A Genre-Defying Spectacle (One of the all-time Greatest Films)

Rating: 10/10 (30 August 2013)

Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight changed things forever. There's no going' back. It is one of the few films that was thought to be one thing, and ended up becoming one of the greatest films of all time. This was the first movies I saw where I talked about things that were discussed in the film itself, and what it must mean to be a hero like Batman. But more importantly, the acting, writing, directing, and the cinematography make this a rich and tragic film that will forever stand the test of time.
The story begins a couple months after the events of "Batman Begins" (in a noticeably more realistic Gotham City) and batman has petty criminals and the mob running scared. The determined new D.A., Harvey Dent, emerges as another symbol of hope for Gotham City, albeit a more lawful position as Batman. Then, enter The Joker, a demented terrorist who sets up unbelievably dark and twisted situations to test the moral compasses of Batman, Dent, and even Commissioner Gordon. As a man, Bruce Wayne has a crisis, is Batman doing more harm than he is good? he learns that he may become something more awful than the Joker just to stop him.
Director Christopher Nolan leaves behind all the jokiness and sometimes unfulfilled soul searching of the previous Batman films and with his trilogy, this more than others redefines what a superhero movie can be. He shows the characters for what they are, flawed but idealistic, as well as struggling to deal with the Joker as they themselves descend into a very dark place. Nolan, and his brother Jonathon, have given us a very polished and well thought out story by itself. This is the second film where I actually paid attention and love the story, characters, and became emotionally invested (the first was Toy Story long ago) And then there is the acting. The acting is top notch by all actors. The real star of this movie is the scene-stealing Joker, played by Heath Ledger. He transforms the Joker from all previous incarnations and puts a very demented and modern twist on it. He truly believes he is humanity fully realized and an agent of chaos (the theme of the film) He wants to turn the Gothamites into wild animals who will, according to him, "eat each other, when the chips are down." Ledger very deservedly, although posthumously, won the Oscar for this portrayal, and is still being hailed as one of the best villains in any medium.
Christian Bale is in top form as Bruce Wayne/Batman and gives you a tender and heartbreaking side to the character. He does begin to build his mythos but struggles when people doubt him and push their fears onto what he stands for. I will say the actor who really got me invested was Harvey Dent, played by Aaron Eckhart. Two-Face is one of the more tragic villains of the Batman rogue's gallery. He is a truly moral and good man fallen from grace by tragedy in his life, losing Rachael to one of Joker's vicious traps (It hurts Bruce too, in a love triangle that for once in my life I thought was very well constructed and perfect) He becomes an evil and twisted brute who relies on a coin to make a decision to kill for him. "Chance. Unbiased, Unprejudiced, FAIR." He too was a villain I thought equal to the Joker, but in a different way. it is rather emotional when things happen to him, and that is the sign of a great storytelling and acing approach. Commissioner Gordon, played by Gary Oldman, presents a man who knows the system is corrupt, but remains idealistic and knows that Batman is doing good for the city. And at the end knows he will have to atone and be accountable for any sins he may have committed over the course of the film.
The action scene are a wonder to behold. They look real and was pulled off with little to no computers, all real stunts. Nothing was over the top at all, even Two-face's design looked scary, and oddly enough, like he got burned by something on one half of his body. Every incarnation before this looks awful by comparison. Every scene in this film showcases cinematographer Wally Pfister's rich color palette/lighting scheme and his keen eye for detail even in the simplest scenes. He and Nolan will go down as one of the great cinematographer/director duos ever.
This film is a a perfect work of art. The Dark Knght really was a game changer when released in 2008, showing the industry and fans what a "comic-book movie" can be just as Richard Donner's Superman had done in 1978. This is a movie that I loved dearly on my first screening, and one that will not disappear off my list.