Film: The Dark Knight
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ldger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman
Director: Christopher Nolan
Let’s talk about nipples.
Now, I don’t have anything personal against nipples. In fact, I like them just as much as the next person. (Maybe even more!) Nipples can be alternatively arousing and nurturing. But nipples can also be dangerous. They can kill. Or almost.
A blotch on filmdom called Joel Schumacher discovered it when he decided to put nipples on the Batsuit in Batman and Robin. He almost killed Batman. The franchise that reinvented the superhero movie had to fade into oblivion because of a stupid director’s moment of madness.
The almost-demise lasted eight years before Christopher Nolan resurrected it by retelling the story from the very beginning. With an elaborate back story, detailed characterisation, and a very dark feel Batman Begins brought Batman back. Of course it helped he had the services of the best onscreen Batman – Christian Bale. But most importantly, nipples were conspicuously absent.
Three years on, they are back with The Dark Knight. As the wise men say, reaching the top is not too difficult, staying there is. But do they recreate the magic? By Krypton, they do!
Life has changed in Gotham. With Batman (Bale) around, the thugs and goons have to constantly look over their shoulder. Even the mob bosses have started holding their meetings in broad daylight. Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman) is happy to have the services of a vigilante in preserving the peace. On the public front District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) treads boldly on the toes of the underworld. Batman himself dreams of the day when he can go quietly into the night and pursue an otherwise doomed romance with childhood friend and Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
Into this scenario walks in a maniacal being who calls himself the Joker (Heath Ledger). Swerved neither by greed nor by power, the Joker’s deranged personality slowly infiltrates the darkest corners of Gotham. His aims are simple: make a better class of criminals, create havoc and unmask Batman. And he goes about his business carving and killing all in sight. Only one man can stop him, but at what cost?
Christopher Nolan, along with his writer-brother (the duo that gave us Memento) spins a web that is tangled, but one in which there is no thread dangling. We are pulled into a psychological drama where Batman is forced to make choices that are never black or white. This is no children’s morality tale. This is an adult story told with very adult sensibilities. A movie with a superhero that is not a superhero movie.
At the same time don’t be fooled into thinking that’s all there is. The action is astounding. With a mixture of live action stunts and computer graphics, Nolan choreographs actions sequences that blend the ethos of John Woo with the fury of Michael Bay, all the while keeping his own identity. There is a sequence with the Batpod or Bat-cycle that drains the last drop of saliva from your mouth. (By the way, if you loved the Batmobile the last time around, you will be blown away with the Batpod.) The music by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard builds on the Batman theme and makes up the mood splendidly. Nolan regular Wally Pfister’s camera work is awe-inspiring. The glossy feel of Batman Begins gives way to a grittier, more realistic tone.
Christian Bale continues to be effortless in both avatars. While he stood out in virtually every scene in Batman Begins, here he steps back and does a Rahul Dravid. The guy you can trust to hold one end up while the others take centre-stage. Maggie Gyllenhaal is too good an actress for a largely thankless role. Even though her Rachel Dawes is present in most of the important scenes, Maggie has precious little to do.
Aaron Eckhart, while efficient, is forgettable. He doesn’t bring uniqueness to his role, and hence doesn’t stand out in our memory. On the other hand, Gary Oldman is as down-to-earth as they come. Old pros Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman delight in whatever little time they are on screen.
Like Tim Burton’s Batman, this film, too, is (over)powered by the Joker. While Jack Nicholson went intentionally over the top, Heath Ledger takes the opposite road. His Joker is a creature of madness, a sadistic lunatic who thrives on chaos, genuinely frightening, and not a buffoon. To his eternal credit, the way Ledger played Joker, we never end up sympathizing with him. Take off the hype, take off the expectation, take off Ledger’s unfortunate demise, you will still get a performance for the ages.
All said and done, The Dark Knight is all about Christopher Nolan. The young director translates his vision onto the screen in a grand fashion. He has made a movie that plumps the depths of despair in its characters, while elevating the viewer onto a plane higher than expected. The Dark Knight may have its flaws (we could have done without the Two-Face story), but it has far too many pluses for us to notice the shortcomings. The movie is 152 minutes long, but the intermission comes as an irritation. Nolan bravely takes a genre that is not usually associated with intelligence and gives it brains. Yes, this is entertainment, but it requires you not to throw away your thinking cap in order to be entertained. And there is not a nipple in sight.
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ldger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman
Director: Christopher Nolan
Let’s talk about nipples.
Now, I don’t have anything personal against nipples. In fact, I like them just as much as the next person. (Maybe even more!) Nipples can be alternatively arousing and nurturing. But nipples can also be dangerous. They can kill. Or almost.
A blotch on filmdom called Joel Schumacher discovered it when he decided to put nipples on the Batsuit in Batman and Robin. He almost killed Batman. The franchise that reinvented the superhero movie had to fade into oblivion because of a stupid director’s moment of madness.
The almost-demise lasted eight years before Christopher Nolan resurrected it by retelling the story from the very beginning. With an elaborate back story, detailed characterisation, and a very dark feel Batman Begins brought Batman back. Of course it helped he had the services of the best onscreen Batman – Christian Bale. But most importantly, nipples were conspicuously absent.
Three years on, they are back with The Dark Knight. As the wise men say, reaching the top is not too difficult, staying there is. But do they recreate the magic? By Krypton, they do!
Life has changed in Gotham. With Batman (Bale) around, the thugs and goons have to constantly look over their shoulder. Even the mob bosses have started holding their meetings in broad daylight. Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman) is happy to have the services of a vigilante in preserving the peace. On the public front District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) treads boldly on the toes of the underworld. Batman himself dreams of the day when he can go quietly into the night and pursue an otherwise doomed romance with childhood friend and Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
Into this scenario walks in a maniacal being who calls himself the Joker (Heath Ledger). Swerved neither by greed nor by power, the Joker’s deranged personality slowly infiltrates the darkest corners of Gotham. His aims are simple: make a better class of criminals, create havoc and unmask Batman. And he goes about his business carving and killing all in sight. Only one man can stop him, but at what cost?
Christopher Nolan, along with his writer-brother (the duo that gave us Memento) spins a web that is tangled, but one in which there is no thread dangling. We are pulled into a psychological drama where Batman is forced to make choices that are never black or white. This is no children’s morality tale. This is an adult story told with very adult sensibilities. A movie with a superhero that is not a superhero movie.
At the same time don’t be fooled into thinking that’s all there is. The action is astounding. With a mixture of live action stunts and computer graphics, Nolan choreographs actions sequences that blend the ethos of John Woo with the fury of Michael Bay, all the while keeping his own identity. There is a sequence with the Batpod or Bat-cycle that drains the last drop of saliva from your mouth. (By the way, if you loved the Batmobile the last time around, you will be blown away with the Batpod.) The music by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard builds on the Batman theme and makes up the mood splendidly. Nolan regular Wally Pfister’s camera work is awe-inspiring. The glossy feel of Batman Begins gives way to a grittier, more realistic tone.
Christian Bale continues to be effortless in both avatars. While he stood out in virtually every scene in Batman Begins, here he steps back and does a Rahul Dravid. The guy you can trust to hold one end up while the others take centre-stage. Maggie Gyllenhaal is too good an actress for a largely thankless role. Even though her Rachel Dawes is present in most of the important scenes, Maggie has precious little to do.
Aaron Eckhart, while efficient, is forgettable. He doesn’t bring uniqueness to his role, and hence doesn’t stand out in our memory. On the other hand, Gary Oldman is as down-to-earth as they come. Old pros Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman delight in whatever little time they are on screen.
Like Tim Burton’s Batman, this film, too, is (over)powered by the Joker. While Jack Nicholson went intentionally over the top, Heath Ledger takes the opposite road. His Joker is a creature of madness, a sadistic lunatic who thrives on chaos, genuinely frightening, and not a buffoon. To his eternal credit, the way Ledger played Joker, we never end up sympathizing with him. Take off the hype, take off the expectation, take off Ledger’s unfortunate demise, you will still get a performance for the ages.
All said and done, The Dark Knight is all about Christopher Nolan. The young director translates his vision onto the screen in a grand fashion. He has made a movie that plumps the depths of despair in its characters, while elevating the viewer onto a plane higher than expected. The Dark Knight may have its flaws (we could have done without the Two-Face story), but it has far too many pluses for us to notice the shortcomings. The movie is 152 minutes long, but the intermission comes as an irritation. Nolan bravely takes a genre that is not usually associated with intelligence and gives it brains. Yes, this is entertainment, but it requires you not to throw away your thinking cap in order to be entertained. And there is not a nipple in sight.
That was the most brilliant opening line for a movie review I've read in a long time :))
ReplyDeleteWrite more, Vinu - I've missed reading you.