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- First reviewJuly 18, 2008
- Last reviewJuly 18, 2008
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- Average rating5
Sunday's Reviews
Overall rating
5
/
5
Beautiful and revolting -- best film of the year.
PostedJuly 18, 2008
Sunday
from Washington, D.C.
Gritty and gripping, unbelievably believable... to call this movie the best Batman movie ever would be to do it a disservice -- to call it the best superhero movie of all time, even, would not be fair. This movie transcends genre to become, simply, one of the best movies I've ever seen in my life.
.
Christian Bale's Batman is dark and gut-wrenching, and his Bruce Wayne is both foppish on the outside and brooding by turns. Gary Oldman is the movie's hidden star as Jim Gordon, turning in a performance that carries the loftier portrayals through. Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is charismatic and compelling in his intensity, and Maggie Gyllenhaal positively shines as Rachel, a significant upgrade from Batman Begins' Katie Holmes.
.
But, of course, the standout performance by far -- unsurprisingly -- is Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. Watching his Joker is like watching a horrible, unavoidable accident unfold, and you are entirely gripped with morbid fascination. You cannot look away from him for a second even as part of you wants to run screaming from the theater. The final image of the Joker, beautiful and revolting at once, is one that will haunt me for a long, long time.
.
With a beautiful script that goes far beyond the usual examination of good vs. evil, hero vs. villain, dark vs. light, and a musical score that both complements and completes the breathtaking cinematography, this film has, quite frankly, done something incredibly. 'The Dark Knight' has thrown down the gauntlet in the face of all movies to come, changed not only the genre of comic book adaptations but the genre of drama itself.
.
Like Batman to Gotham City, this film has changed cinema forever. There's no going back. While the audience is presented with a view of the bruises, lacerations and scars lacing Bruce's back, Alfred tells him that he should know his limits. Wayne replies, 'Batman has no limits.' I can think of no better metaphor for the film. Despite the bruises, the scarring, the repeated blows and electric shocks that this movie delivers to its audience, it has no limits -- it goes everywhere it can go, and does not hesitate to dive deeper. It trusts its audience to keep up, a demanding and exhausting two-and-a-half hour ride for dear life on the back of a thunderbolt. The night is darkest just before dawn -- but when caught in the depths of this masterpiece, one cannot help but wonder if the promise of dawn is gone forever.
.
Christian Bale's Batman is dark and gut-wrenching, and his Bruce Wayne is both foppish on the outside and brooding by turns. Gary Oldman is the movie's hidden star as Jim Gordon, turning in a performance that carries the loftier portrayals through. Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is charismatic and compelling in his intensity, and Maggie Gyllenhaal positively shines as Rachel, a significant upgrade from Batman Begins' Katie Holmes.
.
But, of course, the standout performance by far -- unsurprisingly -- is Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. Watching his Joker is like watching a horrible, unavoidable accident unfold, and you are entirely gripped with morbid fascination. You cannot look away from him for a second even as part of you wants to run screaming from the theater. The final image of the Joker, beautiful and revolting at once, is one that will haunt me for a long, long time.
.
With a beautiful script that goes far beyond the usual examination of good vs. evil, hero vs. villain, dark vs. light, and a musical score that both complements and completes the breathtaking cinematography, this film has, quite frankly, done something incredibly. 'The Dark Knight' has thrown down the gauntlet in the face of all movies to come, changed not only the genre of comic book adaptations but the genre of drama itself.
.
Like Batman to Gotham City, this film has changed cinema forever. There's no going back. While the audience is presented with a view of the bruises, lacerations and scars lacing Bruce's back, Alfred tells him that he should know his limits. Wayne replies, 'Batman has no limits.' I can think of no better metaphor for the film. Despite the bruises, the scarring, the repeated blows and electric shocks that this movie delivers to its audience, it has no limits -- it goes everywhere it can go, and does not hesitate to dive deeper. It trusts its audience to keep up, a demanding and exhausting two-and-a-half hour ride for dear life on the back of a thunderbolt. The night is darkest just before dawn -- but when caught in the depths of this masterpiece, one cannot help but wonder if the promise of dawn is gone forever.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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