Batman Reborn

Rating: 9/10 (4 November 2005)

It seems odd that a character who has been brought to the screen so many times in so many different manners as Batman has never had a proper "origin story" until now. True, several earlier film versions sketched in the basics--little Bruce Wayne witnesses his parents' murder, inspiring a one-man crusade against evil--but none of them struck at the heart of the matter, namely: how and why exactly does a wealthy child of privilege decide to not only devote his life fighting crime, but to do so dressed as a flying rodent? Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" answers that question along with a few others, but even more remarkably, it renews a franchise that had been driven into the ground by its own excesses.
And make no mistake, it is a rebirth, not a continuation--Nolan wisely rebuilds Batman from the ground up, rather than pick up where others had left off. This is a Gotham City far removed from the Gothic grandeur of Tim Burton's vision, and even farther removed from the gaudy camp of Joel Schumacher's. Nolan's Gotham is a sprawling urban nightmare of a city, with cold industrial towers looming against the sky while beneath the poor struggle for survival in the Narrows, a decaying skid row where even the police fear to tread. Most of the city officials are in the pockets of crime lords or are in fear of them. The few who aren't, such as honest cop Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman, radiating weary nobility) and idealistic young attorney Rachael Dawes (Katie Hudson) lack the clout to fight back. With such an example, it's easy to see why Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) would become disillusioned with society's normal method of justice, and embark on a personal quest to understand and combat crime.
The early part of "Batman Begins" establishes this background, intercut with Bruce's training with the ancient and mysterious League of Shadows. His mentor (Liam Neeson) describes the society as being devoted to restoring justice, but Bruce soon comes to disagree with their methods. The League thinks society is past repair and wants to eradicate it; Bruce would rather help those trying to fix the problem. Perhaps if he acted as a source of inspiration, a figurehead in the battle against evil
"Batman Begins" follows the recent trend in comic-book films, creating a story that is as much driven by charactersspecifically the central characteras it is by action. Bale is an ideal choice for the title role: handsome enough to be convincing as a millionaire playboy, and talented enough to convey the shadows in Bruce Wayne's soul. He also does something with Batman that has been seen all too infrequently: he makes him genuinely frightening. With the possible exception of Michael Keaton, no Batman has ever credibly established himself as someone who could strike terror in the heart of even the most hardened and cynical criminal. Bale, speaking in a harsh growl and moving with almost inhuman speed and silence, is naturally intimidatingno wonder both the police and the thugs hesitate to confront him. Nolan has surrounded Bale with brilliant supporting playersin addition to Oldman and Neeson, we have Michael Caine exuding quiet loyalty and dry British wit as faithful butler Alfred, and Morgan Freeman making the most of the scientist who supplies the fledgling Batman with most of his toys. The bad guys' side is rounded out by Tom Wilkinson as Gotham's reigning crime boss, and Cillian Murphy as twisted psychiatrist Dr. Crane. Crane, whose disturbingly serene manner carries echoes of Norman Bates, experiments on his patients with a panic-inducing drug that proves central in tying the various story lines together. In the thankless role of the love interest, Hudson adds a personal dimension to Bruce's crusade but never induces much romantic tensionwe know Wayne's bachelor status is never in any real jeopardy. But if that's as bad as it gets, then "Batman Begins" is very good indeed. Would that all major "event" movies turned out so well.