Why So Serious

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2009)

Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" (2008), sequel to Christopher Nolan's other Batman film "Batman Begins," (2005) left its viewers on the edge of their seats. The characterization of the film is just spectacular. When Batman's (Christian Bale) archenemy, the Joker (Heath Ledger), first appears in the beginning of the movie, he shows us just how psychotic he really is. His plans and schemes are so elaborate, yet unpredictable, that he leaves the audience guessing and wondering how one man could be so sick in the head to put such plans together.
Batman/Bruce Wayne has made dramatic changes to the city of Gotham. The crime rate is down and what's left of the organized crime is too afraid to come out at night. Also hell bent on making Gotham a better place is Gotham's new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Batman knows that he will not be able to protect Gotham for the rest of his life. Dent may be the one to replace him as someone the public can look up to. A hero that's not hidden behind a mask. However, for every good, there is evil. In an attempt to rise back to the top, Gotham's underground mob turned to a man whom no one could begin to understand. The Joker gives them a simple yet effective plan: "kill the Batman." Of course, throughout the movie we learn that that is the opposite of what the Joker is trying to do. "I don't want to kill you. What would I do without you, go back to ripping off mob bosses," Joker says as him and Batman have a one on one discussion in a police interrogation room. In this scene the Joker makes a very valid point that the people of Gotham love Batman know, but once they don't need him anymore, they will turn on him. This seems to be true since the people have already asked for Batman to turn himself into the local authorities.
Batman knows better. He can't turn himself in because he protects Gotham, but he's only a hero to those who know it. That's why he's not a hero. He's whatever Gotham needs him to be. He still protects the people, but they need someone to look up to, like Harvey. They need public officials who are uncorrupted and can be viewed upon as a white knight. That's why Batman can take the hit, because he's not a hero. He's a dark knight.