Batman begins well but ends in a well

Rating: 8/10 (3 December 2019)

I watched this movie multiple times and I have to say that I liked the initial part a lot, but, starting with the return of Bruce to Gotham, I was gradually disappointed by the plot, which turned from profound and spiritual to facetious and childish. The conversation between Bruce and the mob boss was intriguing but I think that the character of Crane was inappropriately vacuous and the mask gimmick a cheap trick. I think the authors should have focussed more on the internal fights of Bruce and the problems posed by the corruption of society. The enemies of Batman are not the petty criminals prowling in the city or even the mob bosses doing drug deals but the system as a whole, the corrupt and despicable political environment which causes criminality to prosper. Ra's Al Ghul and Henri Ducard are interesting characters but the former dies early in the movie and the latter, after being saved from certain death by Bruce, returns as a parody of what he should have been, a simple and dumb criminal, who thinks to save the world by destroying it. Bruce Wayne, despite of his "initiation" by monks-ninjas, reminds us of a spoiled billionaire who likes to don a mask and creeps at night through the megalopolis hunting down the lowlives and corrupt policemen while politicians (where are they?) hold all the right cards in their hands. I think it has to do with the agenda of the production companies, or the intention of the authors to please all audiences and cater to the requirements of the market. Christoper Nolan is a gifted director and technically, the movie is good, but the message has been lost somewhere before, during or after the filming. When I compare this movie to Fight Club, for instance, I can see that there is something lacking in Batman, and I wonder if anyone will be ever be able to paint the right picture without following cliches and marketing guidelines.