A Superhero Masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (12 June 2019)

Nolan and Bale and Ledger... wow. Everyone truly outdid themselves in this film. As a person studying film and a long-time fan of superheroes, I can say this movie is unlike so many others to have graced viewers. Where do we begin? The movie starts out very smartly by introducing the villain, Heath Ledger's Joker. With Bale's Batman being introduced in the film's predecessor, Batman Begins, there would be no reason to start the story with the hero, who we've already met. It's a smart move. The movie then moves into tying up loose ends from the same movie just mentioned. The fact that we've already seen the villain allows for the story to start up IMMEDIATELY when we see the hero. Slowly, the first act eases into the beginning of the conflict between these two characters. Besides that, it eases into the conflict between more previously established characters. The first act is carried alongside by these smaller conflicts and both the hero and villain slowly move forward in the same direction. This was brilliant as the two cross paths later in the film in a very natural way. Going forward into the second act, we're unsure as to what the villain is planning, and the film goes along without a sense of direction. Later on, the villain ends up revealing what his motives are. He wants to kill the Batman, but he also wants to show the criminal underworld and the rest of Gotham what it truly means to be a "bad guy." Throughout the film, the concept of a person who is evil is tossed around quite a bit and causes us to second-guess Batman for awhile. Once Harvey Dent is introduced as Two-Face, we see both good and evil in his character, easily symbolized by the burnt and unburnt sides of his body. These questions of morality really fuel the second act. Once the third act is reached, the movie starts taking all these plots and underlying themes, and ties them together in a nice bow on top of the present. We're shown the difference between good and evil. What allows a person to come out as a bad guy or a good guy. Sacrifice. It's an amazing message and tone for the film which is kept consistent throughout. Definitely reccomend. It's a masterpiece.