2008, USA
Adventure, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Why so serious? Because these are serious times, my friend.
In The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan continues his shadowy hero's legacy after delving into his origin in Batman Begins. Initially a tragic internal struggle for all involved, magnified by an adversary who utilized psychological warfare, the first film clawed at the fear within. In the second film, panic is projected onto society as a whole. When the chips are down, can mob rule be trusted?
The question is allowed multiple interpretations. The mob conglomerate of Gotham City unifies when their monies are threatened. Enter the Joker, who turns the screws on the simple premise of fidelity. In a roomful of thieves, the odds are against the majority. However, in a city of everyday citizens, it is far more interesting to push the right buttons until the limits of tolerance are exceed. Unfortunately, the Joker has access to all the right devices for such a test of the civilized mob.
The Nolan brothers' (writers Christopher and Jonathan) affection for bank heist films of the '70s is apparent, and action feels real and gritty rather than cartoonish and unengaging. Nolan left these scenes to stunts rather than digital trickery whenever possible, and faithful cinematographer Wally Pfister shot key scenes on Imax film. The result is a depth and clarity that allows the scenes to feel real rather than manufactured, perfect for a superhero with (relatively) average origins.
Whereas Batman (a husky-voiced Christian Bale) makes an expectedly flashy entrance, the Joker slides into the scene, quietly pulling the strings (literally and figuratively) and taking pleasure in the results. Suicidal for the viral effects it would have on the balance of opposites, the Joker wants to die and he wants you to pull the trigger. After all, which is worse: grief from an insane madman who led an indiscriminate killing spree or torture from the realization that anyone has the capacity to kill given the proper circumstances?
The Joker is a truly fascinating character study, and though the hasty talks for an Oscar nomination are premature and morbidly sympathetic, the late Heath Ledger deserves acclaim for a portrayal of depth and cool control. He brushes off insipid name-calling and only flies off the handle when his victims are too dense to play the game correctly, but often with such a wicked sense of humor that implies intelligence rather than buffoonery. It is a distraction to question the Joker's history and his objectives; it is best to observe the story from his point of view.
The Joker is terrifying. His deformed face -- for which he provides multiple backstories depending on how it will affect the person he is threatening -- implies that he is capable of gruesome actions. Nolan hints at deranged possibilities, but the dark tone of the film is enough to provide chills without the need for bloody visuals. The Joker does not arbitrarily murder his victims; he is not showing off when he makes a spectacle, he is searching for a reaction. He does not bond the community through fear, he tears them apart by creating enemies from neighbors. Convinced that everyone is capable of irrational actions to save their own hide, the Joker crawls into dark spaces in order to push the worst to the surface.
In a mad world (such as a world in the midst of war) brotherly love can turn on a dime. An appropriate metaphor for the man to whom Batman would gladly hand over his cowl in order to return to a less demanding life and the woman he loves, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal aptly replacing the first film's Katie Holmes). Said man is D.A. Harvey Dent (the solid Aaron Eckhart), who has been dubbed the White Knight and a man of the people unafraid to show his face to his enemies, unlike the Dark Knight. If the Joker can cause the flawless Dent to modify his moral compass, then he will have proven that the human race is so malleable as to shift societal alliances when it benefits self-preservation.
The Nolans provide a bit of political commentary when an eye for an eye is the first tactic to achieve power, and the good guys rashly become mistaken for the baddies. Batman slips into Big Brother territory when his watchful eye becomes too encompassing, yet it is understood that such knowledge should only be used under dire circumstances in trusted hands. This exception to the rule provides another example that the film is not so black and white.
The Dark Knight does not question the innate goodness of people, but rather it ponders what it would take for people to cross from their comfort zone and ease towards Joker's side of the chessboard. Wealth? Ego? A loved one? Perhaps just a winning smile.