The Dark Knight- Movie Review

In a summer consisting of mainly average-at- best films, finally the movie to see has arrived.  Although The Dark Knight is technically a comic book movie, it never feels like one, even when the two main characters are a man in a bat costume, and a psychopathic, murderous clown. 

Where do you start?  The complex plot, which examines the fine line between right and wrong, sanity and madness?  The performances by an outstanding cast, all who play their roles to the point, never with a wink at the audience to remind them it's a comic book movie?  Or the jaw-dropping action scenes, which can rival any movie that's come out so far this year?  That's the magic of this film- it has everything you come to movies to see.  So without spoilers, here's the breakdown:

The movie opens with a bank robbery.  It is a tense sequence that reveals the twisted mind of the joker.  Shot in a way that gives a nod to Michael Mann's film Heat, it shows just how the Joker thinks- he is a man seeking a certain type of thrill- he doesn't just rob banks, he robs mob-owned banks.  He doesn't look for loyalty in his men, he has them double cross each other until the last man stands.  Heath Ledger isn't recognizable in this role.  He creates a Joker completely unique.  He isn't a grandstanding psycho having a great time being himself.  Instead, this Joker is an agent of chaos, a man who lives by no rules, and will destroy the lives on anyone who does.  His origin is a mystery, in fact every time he tells someone how he got the scars on his face the story changes, as though his beginnings are a multiple choice.  He anarchic rise seems to be a direct response to Batman's arrival in Gotham City, as though he was the Freudian id to Batman's ego, chaos vs. order.

And speaking of the Batman, since this is his movie, after all- at the film's beginning he has been largely successful in his war on crime, having even inspired some unwanted copycats.  But more importantly, he has paved the way for Captain Gordon, and the tough new D.A., Harvey Dent, to be able to make vast and major arrests of important crime figures.  Things appear so good, in fact, that Bruce/Batman toys with the idea of retiring Batman, and letting the proper authorities continue what he started, and in the process re-ignite his relationship with Rachel Dawes (now played by a more convincing Maggie Gyllenhaal).  What he should have realized, though, is that the laws of physics are true- every action had an equal and opposite reaction.  Thus, enter the Joker.

Batman is used to criminals with motives.  Greed.  Money.  Power.  Things that make sense.  It's up to the wise Alfred (Michael Caine, cool and unruffled as ever) to tell him that "some men just want to watch the world burn."  And the Joker does.  His methods switch from genius to insane.  He fools everyone to get the mother lode of all cash finds only to burn it all.  "It's not about the money," he says.  "It's about the message.  Everything burns."  For the first time, Batman faces a foe he does not understand.  In a brutal interrogation scene, he pummels the Joker for information, only to find that the madman only becomes more gleeful with every blow.  With every chaotic moment, the Joker only gets bolder, and more deadly, leaving the entire city reeling in his wake.  His main targets are the symbols of order: Captain Gordon and Harvey Dent.  The Batman is his special project.  Ironically, it appears as though the Joker finds a kinship with the Dark Knight.  "To them, you're just a freak," he tells him.  "Like me."  He seems to want Batman to understand the joke- that rules are made for other people.  And that with a heavy dose of anarchy, everyone will reveal their dark side.  "I'll show you," he promises. 

 And he does.  No one in the movie walks away unscathed.  Not Gordon, who faces moral dilemmas with members of his force that may be playing both sides.  Not Harvey Dent, who will face a catastrophic event that will literally reveal his other side.  Not Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman, elegant and suave as ever), who will be forced to question the means Bruce/Batman is willing to go through to achieve his ends.  Not even Alfred, who will have to decide whether to reveal or hide and important truth to Bruce.  And especially not Batman, who will have to decide if the sacrifices he makes are worth the effort as he faces a bizarre and twisted foe who may be the flip side of himself.

The acting is top notch.  Christian Bale manages to give personality to Batman, even with his face covered by a mask.  He makes it clear that Batman is the true identity, and that Bruce Wayne is just the prop for a man consumed by a personal mission.  This time the focused man from the last film is much more in turmoil, weighed down by choices that have direct consequences to those closest to him.  Heath Ledger, in his last completed role, showcases a talent deeper than suspected, pulling off a portrayal of a villain that will no doubt live on as a pop icon.  He gives the Joker a number of creepy ticks- the hunched, shuffling walk, the sing-song voice, the way he sucks his cheeks and licks his lips as though savoring the very taste of his own insanity.  The deliverance actually lives up the massive hype, as does the entire film.  The supporting cast of Gary Oldman, capable and solid as Gordon, Aaron Eckhart giving an empathetic role as the White Knight who falls from grace and becomes the sinister Two-Face, along with Gyllenhaal, Freeman, and Caine giving strong performances that further aid the film in a dark and tragic look at what happens when standards collide. 

 I fully enjoyed the film, and didn't even notice the almost 2 and 1/2 hour running time.  There were many moments when the entire audience was at the edge of our seats, waiting to see what unpredictable event would happen next.  Director Christopher Nolan sets a pace that never bores, and continues to show his standard of excellence in filmmaking.  I have seen a large number of films this year, but have to say the Dark Knight towers above them all.