Masterful Filmmaking

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2015)

I've got to be honest right from the start. Batman Begins is an amazing film. From the acting to the cinematography to... everything, really. The film opens to show a young Bruce Wayne falling into a well and being scared by bats before being rescued by his father. Later, Bruce's parents are murdered, due to his fear of bats. The next thing we know, he is in a prison. A businessman by the name of Ducard shows up and offers him a deal. If he can make it to the top of a nearby mountain bearing a purple flower, he will be trained by the League of Shadows and given the means to "fight injustice". He makes it, goes back to Gotham to fight crime, and a legend is born.
This film is one of the darker superhero films in recent memory, and it pays off. Where other movies are cheesy or even downright ridiculous, this one is brutally honest. Bruce Wayne is a real man driven by real emotions. He is real, and those watching can feel him reflecting even the deepest parts of their souls. After his parents' deaths, he is driven by anger and more than anything else, he wants vengeance. But the more he fights evil, the more he begins to love those he is fighting for. In the end, he is Batman not out of hatred, but out of love.
If the film has a fault, it's that the pacing feels just a little off halfway through. Batman fights a variety of villains, and this leads to a slightly unbalanced feeling in a few parts. However, this does not last for long, and when the finale hits... It's most definitely a finale. The tone of the film is brilliant. Though it tends to be very dark, it is ultimately hopeful. Score two for realism. The acting is spot-on. Christian Bale absolutely nails the essence of Batman. Also, Cillian Murphy makes a fantastic Scarecrow. The music is simply incredible. Batman's theme, in particular, is an astounding work of art that, in a four-note motif, manages to capture all that Batman is.
All in all, I feel that this film, while not absolutely perfect, is an amazing accomplishment by Christopher Nolan that gives Batman fans the world over the movie they've been waiting for. I dare you to walk away from this movie and never utter the words "I'm Batman" in your lifetime. 4.5 out of 5 Tumblers from me.