A Grand And Terrific Piece of Movie-Making

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2008)

When I went to see Batman Begins in the summer of 2005, I was extremely excited. The film looked dark and complex, which were two things that I hadn't seen from this franchise before (the only Batman films I had seen before this were Batman Forever and Batman & Robin). I also expected it to be exciting, both in terms of its action sequences and its visuals. I am extremely glad to say that all of my expectations were tremendously rewarded.
Batman Begins is not only the best film in the franchise so far (fingers crossed for The Dark Knight), but it is also one of those indispensable comic book movies which takes the realism of its subject matter into deep consideration, and emerges even more compelling and intriguing as a result.
After witnessing the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) began a determined quest to understand the criminal mind. Whilst on this journey, Wayne encounters Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), who in turn leads him to Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe), who is the leader of the League of Shadows, a group which combats evil. Bruce receives training and knowledge within this group. When he has been trained, he splits with the League and returns home to Gotham City. Adopting the persona of Batman, Bruce takes on crime boss Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson) and corrupt psychiatrist Jonathan Crane AKA Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy). However, another danger lurks in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike...
The direction by Christopher Nolan is probably one of the key reasons for the film's success. Taking Batman out of his safety zone full of fantastical locations and ghoulish villains and placing him in the real world was an extremely courageous decision on behalf of Nolan, and it was this decision which gives Begins the necessary edge and complexity to stand out in a crowd.
Nolan also crafts a enriching and clever story, and fills it with smart ideas. There isn't even a trace of camp in this Batman, which makes the events which unfold all the more believable. Nolan also makes sure that the darkness doesn't fully engulf the viewer, crafting well-timed and paced action sequences and moments of clever humour. However, his best decision in this film, by far, is the casting.
First and foremost is Christian Bale, who delivers a mesmerising portrayal of the titular hero. Bale grips and moves the audience with more conviction and maturity than any of the previous Batman to grace the silver screen. He also oozes realistic emotions and humour. We believe him when he is engaged in furious combat with his adversaries, we can believe him when he is having discussions with those close to him and most importantly, we can believe that he would fly through the streets of Gotham City, pounding bad guys with unprecedented fury. This is because Bale perfectly shows Wayne's emotions to the audience, whilst avoiding going over-the-top. He is easily the best Batman, and isn't likely to find any competition in the foreseeable future.
There is also impressive villainy on display here. As Ra's Al Ghul, Ken Watanabe doesn't have much screen-time or many lines, but he is still effectively threatening and, as his excellent debut sword fight proves, extremely deadly. Tom Wilkinson sinks his teeth into the meaty role of Carmine Falcone, providing hardened menace in a restaurant scene with Bruce, as well as several of his other scenes. Cillian Murphy is brilliantly cold and chilling in the role of Dr. Crane, and the scenes in which he tortures people with both a deadly hallucinogenic and a frightening scarecrow mask are genuinely disturbing. None of these actors go over the top in order to have themselves remembered as the best nemesis, which is stupendously refreshing for a Batman film.
Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman also deliver wonderful performances. Neeson adds another great performance to his CV as Henri Ducard, brilliantly delving into his character and producing a truly original portrayal of what could have been a rather ordinary character. Caine delivers a perfect rapport with Bale as Wayne's butler Alfred, also showing great complexity when needed. Oldman shows marvellous restraint in his performance as good cop Jim Gordon, whilst Freeman is brilliantly sly and humorous in the role of Lucius Fox. The only flaw is that Katie Holme's love interest feels underdeveloped, and never exhibits the spark which should be exhibited by Batman's love interest.
Begin's script also takes its job seriously. The screenplay needs to delve beneath the skin of the character of Batman, to find out what drives him to fight crime. It does this terrifically, providing a direct view into Bruce Wayne's world and thoroughly convincing the audience that he is doing the right thing. It also stays true to the rest of the production and remains realistic, providing believable confrontations between the characters.
James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer both contribute to the film's exceptional score. Both composers apply their different styles to the score. The end result is moving, exciting and tense, and never distracts from the main events occurring on screen.
Batman Begins is visually exceptional. All of the locations in the film are terrifically designed and brought to life, with great details added in each location. Mixed with some superb cinematography, the visual look of the movie couldn't be better.
The action sequences are excellent. With at least two excellently choreographed and suspenseful sword fights, and the terrific highlight of a heart-pumping car chase ranging from the roads to the rooftops of Gotham, each action sequence is expertly thought-out, intense and involving. Also, they never get repetitive, such as the action sequences in Batman & Robin.
Overall, this is a terrific movie. I highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't already witnessed its grand scale and its terrific execution, and wait with baited breath for The Dark Knight.