Not Just An Incredible Comic Book Film, Just An Incredible Film.

Rating: 10/10 (12 July 2012)

Take everything you've ever believed about Blockbusters, action movies, or indeed the genre of comic-book films- that they're just big, noisy and expensive means of leaving your brain at the door- and forget it. All of it. Because this film has defied it all, and proved us all wrong. To say that this is the Godfather of comic-book films is an understatement- it's more the Godfather of the 00's, and it's all down to an extremely talented and dedicated cast and crew working towards a goal that they all seem to understand and admire.
Taking inspiration mainly from acclaimed graphic novels "The Long Halloween", "The Killing Joke" and others, director Christopher Nolan and his creative team waste no time in creating a Batman story that even the most veteran of comic-book writers would admire. After one of the most effective openings in history that totally grips the attention, the story begins with an experienced Batman taking on Gotham's criminal underworld together with Lieutenant Gordon and new DA Harvey Dent. Things are going smoothly, until the emergence of a sinister new foe, the Joker, whose reign of anarchy and terror brings Gotham to its knees, forcing Batman into a twisted game unlike anything he's ever imagined.
Sticking closer to the source material than any other live-action Batman film to date, the film maintains a dark and murky atmosphere throughout, conveying a constant feeling of threat and intensity, and immersing itself in the absolute utmost of realism and down-to-earth grit. In Nolan's vision, there are no batwings on the Batmobile, or over-the-top villains, and for the first time, the Joker is portrayed as wearing warpaint, rather than having bleached skin and hair. Any fantasy or flamboyance is rejected, and the film thrives because of it. Add this to the moody atmosphere and the perfect music score by Hans Zimmer, both menacing and triumphant- and always excellent- and the perfect Batman experience has been created.
The incredible tone and ingenious story is easily matched by the quality of the cast. Bale gives a spot-on depiction of both Bruce Wayne and Batman- a hero desperately trying to save a city that doesn't want to be saved, and a man torn between doing what he should do and what he must do, while risking loosing himself in the process. Eckhart delivers a perfect depiction of Harvey Dent, a good man thrown into an insane situation, giving himself to his cause just as much as Batman, and also risks reaching breaking point, while Oldman's Gordon makes an essential and incredibly effective addition as a normal, every-day man trying his best to cope with what the city throws at him. Great support is given from other characters- Caine is an excellent Alfred- the most notable difference from the comics, but an improvement in my opinion from his source character. Freeman is the perfect Lucius Fox, matching charm and wit with cleverness and thoughtfulness. Maggie Gyllenhaal surpasses Katie Holmes easily as Rachel, an original part that could have been pointless but is made completely believable thanks to great acting and tremendous writing.
But brilliant as all of these performances are, along with other terrific ones, there is one performance that shines through more than anything, and sets a milestone for screen villains. Heath Ledger as the Joker. To write a review of the actor's performance with such little space is purely unkind, but I'll do my best. Ledger gives an astonishing, mesmerising and earth-shattering performance as the Joker. His ingenious games and sadistic humour are matched only by his bone-chilling realism, gritty brutality and anarchic, frightening and constant threat. At times totally laid-back and sickly funny, other times impossibly intense, Ledger creates and expertly maintains a raw, breath-taking unpredictability. You are never, EVER sure what he will do next, and he constantly grips even when not on screen. But the beauty of the film is that even when this force of nature is on screen, we still appreciate everything else that's happening, and he never allows himself to drown out what's happening around him and never overshadows any other character. Through months of preparation and staggering dedication, Ledger crafted a performance so real, so rich and so utterly convincing, that in my opinion, and of course everyone's will differ, but for me, not only is this the best performance of a villain ever in a film, but the greatest performance ever given in general, and one that Ledger should have been proud of.
However, the real stars of the film are Nolan and his creative team, in particular his brother Jonathon, with whom he wrote the script. Here are two guys who really and truly know their Batman, and know how to shape a film in their own vision but also stay incredibly faithful to the source material, which is undoubtedly what makes this film what it is. Together, they have crafted not just a comic-book action film, but a film that examines morality and humanity with power and conviction. The plot and themes of the film are downright Shakespearean, and are both truly fascinating. The idea of Batman and the Joker almost playing a game of chess, with Dent as a pawn and Gotham their board, in order to inspire the city as a whole, is ground-breaking for a "superhero movie", and indeed, for films of any kind. This film looks at the world and asks whether humanity is good or bad, whether people are really decent, or whether they're just pure evil, how strong we all are and how easy it is for us to lose ourselves, and what it means to be a true hero.
This film is a psychological and philosophical masterpiece, expertly examining incredibly deep and meaningful themes and ideas with incredible insight and thoughtfulness, and is not a mere action thriller, but a work of art of incredible depth and power. Oh and the voice is not hard to understand.