The Dark Knight
Having read the Straits Times review of The Dark Knight, I have to say that I was somewhat sceptical about watching the film. The previous few Batman films have been somewhat less than mediocre and haven't sparked the kind of enthusiasm nor quality that viewers seek in similar big-budget comic-hero films should have. Nevertheless, I was dragged along for the film all the same; and I am really glad I watched it.
The highlight of the show is, without a doubt, Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. Many believed that no one could ever play the Joker the way Jack Nicholson did. I was certainly taken aback by Heath Ledger's performance. The ability to convincingly morph into a character so entirely different from that in Brokeback Mountain is absolutely mind-blowing, to say the least! This was certainly the peak of Heath's career. It wouldn't be far-fetched at all to imagine how playing this character could have engulfed the actor into a darkness so unnerving that he couldn't simply just step out of it. In any case, the one glimmer of optimisim is to realise that Heath went out with a bang and certainly won the respect of hordes of viewers.
Before watching the film, I recall asking myself why they would want to name the film The Dark Knight, rather than playing on the "Batman" franchise in the title. However, once I'd immersed myself into the film, I understood the significance and how much more apt this name is for the film. Unlike the two Batman films preceding it, the film certainly did not contain a hint of that stylised bubble gum entertainment that Schumacher had incorporated. Fantastic though they may have been, this film did not contain that whimsical darkness typical of all Tim Burton's films either. This film very clearly steered directly towards the darkness surrounding Batman's very existence in Gotham and explored the complexity of both Batman/Bruce Wayne's psyche.
The only way I can sum up this post is to tell you that I finally see why Batman will never be like the other superheros - Superman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, etc. He can never appear in daylight and be glorified the way these other superheros are. He remains in the darkness, fighting for the very people who fight against him.
He is the Dark Knight.
The highlight of the show is, without a doubt, Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. Many believed that no one could ever play the Joker the way Jack Nicholson did. I was certainly taken aback by Heath Ledger's performance. The ability to convincingly morph into a character so entirely different from that in Brokeback Mountain is absolutely mind-blowing, to say the least! This was certainly the peak of Heath's career. It wouldn't be far-fetched at all to imagine how playing this character could have engulfed the actor into a darkness so unnerving that he couldn't simply just step out of it. In any case, the one glimmer of optimisim is to realise that Heath went out with a bang and certainly won the respect of hordes of viewers.
Before watching the film, I recall asking myself why they would want to name the film The Dark Knight, rather than playing on the "Batman" franchise in the title. However, once I'd immersed myself into the film, I understood the significance and how much more apt this name is for the film. Unlike the two Batman films preceding it, the film certainly did not contain a hint of that stylised bubble gum entertainment that Schumacher had incorporated. Fantastic though they may have been, this film did not contain that whimsical darkness typical of all Tim Burton's films either. This film very clearly steered directly towards the darkness surrounding Batman's very existence in Gotham and explored the complexity of both Batman/Bruce Wayne's psyche.
The only way I can sum up this post is to tell you that I finally see why Batman will never be like the other superheros - Superman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, etc. He can never appear in daylight and be glorified the way these other superheros are. He remains in the darkness, fighting for the very people who fight against him.
He is the Dark Knight.
posted by Raelin at Monday, July 28, 2008
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