The Dark Knight Review

One Man Saves City.

The most wonderful thing a director can do is use every plot line of his/her movie in such a way that it sees its completion. Christopher Nolan, creator of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, has that gift. He can make the viewer care about everything that is happening on screen, without sacrificing the main plot or overloading the viewer. How does he do it? Using his stylistic, short one line scenes and multiple transitions, he delivers a buffet of mini plots that moves the audience along a stream that leads into the big plot. For example: Batman points to a wound he has on his back, Gordon calls in for back up, the Joker throws money in the air and laughs. These short traileresque scenes all form together to provide a quick, but fully lived movie.

The movie doesn't waste anytime with flash backs or origin stories. It starts with showing a bank robbery and weaves into a plot that is centered around Harvey Dent, the DA of Gotham, and Bruce Wayne, the dark savior of the night. Their mission is working together to rid Gotham of its crime ring once and for all. The rest of the movie is the Joker, Heath Ledger, hellbent on a mission to destroy Gotham and add chaos to the slowly healing city.

The spiritual emphasis is that the Joker represents chaotic, illogical mayhem and destruction. He has no motive or plan, but just wants to see Gotham burn. This challenges Batman's identity, as a man who is trying to close up Gotham's wound and retire the suit once and for all. He soon finds out that the Joker's frenzy means he will never rest. This relationship represents the struggle between Jesus and Satan. We have the devil who is pure evil and illogical destruction, The prince of darkness who wants to steal, kill and destroy. And we Jesus who wants to restore harmony, order and peace to the world through His father's original intentions. In the movie, Batman finds that the city is hellbent on its destruction unless there is a symbol of hope that can redeem humanity. Ultimately its him giving himself up so people can believe that humanity is not doomed. In Jesus' perspective, he finds that humanity is too burdened by its own wrong doing and ultimately has to give himself up on a cross to bear it.

One phrase sticks out that has much importance in the movie, Batman needs to be what Gotham needs it to be. Meaning that Batman cared so much about the city that he was willing to give up his own reputation for the sake of its protection. That defines the true heart of being a servant--to sacrifice yourself to another for the sake of their safety and well being. This movie isn't a full blown Christ narrative, but its a common theme.

Aside from that, Christopher Nolan's interpretation of Batman is a mix between being faithful to the comics and putting a whole new spin on the art of comic movies. The camera switches in the fight scenes have been slowed down considerably from the first movie to show the choreography of being the Batman. Also added is a lot of creative battles involving high tech gadgetry, martial arts and scaffolding battles. Due to the Joker's sick nature, the movie is a bit more violent, but it only goes to justify the Joker's maniacal ways.

The movie weighs in at a whopping two and a half hours, but never drags on. It gets a little repetitive with the Joker's schemes and some of the scenes could have been cut out to make it fresh, but by the end the movie represents the dark Batman we know and love in the comics.