DARK KNIGHT: An Instant Classic

Rating: 9/10 (18 July 2008)

Amazing. Phenomenal. History making. Awe inspiring. These are some of the clichés that came to mind after seeing DARK KNIGHT. What's not a cliché is Christopher Nolan's brilliant and intricate script, beautifully crafted, all at once disturbing, funny, frightening, thought provoking and exciting.
From start to finish you know you are watching quality. All involved are working to make the best film possible. The opening scene reminded me of a 1970's cop film. Like SERPICO, it has a distinct texture of grittiness and elegance. It's surprising to me how much more exciting it is to watch action sequences that are rooted in real world physics. When Batman gets punched or shot, he feels it, and so do we.
The acting is excellent across the board, but two of my favorite performances were Heath Ledger's unnerving Joker; I haven't been that afraid for the other characters since Jet Li in LETHAL WEAPON 4, and Gary Oldman as the mere mortal everyman, Police Commissioner Gordon mustering every ounce of his courage to fight evil, insurmountable forces much bigger than he. The Joker is definitely the driving force of the film, with everyone having to react against his next move, and the film skillfully creates a horrible anxiety, a lot of which comes from watching the characters' resolve, wither and die when attacked by one of The Joker's hypnotic psychological barrages. Even Christian Bale's formidably played Batman, has a difficult time maintaining his composure while facing The Joker. You can see it in his eyes.
A great casting twist was Eric Roberts as Gotham's mob boss Salvatore Maroni. They could have gone the route of the quintessential grease ball Italian. Instead they did something more akin to John Gotti, a smirking, unflappable, aging bad boy in an impeccable, designer suit who could almost pass for Arian. Roberts provides yet another touch of realism which adds to the film's classiness.
A third character of the film is the population of Gotham itself. Too often in these films we watch the lead actors rattle on about "saving the population" with no real attachment with the people they are responsible for. Not so in DARK KNIGHT. The world is so rich and believable and the characters so 3 dimensional that as an audience member, you're likely to feel that you too are a citizen of Gotham, and all you'll want to do is get out of town.