Christopher Nolan is the best director in Hollywood right now. Period. Out of all of his films, his worst is Insomnia, which is the only film he directed that he didn't also write, and would be the an average film for any other director. Nolan's always has such a complete vision for his films that you can only get from a director who writes his own movies as well. Nolan's movies have such rich plots and well developed characters, you know that if his name is attached to a film, you are in for a treat. I also enjoy his frequent use of philosophical themes, usually raising questions about what is real and what is not (Following, Memento, The Prestige, Inception). The Dark Knight's main themes don't deal with such metaphysical issues, but rather moral issues, but the film is just as entertaining as any of Nolan's other works.
The Dark Knight (2008) tells the story of DC Comic's Batman (Christian Bale), as he struggles to put away the mob while the public calls for his arrest as a vigilante. Struck by the fear of Batman shutting them down, the mob turns to a psychotic criminal mind, the Joker (Heath Ledger), to kill the Batman so the mob may resume their illegal activities without worrying about being beaten to a pulp by Gotham's caped vigilante. At the same time Gotham has elected a new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who is finally putting an end to corruption and organized crime in Gotham as public official without a mask. The Joker poses a series of moral dilemmas to our protagonists. Should Batman reveal his identity to save lives? Should the residents of Gotham city murder a man to keep a hospital from blowing up? Should Batman save the girl he loves, or the man he believes can save Gotham City and rid its need for Batman? Should a boat of civilians blow up a boat of convicts to save themselves and vice versa? Batman and Lieutenant/Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) solve these problems almost entirely with brute force, but always to mixed results. Batman himself even joins in the moral ambiguity by implementing a device which allows him to spy on the entire city.
The action sequences are fantastic. The opening bank robbery scene delivers everything I love about Christopher Nolan's films. It's fast paced, intelligently and tightly written, sets up the character of the Joker as well as the plot, AND ends in a surprise ending. There is another scene where a semi truck flips end-over-end, and it wows me every single time I watch this movie. The lighting is often a little dark so it is hard to get an appreciation for the martial arts skill Bale brings to the role, but it doesn't detract from the film. The score also creates huge amounts of tension in certain scenes, building and building until you nearly fall out of your chair in anticipation. Michael Caine and Maggie Gyllenhaal both give solid performances in supporting roles as the butler Alfred, and the lawyer/love interest Rachel Dawes respectively.
However, looming over the film is Heath Ledger's incredible performance. Ledger died shortly before the film was released and it is difficult to watch this film without thinking about his death, especially during an uncomfortable scene where he points a gun to his own head. However, Ledger steals the show. The personality and characterization of this iteration of the Joker are so fully fleshed out we forget that he is an actor playing a part. This is especially true because the voice, behavior, and thick makeup of the joker help to bridge the divide between actor and role. The Joker in this film is deeply psychotic but also has a sense of humor that provides some good laughs while causing all sorts of mayhem. Who can forget the pencil trick? Ledger, deservedly, won an Oscar for his performance. Peter Finch (The Network) is the only other actor to posthumously win the award.
However, this film is not perfect. It's biggest flaw is it's length, some of the Joker's ethical dilemmas could have been cut out and not have affected the film. I enjoyed these scenes, but they felt unnecessarily tacked on. There are also a few logical errors, which will only detract from the film on repeated viewings. There is also the distracting switch from Katie Holmes, who played Dawes in “Batman Begins” to Maggie Gyllenhaal. It's a change for the better, but it is initially disconcerting. However, these are minor imperfections in an otherwise spectacular movie. You know a film is special when it's snubbing causes the Oscars to increase the amount of Best Picture nominees the following year.
Rating: 8/10 - Righteous
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