The Dark Knight: A 1,200 Word Movie Review

Superhero films have gone beyond a trend now, and are probably here to stay, as (maybe you've heard) they've been extremely successful recently. But after seeing The Dark Knight twice now, I'm wondering if the genre should be retired. Walk out on a high note. Because I'm not sure it can ever get any better than what Christopher Nolan has done here.

The storyline is dense, fueled largely, of course, by good guy trying to catch bad guy. But there's so much more going on. As with any action movie, there are spectacular set pieces involving bank robberies, drug busts, kidnappings, hostage rescues, and stand-offs. But rather than provide the foundation for the story, those scenes supplement the complex impulses of an unforgettable cast of characters, each of whom is after something more than the typical motivations of hero defeating villain, villain confounding hero, power, money, love, and acceptance.

These people are pursuing loftier, more abstract goals such as order, chaos, contentment, and normalcy. (Okay, love should be thrown in there, too.) Altogether, it gives us the fully developed sort of superhero movie we say we've always wanted. And that's almost a backhanded compliment. The Dark Knight is just a great crime movie - period - whose main character happens to be wearing a mask and cape.

But a crime story wouldn't be any good without a memorable villain, someone who the protagonists have no idea how to stop and makes the audience squirm in its seat because neither has any idea what will happen next. Heath Ledger has created a nihilistic, anarchistic force of nature that can't be figured out because he doesn't want to be the town's biggest, megalomanical bully. The Joker just wants to mess with you. He can't help himself. He wants to touch your nerves and take sandpaper to them. He wants to see how far you can be pushed before you'll let go of the ideals and morals that define you. Punching him in the face or throwing him in a jail cell won't stop that.


Ledger's best scenes are when he finds his adversary's sensitivities and pokes at them. And instead of being a flamboyant clown, the Joker's playfulness comes from refusing to be ignored, persistently causing an itch that he knows has to be scratched. Yet he's also terrifying because he'll stick a knife in you just to watch you die, and won't have a bit of remorse over it.

Another fantastic aspect to this version of the Joker is how he mocks our desire to have our villains explained psychologically. What made him that way? Why does he do these things? A running gag, if you will, throughout the film has Joker telling his story to his victims just before he's about to injure or kill them. But it's a different story every time. Maybe there's some truth to each tale, but maybe he's also making fun of your attempt to understand him.

Altogether, Ledger and Nolan have created one of the great villains ever seen on screen. And maybe the posthumous Oscar talk leading up to The Dark Knight's release seemed premature, if not a bit exploitive. But if you consider the recent history of these awards, look at how memorable villains have been honored. Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for becoming Hannibal Lecter. Javier Bardem was awarded for being Anton Chigurh. Daniel Day-Lewis got the prize for giving us Daniel Plainview. Who knows what else we'll see in the next six months leading up to the Academy Awards? But will any of those performances or characters be more memorable than Ledger as the Joker?


I disagree, however, with those who say that the Joker completely overshadows Batman in this movie. Sure, he's the flashier, more interesting presence, the one you're talking about when leaving the theater. But I also think Nolan and Christian Bale (along with Nolan's screenwriting brother - let's give the writers credit) have created a more compelling Batman and Bruce Wayne than we've ever seen before.

One of the tragedies of the character that hasn't been depicted in these movies before (and not that much in the comic books, either) is that there's not going to be a happy ending for him. Batman has created an impossible task for himself. He's never going to completely rid Gotham City of crime. And even if he comes close, what he's been through will never allow him to just settle down into a normal life (even one as a millionaire playboy). But Wayne is portrayed as someone who can see the day when Batman is no longer needed. Maybe this makes him seem more selfish, and less heroic, but to me, it makes Batman far more relatable. He's just a more extreme version of ourselves, someone who wants the world to make sense, so he can find his place in it.

When he meets Harvey Dent, the kind of man who should clean up his city, who should make people feel safe because he's fighting crime lawfully, Batman yearns to build him up. Because if someone doing this the right way can get it done, that creates hope. And if there's hope, there's no more need for Batman.

Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work out that way as Dent suffers a tragic downfall, both emotionally and physically, brought on largely because he's made himself such a large target. The villain Dent becomes, Two-Face, is my favorite adversary for Batman because he remembers the person that Dent used to be and is always trying to save him. There's nothing close to that sort of empathy between Batman and Joker, and this story nails those dynamics perfectly.


That brings me back to my original point, which is that there will likely never be a better Batman movie than this. For one thing, any villain will absolutely wither in comparison to the Joker. Even Two-Face. But in terms of story, I'm not sure where else this can be taken. As Joker says at one point, "we're destined to do this forever." These two characters have a symbiotic relationship, in which one begats the other, something Joker comprehends far better than Batman. Another version of this story could be told, but should it be done? I don't mean that literally, in regards to re-casting Ledger's role. (Good luck trying that, by the way.) I'm talking creatively.

Of course, there will be another Batman movie, whether or not Nolan chooses to do it. And the ending of The Dark Knight almost demands a more satisfying conclusion. It's reminiscent of The Empire Strikes Back, in which the bad guys appear to have won (if you haven't seen the movie yet, I don't think that's a spoiler), leaving the heroes to deal with the aftermath. When I saw Empire as a kid, I hated that sort of ending. Because the good guys are supposed to win. And there's supposed to be resolution.

Yet maybe that's the point Nolan is trying to make here. This isn't the sort of story that can end, but it doesn't have to keep being told. But if he figures out a fulfilling way to solve that dilemma, I sure as hell want to see it.

Today's Reading - 01/28/08

● Six Reasons Why the Kennedy Endorsement is a Big Deal

TIME's Mark Halperin explains how an endorsement from Ted Kennedy (and Caroline before him) shores up several weaknesses in Barack Obama's campaign.

UPDATE: Make that a one-two-three Kennedy punch, with Patrick Kennedy also endorsing Obama.

● Writing a Book? Piece of Cake

So what's more difficult: Writing a book or blogging every day? After finishing his new book, God Save the Fan, on shelves now (I haven't read it yet), Will Leitch - editor of Deadspin - argues that a blog's constantly ticking clock (courtesy of its readership) makes it more difficult. I'd love to find out for myself.

(via Andrew Sullivan)

● Charisma as Natural as Gravity

Heath Ledger's director on The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan, shares his favorite memories from the time they worked together.

● High Mercury Levels Are Found in Tuna Sushi

Eating fresh tuna (especially that bluefin stuff) will flood you with the mercury! Don't eat it!

● The Danger of Not Eating Tuna

Okay, you can still eat the tuna. But maybe not every day. The benefits still outweigh the risks. Treat your sushi diet like your stock portfolio, though. Diversify. Shrimp, scallops - salmon.

● Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler

Here's another reason to add more fish to your diet. Although I think Mark Bittman's advocating more for eating plants. (Say, didn't he just publish a vegetarian cookbook?)

● Down to the Wire

A new week, a new article on David Simon and The Wire. Simon apologizes to Baltimore for revealing its dirty underbelly on HBO. Well, sort of.

(via Vulture)

The Talented Mr. Ledger

I'm not sure what I could possibly say about Heath Ledger's shocking death that hasn't already been said online or among conversations with friends.  But as someone who's spent the last six months touting Ledger's upcoming performance as The Joker and who admired his work in Brokeback Mountain, I figured I should write something.  I was stunned when I saw the headline on my Google Reader, followed shortly by an e-mail from Mis Hooz (who actually doesn't work very far from the scene in question), and a subsequent phone call.

I've often sneered at my mother for talking about celebrity news so seriously, as if it involves someone she might know.  But today, I was right there with her.  What a crazy tragedy.  Only 28 years old, tremendously talented, and a great future in front of him.  Ledger's career was about to blow up with The Dark Knight.  Now that role (which he had completely finished, by the way) is going to carry a whole other level of meaning with it.

This was an actor who enjoyed challenging himself.  Playing The Joker is indicative of his choices.  Here was a guy who could've played Batman or any other superhero.  But he wanted to play the scarred, psychotic villain.  I imagine that portraying a closeted gay cowboy isn't a direction that many actors would've opted for at that point in their careers, either.

Maybe Ledger challenged himself a bit too much.  That was some of the speculation during much of the news coverage last night, sprinkled in between guesses at the cause of death.  Here's a quote from a November New York Times article that's been cited:

He is here in London filming the latest episode of the “Batman” franchise, “The Dark Knight.” (Mr. Bale, as it happens, plays Batman; Mr. Ledger plays the Joker.) It is a physically and mentally draining role — his Joker is a “psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy” he said cheerfully — and, as often happens when he throws himself into a part, he is not sleeping much.

“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” he said. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.” One night he took an Ambien, which failed to work. He took a second one and fell into a stupor, only to wake up an hour later, his mind still racing.

Even as he spoke, Mr. Ledger was hard-pressed to keep still. He got up and poured more coffee. He stepped outside into the courtyard and smoked a cigarette. He shook his hair out from under its hood, put a rubber band around it, took out the rubber band, put on a hat, took off the hat, put the hood back up. He went outside and had another cigarette. Polite and charming, he nonetheless gave off the sense that the last thing he wanted to do was delve deep into himself for public consumption. “It can be a little distressing to have to overintellectualize yourself,” is how he put it, a little apologetically.

Who knows?  Well, I guess we'll know after the autopsy.  Speculation has ranged from suicide to accidental overdose to pneumonia.  Either way, parents have now outlived their son, a daughter doesn't have a father anymore, and filmgoers are deprived of a great talent.

If you have any doubts about that, check out one of the best scenes Ledger ever performed in one of the most important movies of the last ten years.

If You Gotta Go, Go with a Smile!

There are plenty of pictures of Heath Ledger as The Joker to be found on the internet now, but I definitely like the look of those that popped up on Ain't It Cool News yesterday.  (Not a big fan of the new Batman suit, however.  Too much going on there.  He looks like a Star Wars character with a Batman head.)


To me, there's something delightful about the filmmakers creating a Joker that could very well scare the hell out of children.  It's difficult to imagine that face being on a Happy Meal toy next summer.  (And I can't believe that's the same guy I saw last week in I'm Not There.  Great work.)

The geeking out apparently never ends

If I'm burned out on Superman posts, I know you guys have to be tired of reading them. (Though I'm currently reading the Superman Returns screenplay, and grinding my teeth over the cool scenes that were cut out. Help me, DVD - you're my only hope.)

But something else will soon likely take Superman's place on my geek mantle, subjecting you to posts of gleeful anticipation (and perhaps inevitable fanboy disappointment). Maybe it'll be the Transformers movie. Or Spider-Man 3. But I think the leader in the clubhouse would be the sequel to Batman Begins.

And with Comic-Con going on this weekend in San Diego (yet again, without me in attendance), lots of announcements about comic book movies are being released. For example, how about this guy...

... as this guy? Apparently, it's official. From Brokeback Mountain to Batman Whatever-It'll-Be-Called. Ennis Del Mar really is a "force of nature," eh?

Now if they could only get Jake Gyllenhaal to play the Riddler...

Paul Bettany (yay!) and Robin Williams (yeesh!) were frequently rumored as The Joker. I don't think Heath Ledger had ever been mentioned in those rumblings - which is why I think this is pretty cool. I don't know what the other movie/comic book fanboys will think, but I like this casting choice. You could've asked me to name 10 guys to play The Clown Prince of Crime, and I doubt Ledger would've come to mind.

And considering that Frank Miller portrayed The Joker as possibly being in love with Batman (or maybe their arch-rivalry as some kind of sick romance) in "The Dark Knight Returns," maybe some of that "Brokeback" subtext can carry over to Gotham City.

Just picture it: Under a brutal downpour, a demented Joker looks up at the Gotham City sky, lit up by the Bat Signal, and screams "I wish I knew how to quit you!" Or maybe that line would work better with these two arch-enemies up close, grappling in a struggle to the death.

Ooooh, Robin (if he existed in these new Batman flicks) would be so jealous...

Makin' my Oscar list and checkin' it twice

Oy, it's been one of those weeks. It seems like I've either been fighting a cold, dealing with pending computer issues (Hey, Toshiba! Feel free to process my #@$%ing order any time now!), or sitting - to quote myself from last night - "tit-deep" in all things Detroit Tigers for a magazine assignment.

So I have a few thoughts and ideas sitting in the "draft" box, waiting for some proper attention. I really do want to get to them, and not just because I want to, but because I should. So I will. Unfortunately, they'll probably have to wait until next week. If I don't do something to decompress, like walk around downtown, watch a movie, chill out with a book in a coffee shop, or peruse a bunch of stuff I shouldn't buy at a bookstore, my forehead might somehow crush itself under its own weight.

But with the Academy Awards coming up on Sunday night, I wanted to post my predictions. Just so I can brag (modestly, of course) if I get it right. I thought about live-blogging the show, but it's too damn long with so many awards that just don't warrant much response. Besides, that would keep me from chatting on the phone or instant-messaging, which is where most of the fun - unless you're at an Oscars party - comes in. I'll probably post some of my own awards, like I did last year, along with seeing how many picks I got wrong. I hope you guys join in, too.

Speaking of those picks...

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain

Won't it be funny when the actress from Brokeback Mountain gets an award instead of the actors? But there's one moment when Williams really impressed me. When she catches her husband in a scenario she never imagined, she completely sold it. Many actresses probably would've overplayed it for the drama. But Williams didn't. Her devastation is all in her face. She's someone who doesn't know how to react. It seemed real to me, rather than acting.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Dillon - Crash

I don't know if it's much of a stretch, but this is my go-out-on-a-limb pick. My man-crush, George Clooney probably won't forgive me. And Jake Gyllenhaal could win this. But if Crash is going to win any award (besides Best Original Screenplay), I think it'll happen here. If you think this movie is important, its message is most represented through Dillon's character. This might also serve as kind of a reward to Dillon for his career. But it's not like his performance doesn't deserve it.

BEST ACTRESS
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line

It's surely unfair to say this is the weakest category when I've only seen one of the five nominated performances. But it looks that way to me. Walk the Line isn't much of a movie without Witherspoon because she has to make you believe she's someone Johnny Cash would fall in love with. And she does it. She's charming, she's funny, she's caring, and most of all, she's conflicted. And she shows her pain. But she's also fierce about what she believes in. This is the lock of the night.

BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote

I know a lot of people think Heath Ledger should win this, and I wouldn't argue with that, but this should be the lock of the night. It's not about the funny voice and the arrogant personality (with a touch of flamboyance). It's about portraying a guy who's an outsider in one circumstance, and the life of the party in another. And he roots for something terrible to happen, knowing it will make his career, yet realizing it's wrong to wish for. Plus, isn't it about time Hoffman was rewarded for his work?

BEST DIRECTOR
Ang Lee - Brokeback Mountain

I'll probably never forgive Ang Lee for making Hulk. That movie should've been - ahem - incredible. I don't know what the #@$% he was doing there. But I'm backing off a bit now, because he followed it up with a beautiful - and important - film. Lee doesn't hit you over the head with a message. He lets the images and the moments speak for themselves. And if Ledger, Gyllenhaal, and Williams are better here than in anything else they've done, shouldn't Lee get some credit for that?

BEST PICTURE
Brokeback Mountain

It's almost impossible not to consider this movie's cultural impact when discussing its merits. (How many bad Brokeback jokes have you heard lately?) Maybe it's not as good as Crash or Capote. But I think it is. And considering the significance it carries, that's more than enough to give it Best Picture. This movie matters. And how many times can you say that? If it doesn't win, we'll be looking back in 10 years and asking what the #@$% happened. Because in 10 years, we'll still be talking about this film.

And for the writers in the house, I have to mention the screenplay awards. No surprises, though. Crash (which, yes, I finally watched, and yes, Hoyt, I really liked it) will win the BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY award and Brokeback Mountain will get BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY. The best movies of the year get what they deserve.

I can't wait. Do I get too excited about the Oscars? Probably. But hey, I love movies. And how great a host is Jon Stewart going to be? C'mon over, we'll have a party. Bring dip. I have beer.

I've got a movie itch

Here's a pet peeve for the weekend: Movies I want to see that open in New York and Los Angeles first. (Stop laughing, Mis Hooz.)


Look, I know I'll get a chance to see Brokeback Mountain at some point. Maybe even next week. But after reading so much about it, and seeing Ang Lee and Heath Ledger interviewed on The Charlie Rose Show this week, I'm ready to see it now. And it's not here. Screwed again in the Midwest, man.

While I'm waiting, however, the New Yorker has done something very cool, posting Annie Proulx's original short story, upon which the movie's based, on its website. (Thanks to Pop Candy, which has become one of my favorite blogs, for the heads-up.)

▪ ▪ David Poland has changed his views on the film, after repeated viewings, which has been interesting to read. (Watch out for the spoilers.) I wish more film critics would do this.

▪ ▪ I've also enjoyed reading Dave Cullen's anticipation of the movie and explanation of why this movie it's so important to him. He's written and collected a lot about it, which can be found here.

On another movie note, have you seen the trailer for Match Point? If not, it looks like an exciting thriller, and not just because my fantasy girlfriend, Scarlett Johansson, is in it. But if you have, were you surprised when you saw who directed the film, like I was?

Meanwhile, Syriana looks like a good one. I'll try to catch that this weekend. George Clooney is my brother in beardom.

(Image from "The Boondocks" © 2005 Aaron McGruder)