The Dark Knight

Rating: 9/10 (25 July 2008)

It is after the events of "Batman Begins". An anarchic terrorist known only as the Joker (Heath Ledger) is creating havoc in the streets of Gotham City. The people are divided between how they should feel about the masked vigilante patrolling the streets(Christian Bale). And new district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt) is busy making promises that may not be easy to keep...
First off, wow. Simply wow. From the very first moment, this film catches your attention and holds it for as long as possible. It shocks you, it amuses you, it horrifies you, it thrills you. And it is truly the work of a genius. For that is what the film is full of, both in front and behind of the camera. Christopher Nolan, who just keeps rolling in hit after hit, does not disappoint.Woe betide him when he makes that slip-up that can only happen soon, because it will be a major slip-up when viewed alongside films of this calibre.
One thing "The Dark Knight" is not, however, a fun film. It is not even a funny film, though there are one or two chuckles. Even if you have seen "Batman Begins", you may still be surprised at how dark this film actually is. There is an air of gloom and bleakness to the whole event, much more so than its predecessor, which was perhaps darker than even Tim Burton's original visions ("Batman", 1989,and the superior "Batman Returns", 1992). But this picture takes darkness to a whole new level.This is partly due to the story and to the nature of its characters; Batman has always been the most psychological of all comic book characters, and the most realistic. Just as before, Nolan takes that realism and uses it to help the bleakness, the air of despair that hovers around the film.
There are of course other reasons besides the plot. Firstly, you cannot help but watch this film without remembering the death of Heath Ledger. This is not as morbid as you might think; it's just that he's SO GOOD in the role. Completely unrecognisable under the makeshift make up, with a brilliantly nasal voice and vicious laugh, he wipes the slate clean. Although Jack Nicholon's portrayal of the same character in Burton's original was good, this is a completely different take on the character - again, a more realistic feel to him. And you cannot help feeling how Ledger's death was such a waste of talent, especially after watching his performance here.
The other factor to mention briefly is the presence of Harvey Dent. Though brilliantly portrayed by Aaron Eckhardt, his performance is armed by the fact that we all know what is going to happen next: the acid related accident, the snapping of the already weak mind, the emergence of Two-Face. A much better and and more fulfilling take on the role than that of Tommy Lee Jones' fair attempt in "Batman Forever" (Schumacher, 1995), you leave the film wishing to have seen a lot more of him, but grateful for the chance to have witnessed him at all, and the make up is superb.
All the other performers in this are, of course magnificent; Bale is at his brooding best as the caped crusader, and the three wise men of Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine all reprise their previous roles without breaking a sweat. The re-casting of Rachel Dawes from Katie Holmes into Maggie Gyllenhall does upset the balance a little, not because of her performance but because, again, there is not enough time spent with her for us to warm to her being this character.
My other criticism - and it's a little criticism, mind - is that the film is a tad too long, and towards the end you've had at least one stage where you could have arguably ended the film altogether much earlier. For the most part, however, "The Dark Knight" does not disappoint. With a few surprises, and some loose ends both on and off the camera still to be tied up, you will literally be gagging for (hopefully) the next instalment. Brilliant.
9/10