Dark Knight...a thoughtful masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2008)

I waited until today to watch the Dark Knight because I did not want to deal with all that midnight madness on opening Knight (get it?). Who wants to go view a movie at midnight when you're practically fighting back the eyelids from drooping, craving that sleep after a hard week of work? Well, after viewing the Dark Knight today, I don't think I would have had that problem if I went to see it on opening night. The Dark Knight is an irresistible combination of the best film has to offer. Film is supposed to take you to a place that you normally wouldn't be able to go to or see, like the great Italian director Fellini used to do. Yet the Dark Knight manages to maintain everyday elements of life's struggles into the mythical world of Gotham City.
I am a producer/director of my own film company, albeit on a minuscule level (take a microscope and times it by a billion, that is the size of my production company), and although I knew I could learn a lot from this film, I did not expect to learn this much. Christopher Nolan had me going through various stages of emotion during the film. You become entranced in Ledger's brilliant portrayal of the Joker. You sit back, head leaning on your fist, pondering how Batman will resolve his dilemma. You feel the pain of knowing that good will not always prevail for Harvey Dent. Nolan captures a very human element to Batman, which he also did in the first, but completely adds the icing to the take in this film.
Do I have the audacity...do I have the nerve to rank this up there with The Godfather, the single most greatest film of all time? Perhaps I have to view it a few more times, but this definitely ranks up there. The character development, tying the plot together, the twists and turns, the Dark Knight really is in its own league. Throw this film in the bucket list of films you have to watch before you die.