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'The Dark Knight'
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Director Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight premieres on HBO tonight, June 13th, so it only seems fitting to offer a few reasons why the film was so successful. The film is the follow-up to Nolan's first Batman film, Batman Begins, a reimagining of the story of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego Batman. Batman Begins was simply superb, so as word of the second film spread anticipation was high.
The Dark Knight, which was co-written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, continues the story of Wayne (Christian Bale). Wayne is in a constant struggle with identity, and battles his own demons while enacting vigilante justice onto Gotham City. In the film, Wayne struggles as he watches his childhood love, Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal), being courted around by the star district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Meanwhile, Batman is quickly becoming both feared as well as loved by the people of Gotham. A new villain emerges, who quickly becomes Batman's and Wayne's biggest challenge yet, The Joker (Heath Ledger). The film is a constant stream of emotionally charged action as Batman battles the Joker and Wayne battles himself.
The two main reasons the film is so understandable, so praised is : the acting and the writing. Bale plays Wayne, the charming, egotistical billionaire perfectly, and as Batman he brings a true depth to the masked crusader. Batman and Wayne become two distinct characters, and Bale effortlessly ties them together showing how Wayne is actually more of a costume then Batman. While Michael Keaton helmed the role best as the most prominent Batman previous, Bale eases into the role and could arguably be the best Batman/Wayne to date. The supporting players all act at the top of their game to help enable the film to something grand. Eckhart is exact as the suave, charismatic Dent, who eventually becomes the vengeful Two-Face. Michael Caine gives a nice, subtle take on Wayne's butler, Alfred, with a witty tongue Alfred is pleasantly portrayed. Gary Oldman simply gives the best representation of Inspector Gordon. Gordon becomes a much more vital character, and Oldman displays a layered representation much like Bale does with Wayne.
The obvious standout is Ledger. Ledger drew such acclaim for his work as the Joker it could be hard to decipher if it was deserved or just posthumous recognition, until the viewer watches the film. Ledger completely embodies the character, changing every aspect of himself. Ledger disappears into the role, and the Joker ends up being the best, most realistic character of the film. The Dark Knight is filled with brilliance, but Ledger far exceeds any expectation, his acting in the film is a display of utter amazement.
The brothers Nolan built such an intricate script with Batman Begins it is no surprise the standard of writing was upheld in The Dark Knight. The Brothers know how to craft intense, intelligent scripts (Memento, The Prestige), this film follows with the same consideration. The script interweaves the characters so precisely, and the story is consistently gripping the viewer to their seat. While the running time is well over two hours, it does not seem so, the story is compelling and always interesting.
The expected is included in the film as well, pyrotechnics, enrapturing sets, and captivating photography, but the sustainability of the film, the reason it was so highly praised is the acting and the writing. Nolan was the mastermind behind the entire project, directing all the technical and the talent. Considering what Nolan produced, and the fact that the film received academy award nominations in most every technical category, it is astonishing Nolan was not nominated. The film was skipped over for best picture consideration as well, not that awards mean everything if anything, but The Dark Knight was one of, if not the, best pictures of the previous year.
The Dark Knight made lots of money, it was the second highest grossing film of all time, and it drew a huge fan base. The film easily deserved all the recognition it received. Executed almost flawlessly, written with keen intelligence, and acted by masters of the craft, the film is epic. For Ledger, it was the last role he completed before his untimely passing, and if nothing else, The Dark Knight is a near perfect end. Ledger gives the performance of a lifetime.
To learn more about this film log on to: thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/dvdsite/
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