It's Art!

Rating: Null/10 (17 June 2009)

Swimming in the wake of so many preceding commentators, i still hope to point out few details which were left aside until now. Bytheway i've read every single comment on The Dark Knight posted on the IMDb.com. Well, it was fun, a serious one.
This film i'd call pleiotropic, because of it works simultaneously on several levels, and it works good.
Some miscellaneous notes on The Dark Knight
on Batman's voice: since it's a fantasy, it should be performed with exaggerations, so i welcome Batman played by Christian Bale
on Harvey Dent: Aaron Eckhart not only had a line about Gaius Julius Caesar, he actually resembles that distinguished Roman (look Caesar's bust in the Vatican Museum)
on Joker: i assume this figure is based on a representation of an evil, yet funny spirit that was portrayed by Goethe in "Faust". So there should be some German roots of the Joker: Mephistopheles or Mephisto, played brilliantly by Gustav Gruendgens, who painted his face white. There is a film "Faust" from 1960. I suppose, we might take seriously the fact that Heath Ledger kept himself under the lock for a month working on his role. It's obvious now that he did not waste the time. Here i suggest some videos he might have watched during his solitude (at least concerning his make up): Gustav Gruendgens (1960) as Mephistopheles, without black paint around the eyes Cesar Romero (1966) as Joker, without black paint, but with a broad smile Klaus Maria Brandauer (1981) in "Mephisto", with black paint around his eyes Klaus Kinski (1986) in "The Crawlspace", with black paint and with a smile Jack Nichilson (1989) as Joker, without black paint, but with a broad grin on his face Brandon Lee (1994) in "The Crow", with black paint and with a smile
Heath Ledger, a perfect Faust of our age, who was always moving on, has left this life far too early. In The Dark Knight he simply did his best, the quality of a genius, who is predestined to do his best at a proper time in a proper place, in reality. Since the Joker ought to be horrifying and funny he made him so.
A certain shade which casts this film on a viewer (so many people name it "dark") might be produced also by the psychedelic music (written by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard), which makes every scene with the Joker even creepier.
On a certain dizziness caused by watching this film, about which some commentators above have complained: well, yes, i felt dizzy, but i assumed it was a part of the plan.
I highly recommend The Dark Knight. Enjoy it!
barter2009@web.de