In 'The Dark Knight', Christopher Nolan finds light among the shadows

Rating: 8/10 (2 August 2008)

In his successful reboot of the Batman franchise, Christopher Nolan has accomplished an admirable feat: he has taken a scorned, ridiculed series and transformed it into a near-masterpiece of modern crime noir that feels frighteningly close to home. Since its widely publicized release in July 2008, The Dark Knight has almost universally become known as the best adaptation of a superhero comic book in history, and while the film is not by all means perfect, this status is hard to debate.
From the very first opening shot of Gotham City, Nolan enthralls his audience in the movie. Especially when viewed in IMAX, one cannot help but gape with awe at the film's spectacular visuals, from the opening bank robbery - an ingenious imitation of the famous heist in Michael Mann's 1995 crime drama Heat - to the thrilling Batpod chase scene (enhanced by the fact that, like most of the film's special effects, the flipped truck was real, not CGI). The masterful cinematography helps generate a bleak, murky atmosphere that not only increases the suspense, but also reflects the ambiguous principles of the movie's protagonist. Almost instantly, it becomes clear that The Dark Knight is not just another mindless action blockbuster; in actuality, it is more of a crime drama, a gritty meditation on corruption, honor and morality. Ultimately, it is not cheap explosions and elaborate action set pieces that captivate the viewer, but instead the film's underlying themes and, above all, the epic battle of wills between Christian Bale's Batman and Heath Ledger's Joker.
And it cannot be denied that this eternal struggle is arguably one of the most engrossing conflicts presented in recent cinema. Christian Bale imbues his iconic antihero with a sense of grim, pensive dignity, making the audience alternately admire his courageous determination and abhor his ruthless ambition. Unlike most superheroes, Batman feels less like a glorified deity and more like a complex, three-dimensional human being. Screenwriters Christopher and Jonathan Nolan must be commended for effectively breathing life into this character that could easily have become little more than a caricature, providing him with secrets, desires, hopes, motivations and fears, all the while maintaining his mysterious temperament. On the flip side, Heath Ledger's Joker has quickly evolved into one of the most famed screen villains of all-time along with the likes of Anthony Hopkins's Hannibal Lecter and James Earl Jones's Darth Vader. Ledger's performance is nothing short of superlative. The young, amiable actor - otherwise known mostly for his heartrending portrayal of the forlorn cowboy Ennis Del Mar in 2005's Brokeback Mountain - completely vanishes behind the Joker's creepy, haphazard mask of make-up, expertly crafting a character that is both sinister and haunting, a twisted, merciless psychopath who somehow manages to feel believable and down-to-earth. The shadow of Heath Ledger's tragic, untimely death lingers throughout, adding an eerily poignant layer to his performance, yet it never overwhelms the malicious, tormented persona he has created. Perhaps more than anything else, the passionate, tumultuous friction between Christian Bale and Heath Ledger - epitomized in the now-famous interrogation scene - helped elevate The Dark Knight above the normal confines of its genre and into the realm of classic cinema.
The rest of the cast does a bravura job of supporting the two leads. Most notable is Aaron Eckhart, who is equally convincing as the noble, saintly D.A. Harvey Dent and as the bitter, anguished Two-Face; he provides a steady, levelheaded foil to rival Christian Bale's haughty Bruce Wayne. In addition, Gary Oldman lends an emotional nuance to James Gordon not evident in the previous installment, and Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are always reliable as Alfred the butler and Lucius Fox, respectively. The only questionable performance comes from Maggie Gyllenhaal as the idealistic Rachel Dawes. Her chemistry with Christian Bale does not match the restrained tenderness that Bale shared with Katie Holmes in Batman Begins, and her matter-of-fact attitude does not seem to suit her more quixotic character. Still, Gyllenhaal makes an honest effort and over time, the viewer comes to appreciate the candid prudence she brings to the screen.
Much of The Dark Knight revolves around the Freudian idea that evil resides within the heart of all humans. While in Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne/Batman was portrayed mostly as an honorable guardian of integrity, this time, he is constantly characterized as an obsessive, even deranged vigilante. The film-makers take care to emphasize the thin line between defender and criminal that Batman treads so closely, utilizing dark lighting and a dynamic score, mostly forsaking the heroic theme melody in favor of a more chilling arrangement. Also, many people have noticed that The Dark Knight focuses much more on Batman as opposed to Bruce Wayne. While the fact that he spends a great deal of his screen time behind a mask could easily detract from Christian Bale's performance or diminish his character's personality, this oddly clever move shows how Bruce Wayne himself is slowly being consumed by his alter ego, evolving into a faceless, coldblooded icon, his energy and life bent toward fulfilling a single unattainable goal: to rid Gotham of evil. At some point or another, each character is forced to flirt with the gray area between right and wrong, and the audience watches as one by one, they find either salvation or oblivion.
Remarkably, however, Christopher Nolan manages to stop the film from becoming nothing more than a cynical diatribe on the flaws of humanity. Sparks of humor are sprinkled throughout the movie, such as the time when Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent dine together or the many wry conversations between Bruce and Alfred, to contrast the otherwise relentless solemnity. In the end, the audience emerges from the gloom and sorrow to discover hope - the fervent belief in man's ability to improve himself and the world around him - because above all, The Dark Knight is a movie about redemption and the promise of rebirth after devastation.