A Better Beginning...............

Rating: 9/10 (17 July 2005)

I did not want to want to see BATMAN BEGINS. Viewing it in the theater required the temporary lifting of my boycott of mainstream American films. I've been dragged to far too many "blockbusters" in my day and have dished out ten hard-earned dollars for disappointment in return. Hollywood does not make films that very much interest me, but when I saw the credits block for BATMAN BEGINS (the cast, the director, the crew) I was intrigued. I eventually broke down and went to a matinée showing of BATMAN BEGINS and was greatly impressed. This however does not make me wrong about Hollywood. It simply shows that if you have a strong creative force behind a film, not even the devil himself can suppress it completely.
BATMAN BEGINS begins at the beginning of the Batman saga. As the film opens we meet a younger, more troubled, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) who, while imprisoned in Asia, is approached by the mysterious figure of Ducard (Liam Neeson). Ducard represents the League of Shadows, a cultish organization of men who have extreme views on what is right and what is wrong. Wayne trains with them, but ultimately cannot accept their philosophy and returns to Gotham City where, as a small boy, his parents were murdered. We discover that it was a failed attempt at revenge for the death of his parents, as well as a fateful confrontation with a powerful crime lord (Tom Wilkinson), that drove him east to live the life of a criminal. In Gotham he reunites with his family's trusty servant Alfred (Michael Caine) and his childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes). He also reunites with his family's vast fortune and resources. Troubled by his demons and the moral decay of Gotham City, he begins to fashion the alter ego of Batman. Under this guise Bruce Wayne starts to take back the the streets of Gotham and purge his own feelings of remorse over his parent's demise. He makes a connection with "one good cop" Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and builds up his armory under the watchful eye of Alfred and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), who is head of the Wayne Enterprises warfare technology department (which answers the question "Where does he get those wonderful toys?" from 1989's BATMAN). When Batman disrupts a routine drug sale, he discovers that there is a deeper conspiracy that threatens the whole of Gotham City. I'll stop there, although the plot should be pretty familiar to those who followed the comic book/graphic novel series.
BATMAN BEGINS adapts a much darker tone than the previous films. The psychological profile of Bruce Wayne, as well as the other characters in the film, are explored with much more depth and care than one would expect. Director Christopher Nolan (MEMENTO, INSOMNIA) who, along with writer David S. Goyer, has fashioned an exciting, yet observant , story in which to place their well executed set pieces. Nolan is a young filmmaker who seems to have a firm grasp of technique. He treats the characters not as pawns in a video game, but conflicted people who do things for a reason. In a field that is dominated by CGI effects that make the impossible seem implausible, the action sequences in BATMAN BEGINS have a certain gravity to them. The fight scenes are murky and tight; the chase sequences are ruled by the laws of physics and not by the laws of the cheap thrill. This film also moves away from the comic book bad guy as such. The characters set against Bruce Wayne are not "bad" in any clear sense, but fragmented individuals who have adopted misguided ideals. They have no quirky deformities, brightly colored hair, or freeze rays and it is because of this fact that the foils of BATMAN BEGINS are all the more frightening because we can identify with them on a certain level.
I don't think that I've ever made specific mention of any casting agents before, but they deserve special mention for BATMAN BEGINS. John Papsidera and Lucinda Syson have assembled an amazing group of actors. Christian Bale seemed an unlikely choice to play the lead role; the chance pays off, as Bale plays on Bruce Wayne's inner conflict and creates a character that is more than just a rugged jaw line under a mask. Liam Neeson is perfect for the role of Ducard, as a man who is more comfortable issuing sage advice, but can still fight masterly if provoked. Michael Caine does wonders with his limited screen time, as does Morgan Freeman, Katie Holmes, Tom Wilkinson, and Cillian Murphy. It is great to have an actor like Rutger Hauer in a film like this and even better to see Gary Oldman in an important supporting role. It would be interesting to see the whole Batman saga restaged with this same cast and crew, but it seems unlikely that another film would be made, seeing that BATMAN BEGINS leads directly into Tim Burton's BATMAN. As a stand alone work BATMAN BEGINS is a strong film, and it is easily the best of the series. 9/10