The Dark Knight
July 19, 2008 at 12:05 p.m.
As moviegoers in the midst of the same blood and gore and horror being presented on the big screen, it’s safe to say most people who will walk into a theatre today do so in a pretty desensitized state, indifferent about the nature of a film’s heroes and villains, or lack thereof.
But with a more desensitized audience comes a new breed of villain, one who is utterly terrifying, morally ambivalent and willing to destroy every last strain of virtue in their immediate world. Previous incarnations have included Jack Nicholson’s mobster in The Departed, bounty hunter Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men and Hannibal Lecter almost two decades before.
The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s long-awaited Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight is that villain, perfected for a young audience raised during two Gulf Wars on torture porn flicks (Fight Club, Wanted) and starving for comic-book thrills. Heath Ledger’s final performance is a sock to the collective gut, a psychotic powerhouse capable of shaking even the most unfazed moviegoer out of indifference. He plays through every nervous tick and tongue-flick with painstaking attention to detail, making The Joker simultaneously real and unreal, a contradiction that makes him a truly scary villain. So it goes without saying, this is Ledger’s movie.
But a villain still needs a hero to fight and a city in which to raise hell. And The Dark Knight picks up where we last left our hero (Christian Bale), still taking out mob bosses with the help of gung-ho District Attorney Harvey Dent (a fantastic, well crafted performance from Aaron Eckhart) and pining for Dent’s new flame, his old pal Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal—a definite casting upgrade from Katie Holmes). Enter The Joker, picking off people in an effort to tantalize Batman and reveal his moral flaws, and the struggle between good and evil ensues. This is more than a comic book-movie: the questions raised here, particularly by The Joker, speak volumes about our capability to act as incarnations of good or evil. Just as The Joker is terrifying because any of us, he says, could become him. Batman is an incredible hero because we have the capacity to be him too.
The film, shot mostly in the dead of night in the abandoned Chicago Loop, has a more realistic and intensified urban feel than its predecessor, easily the most effective incarnation of Gotham City yet. No detail, no truck decal, Loop storefront or spark trailing from the BatCycle is overlooked. Even the cosmetic changes are worth noting—Ledger’s malignant clown makeup is a far cry from Jack Nicholson’s goofy grin, and the sleeker, sexier Batsuit is enough to make even the most embittered fans forget about the Bat-nipples (Batman and Robin). And supporting performances from returning cast members Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are all stellar, per usual.
Long story short, believe the hype. Even if the Academy can’t swallow its pride and give proper dues to a comic book movie, at least Ledger’s unmissable performance deserves their recognition.
Rating: VVVVV
-- Lindsay Eanet
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