Marvellous!!

Rating: 10/10 (21 July 2008)

After months of waiting, and one of the most aggressive viral marketing campaigns ever seen, The Dark Knight is finally here. With the tag of 'most awaited film of the year', The Dark Knight has so much expectation on its shoulders that one wonders whether it indeed will suffice, or disappoint. The Dark Knight is not merely a comic book to celluloid adaptation. It is not merely a superhero movie. It is not merely about a masked crusader killing the bad guys. It delves deeply into human nature. It shows us the tolerance of the soul to the limit of choking.
Gotham's need for a hero is glorified in this film. And so is it's hate for that same hero. A masked hero is not a hero at all. He is more like a vigilante who is to be arrested on sight. For it is he who has brought darkness upon them. Hence, they await a 'White Knight'. One who does not need to hide his face from the people. One whose identity is known by all and sundry. One who fears nothing. We find ourselves witnessing sacrifice. Then again, it isn't merely the sacrifice of a person, or even many, for the sake of something good in the end. It is the sacrifice of oneself.
The genius of Christopher Nolan brings to us the sequel of Batman Begins, a revamp to the entire saga of Batman on screen. A film that changed the way the entire world looked at comic book superheroes. The Dark Knight succeeds in taking it not just one, but a couple of steps further. Christian Bale's hoarse voice is still the same under that black mask. He still fights all his battles with his hands. Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker is not just terrifying or shocking, it is beyond belief. That voice, that walk, that laugh! It is nothing short of haunting. Then there is Aaron Eckart, playing Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent, who is just as good. Everyone in this film is spot on. Everything about it is a revelation.
It's two and a half hours long. The dialogue is gripping. It is absolutely magnificent seeing something like this on the big screen. The entire concept of Batman wanting to go back to becoming Bruce Wayne and be done with his superhero days, and how he tries to achieve that by glorifying Harvey Dent, the DA of Gotham City, goes deep into the character of Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is, after all, only human. The character of The Joker, his want to give Gotham a 'better class of criminal', to prove that 'when the chips are down, civilized people will eat each other' shows us an entire different side of the common people. It is one that contrasts the entire 'we will throw garbage at the bad guy for hitting Spiderman theory.
Indeed, The Joker is perhaps the most complex villain created in comic book history and giving him a simple 'bad guy' tag would not be doing justice to him (Read: Venom from Spiderman 3. Horrible. Absolutely excruciating!). The wonders they have done with him is unbelievable. He robs millions of dollars only to burn it. He is indeed a man one 'does not understand'. He is one who 'just want to watch the world burn'. The film is a work of art, often obscure. The sequences have been made with the utmost attention to detail, the last 45minutes being absolutely outstanding.
There are probably a million other things I could write about, but I would probably be giving away the story, so I shall refrain. The Dark Knight is one HUGE film. It perhaps might even be one of those few summer films that make it till the Oscars. It should. It will break box office records, and it will create new ones. The Dark Knight is destined for super-stardom, and that is indeed what it shall get.
Outstanding!