Dark, Dramatic and Excellently Cast

Rating: Null/10 (22 July 2008)

The first thing I want to say about Dark Knight is that this is most definitely NOT one for the kids. It really appalls me when I see small kids at movies like this (which I did), and I can't even begin to imagine what their parents are thinking. I remember enough about my own childhood to know that the image of Harvey Dent's face burning and his subsequent disfigurement would have stayed with me a very long time. And children will not 'get' the moral ambiguity of the plot. Much has been written about the unrelenting violence of the movie. But violence on screen is not necessarily a bad thing, it just needs to be watched by the appropriate audience, and with this Batman movie, personally I don't think that includes children under 12 or 13.
Leaving aside doubts about the certification, this is a very good film, although it is unremittingly dark and totally lacking in any kind of light relief. It's gripping, well edited and has a complex but comprehensible story arc and well written dialogue. And, most important for me, the special effects are excellent but they don't overshadow the characters and the human interest. From Batman flying among the high rises of Hong Kong to the truck tipping end over end on a Gotham City street and the hospital blowing up, the effects are terrific but what grips us still is the interplay of the people and the dilemmas they face, not the size of the explosions. I usually object to movies running at much over 2 hours, but I barely noticed how long this was; it had me completely engrossed from start to finish.
The story, described extensively elsewhere, sees Batman joining forces with the police (Lt Gordon) and Gotham's clean cut, new DA Harvey Dent to round up the criminals in Gotham, an act which forces the criminals into the arms of a totally amoral psychopath -, The Joker - in an attempt to beat Batman and kill him. The Joker sets the city a moral challenge, which he hopes will turn them on each other. Will they prove their worth or will they cower in the face of anarchy? Meanwhile Rachel, the love of Batman's life, and one of the few who knows his true identity, has fallen for Dent and is put in mortal danger.
Christian Bale is a compelling Batman, making the transition from billionaire playboy to caped crusader seamless and utterly believable. Previous actors in the role have been believable as the playboy or the Batman; I'm hard put to think of one who has displayed both personas so well. His Batman is totally self contained, although I found the raspy manner of speaking a little wearing after a while. Forests have already been felled to describe Heath Ledger's Joker, so all I will add is that it's all true, he's terrifying. Maggie Gyllenhaal brings real weight to the role of Rachel Dawes; good to see someone cast in the role of superhero's love interest who is so much more than just a pretty face. Michael Caine (Alfred) is fabulous, Morgan Freeman (Lucius) is reliable, Gary Oldman (Lt. Gordon) just melts into his character- all are excellent. But for me the real revelation was Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent / Two Face. I last saw Eckhart in No Reservations - a movie which is best described as little as possible - and had thought him very nice to look at but light weight as he coasted through it on cruise control; this role stretched him so much further, and I really enjoyed his performance. I thought he was an inspired piece if casting.
Altogether a terrific movie, and one I might just have to go and see again, there's so much to it.