The Cinematic event of a generation

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2008)

There is a pantheon of movies that define a generation. Star Wars, The Godfather, Jaws and now, The Dark Knight. A cinematic masterpiece, the films 2 and a half hours are both too short, yet so immersing it seems like days. Not one frame of wasted celluloid was included. The cinematography was unbelievable with sweeping cityscapes and intense, explosive action sequences. The acting was also unbelievable; Between Heath Ledger's tour de force (which is definitely deserving of the Oscar buzz), Aaron Eckhart's tragic Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Gary Oldman's ever brilliant presence as Lt. James Gordan, and Christian Bale's intense and driven Batman/Bruce Wayne, everyone involved is absolutely stellar. However, what truly makes this film the cinematic event that it is, is the story. Truly epic in it's scope but always aware that personal tragedy is what drives it. This is a rare cinematic masterpiece in a time where summer movies have come to mean mindless fluff, this transcends the typical superhero movie to achieve something truly spectacular. Seeing this film was an experience that I will not soon forget and I truly hope others derive the same pleasure from seeing it that I did.