I am not one to analyze films because not that many films make me think about what I had just watched after it is over. So it is quite telling when I write this post;
The Dark Knight has prompted me to think about my recent movie experience with great excitement. The Dark Knight was simply a masterpiece for a few reasons:
1. It was probably the most "human" superhero movie I have ever seen. For beginners, the self-discovery process and formation of Batman's (and Bruce Wayne's) persona start where "Batman Begins" left off: nascent and growing. Character development in a superhero movie is somewhat easy to pull off because the nature of this genre is so extreme, it becomes open to exaggeration and extreme reactions by characters when put on film, let alone a 2-hour one. When the producers of Batman decided to stretch out the maturing process and full realization of the hero's role in his universe, the human aspect of the character became so evident, I had forgotten halfway through the movie that I was watching a superhero movie.
2. The darkness of Gotham, both through the cinematography, sets, and plot/context of the mafia is depicted in a way that makes it look like an alternative universe city somewhere in the northeast or urban midwest (again, a characteristic seen in "Batman Begins" but continued and developed here). This is truly a far cry from the zany, rainbow-brite nightmare metropolis depicted by joel schumacker in the Batman flops, and a slight improvement on Tim Burton's chilly towering Gotham in the original classics (I am a huge fan of the original Batman). Moreover, the mafia in the past two Batman movies looked like they were taken out of a typical mob drama, and not a colorful Dick Tracy film. The setting of the movie was just the right kind of dark.
3. Character development yet again. The Harvey Dent story was phenomenal. Watch the movie and tell me you didn't appreciate Aaron Eckhart's execution of Dent even in the shadow of the great Heath Ledger (and Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman...and yes, Christian Bale).
4. Speaking of the devil...Heath Ledger. One recent article notes that it is quite rare for a dead man to win an Oscar post-mortem, and therefore, the likelihood of Ledger bagging one for his breakthrough role as the Joker is quite low. I refuse to enter the Oscar debate, but I will say this: Jack Nicholson's Joker was phenomenal at the time, but Heath Ledger's Joker scared the living daylights out of me. Sometimes, an actor can find the true heart and soul of its character, and internalize it beyond what the camera captures. The audience becomes captivated by certain performances and cannot distinguish between actor and character (no, I do not mean Jon Heder and Napoleon Dynamite). Ledger, may he rest in peace, has truly outdone himself in this film, and the spookiness of it all speaks for itself. That, I believe, is a greater compliment for an acting performance than simply labelling it as "Oscar-worthy."
5. Ridiculous Cast. Enough said.
6. The movie did not focus on Batman's cool gadgets and hot vehicles (the lamborghini was hot though). Instead, Bruce Wayne's relationships with the people close to him, the function of the police and law in Gotham city, the depiction of the mafia, Jim Gordon's relationship with Batman, Rachel Dawes relationship with Bruce Wayne...all of these were woven together masterfully into one plot and very deep subthemes for a superhero movie.
7. The movie just keeps on going. You'll see what I mean after you watch it, and then appreciate that 2 and a half hours of your life were put to fantastic use.
8. New Yorkers applauded at the end of the movie. Wow, right?
I probably have more to say, but I have some important things to do...
...like plan my wedding.
The reality of today, yesterday, last week, tomorrow and years to come strikes me like a breeze of cool air after a humid session of Bikram Yoga. I am currently weak with metaphors, words, expressions, but quite strong with emotion on the inside...simple, but overwhelming happiness.
