The Dark Knight

I waited too long to see this film - and not just a few weeks. This is the presentation the public deserved in 1989. Yes, Tim Burton's Batman was an instant hit with terrific one-liners ("You ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light?" or "I'm Batman") and amazing visualization, however it did not deliver in the same way The Dark Knight delivered.

First off, I recommend anyone willing to review or critique this film start by disregarding the political undertones (thank you, Morgan Freeman) and realize the sheer gravity of the overall plot. There was a weightyness that pervaded every moment, constantly burdening me with a wierd sense of guilt - like there was something I did that brought about this devilry in Gotham! As citizens and principle characters got "off-ed" throughout the film I felt somewhat responsible. This is the true irony of the film in my mind and the thing that makes it unique to the very end.



(spoiler alert - do not continue if you have not seen the film and wish to do so)




In the end, the villain is no villain and the hero is no hero. Batman suffers from the guilt that his existence brought about the madness and I felt like I had to flee with him. As the plot unveiled its evil face, I knew, as did Batman, that it needed to get messy before it got better. I knew that some honest citizens would have to be killed. I knew that some who should have never seen the light of day would really need to survive. It's a twisted ploy by the writers and I almost feel sick that I had a part in it.

Perhaps, though, that is an indication of a truly amazing work of cinemetography. Suppose you left a movie and felt absolutely nothing from it - no joy, no sadness, no humor, no guilt - why did you go, then, in the first place? Certainly it wasn't to spend $20 on a baby-sitter, $15 on tickets, and $11 on some refreshments! No, you went because deep down inside you wanted to be moved - either because you wanted to be first, or because you wanted to be moved how everyone else was moved. If you spend all that money and have no desire for the inevitable emotional response, then I would recommend you spend your money a little more wisely! This movie will move you, whether you like it or not. The color will leave your face at times and breathless, you'll sit there wondering, "why do I really want to see this life ended?" If you don't want to be moved - don't see The Dark Knight or any other movie for that matter.

I guess that's it - that's all I'm feeling right now. I could go on about the special effects or the cast selection or Batman's new deep voice, but in the end, those things are superficial issues that we use to avoid discussing the real matters at hand. I strongly recommend this movie for anyone wishing to dissolve the previous Batman establishment from your memory (that is, those movies prior to Batman Begins yet following the Adam West Batman) and anyone else that wants to know where Christian Bale's line of the Caped Crusader leads.