Brilliant, intertextual, and over looked.

Rating: 10/10 (11 February 2001)

Sincere parody is never a recepiant of praise in this country. Batman Returns, released on an election year, is a case in point. Not only does it mock corporate control over American politicians, but it also, in itself, is a parody of our culture. To say that the film satirical is an undergesture. Christopher Walken's Max Shreck, the polluting industrialist, and his manipulation of the Penguin is a clear demonstration of this. The intertextual refereces to the silent era are endless. From the visuals that inspire remembrances of German impressionism (the set production, and even the Penguin swirling his hypnotic umbrella, is ala Dr. Caligari) to Max Shrech (the name lifted from actor Max Shreck who played the vampire in Nosferatu--even Max's activities, sucking the power out of Gotham, is reminiscent of a vampire sucking the blood ((life force)) out of humans.) Batman, of course, is the gargoyle over all this, and his cape is full, not only with these terrors, but also with Catwoman, his doppleganger. Here we see a circle of sameness that is not explored with any of the characters in the film series-at least not to this degree. The performances are top notch, the production design is gorgeous, and it is wrought with meaning on ever conceivable level. This is the type of film that Gilles Deleuze would have a field day with. So many images of affect and perception that virtually colide together to form a visual tapestry unlike any other. To say this is style over substance is dismissive and wrong. The substance of the film is built in a rich visual fabric that incorporates parody, our cultural folklore heros, images, performances, and a sense of loss. Batman is the ultimate anti hero, and Burton is a cinematic hero for bringing these various elements together on the screen.