The Dark Knight
released 2008
www.ink2quill.com

“The Dark Knight” is a superhero, action, American, scifi film produced by Kevin De La Noy, Philip Lee Benjamin Melniker, Lorne Orleans, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Thomas Tull, Michael E. Uslan and Christopher Nolan who also directed it and wrote the screenplay with Jonathan Nolan. It stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Monique Gabriela Curnen, Ron Dean, Cillian Murphy, Chin Han, Nestor Carbonell, Eric Roberts, Ritchie Coster, Athony Michael Hall, Keith Szarabajka, Colin McFarlane, Joshua Harto, Melinda McGraw and many others. The cast of actors is ginormous. This film has been called the best film in its genre.

The Dark Knight IMDb webpage

“The Dark Knight” is the story of the enormously famous comic book character of Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale. The famous tycoon who hides an alter ego/ secret identity called Batman. As most people know Batman prowls the street of Gotham City fighting crime with skill and brutality. He is very feared in the criminal underworld and his dislike of criminals and criminal activity is so obvious. with every beating he inflicts on criminals and organized crime. He really skirts the line of the anti hero but it seems that crime is so bad in Gotham City that he is welcomed as a hero and not a vigilante.

The story is about Bruce Wayne´s desire to retire the cloak of Batman, lay down his spurs, close a chapter in his life. When he sees the capability and enthusiasm of DA Harvey Dent, played by Aaron Eckhart, in fighting crime and doing his job his desire to retire must seem less selfish to him. He feels that although Gotham City has problems of crime, organized crime, that the city is in good hands with Harvey Dent. Meanwhile things in the city´s underworld are brewing and an arch criminal known as the Joker, played by Heath Ledger, offers to kill Batman. This leads to a chain of events that put a damper on Batman´s wishes to retire, if not curtail them altogether. What follows is an action packed story of betrayal, deception, action and chaos.

This is the story that deals with a lot of themes. The theme of retirement, reaching a summit and not knowing where to take things from there, or you can call it a mid life crisis on the part of the hero. It´s the theme of the possibility of the younger, more energetic class of heroes replacing the older, more tired ones but with a twist in the theme. One underlying theme in the whole story of Batman is that of a protagonist emotionally or mentally stuck in parts of their past where their actions are their way of trying to master a traumatic moment that has come and gone. He basically stops crimes in the present they way he could not in the past. He´s not in a happy place. Or maybe he is trying to be the gardian he needed but did not have back when his parents were murdered. Either way, the character of Batman is not in a happy place.

Keep in mind that the film is told from the point of view of Batman as the protagonist. He is the hero. The good guy who we expect to win and he does, in some ways. The truth is, for those that have read a few issues of the Batman comic books, he is a deeply flawed person. The anger and brutality he displays toward criminals goes beyond what is healthy. The cameras all around his estate show his deeply paranoid nature. You can argue however that having a Batman in your city would be a benefit for the innocent people in the community but just remember the cost of tolerating such a vigilante. You have to remember that Batman is stuck in traumas of his past where he witnessed his parent´s brutal murder by criminals and was unable to stop it.

On a more positive note, Batman is an incredibly driven and talented crime fighter. So much so that many people are convinced he has super powers, which he does not have. He is a regular fit, focused and well trained person with incredible technology and resources, and that is it. With Batman fighting crime in Gotham City the word gets out quick and the crime rates plummet. There are cases when criminals find out that Batman is looking for them and they simply turn themselves into the authorities to avoid the wrath of the Dark Knight. That is the level of fear Batman instills in the criminal world. He is a frightful figure. He is the bane of the underworld.

So, that´s my view of the Batman Franchise. It´s great story telling but a little sinister. Someone like Spiderman has a much healthier view on life and is a lot more positive and less extreme.

“The Dark Knight” is a great story from the comic book world brought to the screen. You could call it American mythology. So, check it out.

John Ink2Quill

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