Dark and compelling, but left me cold

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2008)

Okay, I came out the cinema literally ten minutes ago. Yes the movie was tremendous, yes Heath Ledger gave a fine performance; but it is far from a work of originality in the art of film-making.
The Story... Put very briefly: Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) has hopes of becoming obsolete; not least to reunite with darling Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). A man named Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) takes charge of bringing justice to the streets, eager to prove to society that they don't need the help of Batman. Enter the Joker (Heath Ledger), an unrelenting villain who just "wants to watch the world burn"; a man who wallows in anarchy. Batman reluctantly assumes personal responsibility for his elimination. The snag is that the Joker generates a conflict between our repentant desire for his disposal and our abhorrence in his retention. Conversely, said friction is nevertheless ambiguous as this is principally a product of Ledger's well-integrated alluring, dark humour.
The Review... Nothing about Christopher Nolan's film is candidly provocative: it is doubtless far in merit from the present cinematic cultural phenomenon it seems to be stirring; the death of its star has unquestionably fuelled the effect it is having on audiences. When Ledger's face first appears on screen, it is impossible to distract oneself from his recent passing; so this morally justified praise is surely transient.
The biggest displeasure was that the emotional impact lasted only for the film's duration: as I left the theatre, the automatic doors opened for me onto a busy street and everything that had just affected me on the other side of them, dissipated into the noise of the traffic. I wasn't disturbed or introspective; I wasn't concerned or upset: in fact, I felt pretty good. But I don't think I should have. Films should induce a lasting response. So whilst making an attempt to inject a syringe-full of emotive contemporary issues and examining the current state of this planet, the liquid sentiment that fell from the needle was only enough to drug me for the two-and-a-half-hours that is lasted: in consequence, feelings are left sullied and detached. And movie nostalgia should incontestably recall more than just the action  which, on the other hand was positively impressive.
Arguably, reality through fantasy only truly works when one can fully connect with the vision's subject. Nolan has done great wonders with the comic book adaptations and to criticize his creativity would be unjust and excessive. Batman appears real enough but the inflexible artificiality of his being is sufficient for our imagination to keep him from fruition, and is instead rather a constant reminder that Gotham really is another world: Batman is the Verfremdungseffekt. Some films bring you inside the world they encompass, whereas to its own disappointment, The Dark Knight predominantly holds you afar: a bystander's view of a distressed planet; I didn't have an intimate enough connection to believe that this could be our own. I was indeed so close, but that is always just too far. Nonetheless, there were moments when its scrutiny of human relationships and societal conduct did besiege me  and well at that. Thankfully too, the CGI and stunts were primarily kept to an appropriate, watchable, sensible level; consequently they were more intense and convincing.
Along with the fantastic pulsating score, the acting is what keeps the film alive. Ledger is especially brilliant and he markedly surpasses the other cast members, who in contrast give engaging yet run of the mill performances. Is Heath's performance Oscar-worthy? Debatably so but I remain hesitant.
To conclude, I certainly give out a recommendation to see this movie but, like most others, it is rich with content appealing purely to a mindset that whilst common, is still particular and genre-associated.