‘The Dark Knight:’ Batman Triumphant
July 21, 2008
By Sam Watermeier
<swatermeier@hilite.org>
The dilemma with the Batman franchise does not lie within the films, but with the inconsistent desires of filmmakers and audiences. Since the comic books have gone through so many evolutions in tone, people can’t seem to decide whether they want Batman movies to be gothic and otherworldly (“Batman,” “Batman Returns”) or flashy and fun (“Batman Forever,” “Batman and Robin”). Director Christopher Nolan (”Memento,” “Batman Begins”) solves that dilemma by not treating “The Dark Knight” like a comic book movie but a mature, credible crime drama in the vein of Michael Mann’s “Heat” and David Fincher’s “Seven.” He gives Batman a universal appeal that transcends the comic book genre. The character portrayals are still accurate to the comic books yet their quirkiness surprisingly does not interrupt the film’s verisimilitude. The film still shows that violence is real, evil is real, and the world is not a pretty picture. “The Dark Knight” does not take away from the greatness of Tim Burton’s “Batman” and “Batman Returns” but works on a different, more realistic level. With a naturalistic screenplay and performances, it is, regardless of genre, one of the very best films in recent years.
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