Nolan at his best

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2008)

For all the hype, the reviews and the posthumous Oscar nominations this film does not fail to entertain or provoke. As all have said The performance of Ledger is thoroughly enthralling, and is reminiscent in kind of Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs, that of a psychotic yet fascinating mind.
However as a film it moves far beyond merely a great performance, it moves into the realm of modern day greats. The script, tone, score and cinematography of the film puts it in the class of epic. Unlike of comic book films of old, even crime films of old, it is not merely the protagonist taking on (a few) villains (e.g. Spiderman 3 where is was literally like taking down a series of video game bosses), but more an figure battling an idea. In the film it challenges what and who makes up the society we live in today, and the treatment hits home. It asks questions about whether our morality is forged by the society that governs us, or born out of an instrinsic sense of justice? Is it ever right to coerce the lives of individuals for the lives of many? Should people find the truth they want, or the truth they need? It even answers questions that writers such as Frank Miller brought up in their classic treatments of Batman and the Joker; are the Batman and the Joker merely hero and villain, or do they need each other for meaning to what they do? Beyond the philosophical wankery one always hears from film critics, the film is bloody awesome. The action sequences are so slick, stylish and gritty, the special effects are used in a way that they maintain their sense of scale and realism (take note Michael Bay) and the Joker is extremely funny.
My 3 favourite films 3 weeks ago, were The Godfather, the Seventh Seal and Apocalypse now...