One scene may tell it all

Rating: 9/10 (21 August 2008)

A lot of users have given (and will give) a general comment to this movie. I would then focus on a scene that particularly hit me and that may be considered the perfect example that shows how far this great movie stands from the usual bang!-and-pow! superhero flicks. Stop here if you haven't seen it yet - well you should already now since there is a warning over here... Two ships with explosive charges and each detonator is in the hands of the crew of the other ship. The Joker offers them a choice: the first who presses the button will survive. Incidentally, by killing all the people on the other vessel. One ship is full of prisoners of the Gotham City Jail, the other is full of common (and supposedly honest and decent) people. In both ships the detonators are in the hands of the "constituted power" (i.e. the Police). In the "good ship" the power cannot handle the responsibility and let the people vote. The common people vote in favor of the slaughter (so long to any principle of respect of human life, whatsoever human life). In the "bad ship" the power cannot face a probable rebellion of the scum and let the prisoners take over the situation (i.e. the detonator). Time is running out. A decision shall be taken. Considered the development of the movie so far, I expected another piece of tragedy to be added. But. Here comes the extremely subtle work of the writers. The prisoner in the bad ship takes the detonator and throws it in the water. In the "good ship", after the vote, one man declares to be willing to press the button if no one else does, takes the detonator but cannot eventually complete the task, sits back and waits. The Power cannot face its responsibilities, voting may not be the solution, civilized and decent people may consider murder as an option, lifers do the unexpected. To me, much more scary than the Joker's smile.