A Historical Piece Of Work

Rating: 9/10 (29 June 2010)

I think it is safe to say that this film in it's entirety will withstand the test of time and become solidified in cinema history. The direction, acting, writing, cinematography, music composition, and visual effects work were all dynamic and masterful. Yet, the most important reason to me as to why this film fits into such a distinct category is that it pioneers and transitions commercial comic book movies into the realm of critical acclaim. It will surely join the likes of The Godfather, Casablanca, Scarface, Apocalypse Now, A Clockwork Orange, On The Waterfront, and so on.
Heath Ledger's untimely and unfortunate passing surely helped to draw in the mass audiences and served as a relevant platform for societal discussion, but I would like to argue another important point as well. Marlon Brando is often considered to be the greatest actor of all time. Personally, I believe this is far too subjective of a topic to ever reach a final conclusion. But, he was in many ways given this honor because he so efficiently pioneered method acting into our mainstream culture through his film performances. Prior to his presence on film, most acting was far more theatrical and unnatural. Brando brought a sense of humanity and reality to his performances; one that was palatable with audiences.
In contrast, The Dark Knight is the first commercialized comic book movie to enter into that category. Prior to Christopher Nolan's sequel vision (mind you he was behind Batman Begins which was to me, still a solid film), we have childish Tim Burton deliveries, etc. I strongly feel, that The Dark Knight has, and will continue to set the stage for the future commercial comic book films, summer tent poles, and so on. It is a strong blueprint to follow.