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The Dark Knight Review
PostedJuly 20, 2008
BGibbs
from Lynn, MA
There come those scant few times in film history where a movie is called a ‘classic’. It is where all aspects of making a movie comes together and produces something that has never been seen before, or shows you what occurs when you get a director, a writer, a cinematographer, an editor, and of course, actors working at the same level. Casablanca, Citizen Kane, The Seven Samurai, Godfather 2, just to name a few. Those are the films that leave you buzzing with excitement and the need to see it a second, maybe third time, because you were too mesmerized by what you saw the first time around.
The Dark Knight is one of those films.
Looking at the film from a purely cinematic level, the direction and pacing of the two and a half hour long film makes to go by so quickly you think you must have dozed off somewhere, because it does not feel like a film of that length. Each scene sets up the next so fluidly you cannot take your eyes from the screen. And, as the saying goes, there is not an ounce of fat anywhere. There is not a moment that you mutter, ‘The movie would have been better if you chopped off x-minutes’. In this case, if you remove any scene, it will take something away from either the plot or the growth of the characters.
The action scenes are done in a perfect slam/bang manner, and the scenes of suspense are played that you could cut the tension with a knife and still not get through all the way. This is a crime film, where the criminals have taken over the city and beyond. Where the Man With No Name, or the Dirty Harry takes it upon himself to take each and every villain down on their own level. Where the ‘vigilante’ has to allow himself to give trust to certain people of like mind in an environment that is filled with rampant corruption. Where the hero, feeling that after he and his few comrades in arms, can finally rest and return to the shadows, finds that there is yet another foe to deal with. One who commits crimes at random, where there is no reasoning, where the gain is not profit or power, where the ultimate goal is anarchy and chaos.
If this was left to that alone, this film would be on par with the aforementioned Godfather 2, or The French Connection, or Serpico, or the better parts of Heat. But the concept is taken to the next level.
This is a ‘comic book’ film.
The Man With No Name is the Batman. The hero’s partners are Lt. James Gordon and D.A. Harvey Dent. And the villain to come out of the shadows is the Joker.
The acting is done well enough that you may have a difficult time seeing Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart in any other role; especially Oldman, who after a career of playing the more psychotic fruits from the poisoned tree, shows why he is a great and renowned character actor.
Bale comes back after Batman Begins with a deeper continuation of his triple character. Again, Bruce Wayne is the spoiled playboy who treats the world as his playground. Batman is dark and after a few scenes, you get used to the gravel-pitched voice. And as Wayne’s true face, you see a man weary of his fight, but too dedicated to stop. And after the Joker makes an appearance, you see and hear a fascination in Wayne, not unlike someone seeing something that disgusts you, but you cannot tear your eyes away.
Eckhart is perfect as Harvey Dent, who sees everything in black and white. Either you work for the good of all, or you are the cause of sadness and defeat and must be stopped. His moral drive is the center of everything Dent does to enforce the law; his one and only motivation. Where each step is planned and not left to chance. And when the ultimate occurs, showing Dent that fate can go in either direction at the flip of a coin, you see the tragedy in a man so immovable in spirit that the walls come crashing down on him.
Way too many accolades have been heaped on Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker. The praise has come from the streaked white-faced clown, to the clips shown on television and online. One may think that we, as the audience have seen the best parts of the character already. This is not the case. There is far more that Ledger does in this film that has not been seen. And it is his monologues that show the true talent of this actor.
And this is not your Smilin’ Jack Nicholson, or your giddy Mark Hamill Joker. What you see is what you’ve should have seen all along; a malevolent, psychopath that is the only one to see the humor in the most heinous deeds. This is a portrayal of villainy that will go down in history. An evil that will rival Anthony Hopkins’ Lecter. A man who is pure insanity and loves himself for it. A man who makes you shrink in your chair, seeing what he may do and makes you fearful that he will.
And as you watch Ledger, grinning, laughing, smiling, and uttering bile in this memorable character, you feel a sense of loss. His like will never come again. No one since Robert Deniro became Jake LaMotta has buried himself so deep in a characterization, and when this hits you, you feel your heart break because you realize there were so many characters for Ledger yet to come.
The Dark Knight is what comic book movies should be. This is what movies should be.
This is what you should see.
The Dark Knight is one of those films.
Looking at the film from a purely cinematic level, the direction and pacing of the two and a half hour long film makes to go by so quickly you think you must have dozed off somewhere, because it does not feel like a film of that length. Each scene sets up the next so fluidly you cannot take your eyes from the screen. And, as the saying goes, there is not an ounce of fat anywhere. There is not a moment that you mutter, ‘The movie would have been better if you chopped off x-minutes’. In this case, if you remove any scene, it will take something away from either the plot or the growth of the characters.
The action scenes are done in a perfect slam/bang manner, and the scenes of suspense are played that you could cut the tension with a knife and still not get through all the way. This is a crime film, where the criminals have taken over the city and beyond. Where the Man With No Name, or the Dirty Harry takes it upon himself to take each and every villain down on their own level. Where the ‘vigilante’ has to allow himself to give trust to certain people of like mind in an environment that is filled with rampant corruption. Where the hero, feeling that after he and his few comrades in arms, can finally rest and return to the shadows, finds that there is yet another foe to deal with. One who commits crimes at random, where there is no reasoning, where the gain is not profit or power, where the ultimate goal is anarchy and chaos.
If this was left to that alone, this film would be on par with the aforementioned Godfather 2, or The French Connection, or Serpico, or the better parts of Heat. But the concept is taken to the next level.
This is a ‘comic book’ film.
The Man With No Name is the Batman. The hero’s partners are Lt. James Gordon and D.A. Harvey Dent. And the villain to come out of the shadows is the Joker.
The acting is done well enough that you may have a difficult time seeing Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart in any other role; especially Oldman, who after a career of playing the more psychotic fruits from the poisoned tree, shows why he is a great and renowned character actor.
Bale comes back after Batman Begins with a deeper continuation of his triple character. Again, Bruce Wayne is the spoiled playboy who treats the world as his playground. Batman is dark and after a few scenes, you get used to the gravel-pitched voice. And as Wayne’s true face, you see a man weary of his fight, but too dedicated to stop. And after the Joker makes an appearance, you see and hear a fascination in Wayne, not unlike someone seeing something that disgusts you, but you cannot tear your eyes away.
Eckhart is perfect as Harvey Dent, who sees everything in black and white. Either you work for the good of all, or you are the cause of sadness and defeat and must be stopped. His moral drive is the center of everything Dent does to enforce the law; his one and only motivation. Where each step is planned and not left to chance. And when the ultimate occurs, showing Dent that fate can go in either direction at the flip of a coin, you see the tragedy in a man so immovable in spirit that the walls come crashing down on him.
Way too many accolades have been heaped on Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker. The praise has come from the streaked white-faced clown, to the clips shown on television and online. One may think that we, as the audience have seen the best parts of the character already. This is not the case. There is far more that Ledger does in this film that has not been seen. And it is his monologues that show the true talent of this actor.
And this is not your Smilin’ Jack Nicholson, or your giddy Mark Hamill Joker. What you see is what you’ve should have seen all along; a malevolent, psychopath that is the only one to see the humor in the most heinous deeds. This is a portrayal of villainy that will go down in history. An evil that will rival Anthony Hopkins’ Lecter. A man who is pure insanity and loves himself for it. A man who makes you shrink in your chair, seeing what he may do and makes you fearful that he will.
And as you watch Ledger, grinning, laughing, smiling, and uttering bile in this memorable character, you feel a sense of loss. His like will never come again. No one since Robert Deniro became Jake LaMotta has buried himself so deep in a characterization, and when this hits you, you feel your heart break because you realize there were so many characters for Ledger yet to come.
The Dark Knight is what comic book movies should be. This is what movies should be.
This is what you should see.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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