - and a fear of bats.
So I initially felt disappointed at the, pun intended, depressing darkness of this film. Yet everything else about the movie suggested I should have enjoyed it. The acting – outstanding; Christian Bale at his sullen, melancholic best, Heath Ledger, as good as the hype – chilling and downright scary - and a stellar support crew – although Maggie Gyllenhaal wasn’t a patch on Katie Holmes.
The cinematography, awesome. The action, intense, and engaging. The story, complex and enthralling. On the downside was a level of violence I did not expect, even of a PG-13 movie. It was out there, pushing the boundaries of the rating. I doubt I’ll let my kids see The Dark Knight until they are 21, let alone 13, and am surprised that it maintained a PG-13 rating. And I’m not talking about high levels of action, or intensity, but rather the extreme physical and psychological malevolence that was manifest. Out of nowhere, a pair of "JC"s were used in the dialogue towards the end of the movie – the use of which bothers me more than anything other than the F-bomb - which were disappointing infractions in an otherwise clean script, considering said malevolence.
But make no mistake, The Dark Knight is not some airy-fairy piece of cinematic fluff. It is an adult movie designed for grown ups, in a genre that usually asks little of the audience. And despite my initial surprise at the struggle it was to appreciate this film it was worth it. Indeed, it was this very effort, that like Batman himself, set The Dark Knight apart from rest of the superhero genre.
One thing is for sure, like it or hate it, whomever it is that coins the phrases for the movie industry has some work to do, for clearly, ‘Blockbuster’ is a corny and hackneyed term for what we have seen with the The Dark Knight.
And, I’ll be the first to say it, it was different. Even unexpected.
I think I have probably been gorging on the shock and awe approaches of the other Super Hero films this Summer – Iron Man and Incredible Hulk - and therefore forgot that in the pantheon of hero-dom, The Caped Crusader is one different dude. No real super powers, no rocket-launching suit or titanium heart, no mutantism or super-human strength. Just a very human guy, driven by a deeply burning fire - and a fear of bats.
So I initially felt disappointed at the, pun intended, depressing darkness of this film. Yet everything else about the movie suggested I should have enjoyed it. The acting – outstanding; Christian Bale at his sullen, melancholic best, Heath Ledger, as good as the hype – chilling and downright scary - and a stellar support crew – although Maggie Gyllenhaal wasn’t a patch on Katie Holmes.
The cinematography, awesome. The action, intense, and engaging. The story, complex and enthralling. On the downside was a level of violence I did not expect, even of a PG-13 movie. It was out there, pushing the boundaries of the rating. I doubt I’ll let my kids see The Dark Knight until they are 21, let alone 13, and am surprised that it maintained a PG-13 rating. And I’m not talking about high levels of action, or intensity, but rather the extreme physical and psychological malevolence that was manifest. Out of nowhere, a pair of "JC"s were used in the dialogue towards the end of the movie – the use of which bothers me more than anything other than the F-bomb - which were disappointing infractions in an otherwise clean script, considering said malevolence.
But make no mistake, The Dark Knight is not some airy-fairy piece of cinematic fluff. It is an adult movie designed for grown ups, in a genre that usually asks little of the audience. And despite my initial surprise at the struggle it was to appreciate this film it was worth it. Indeed, it was this very effort, that like Batman himself, set The Dark Knight apart from rest of the superhero genre.
One thing is for sure, like it or hate it, whomever it is that coins the phrases for the movie industry has some work to do, for clearly, ‘Blockbuster’ is a corny and hackneyed term for what we have seen with the The Dark Knight.
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