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There’s no need to repeat all the records that The Dark Knight broke in its Box Office reign – all the rarer given we live in an era of disposable movies, where four or five new movies hit the screens each week. The film’s success is down to a lot of different factors, but it can be neatly summarised in a single sentence: it’s a sprawling, challenging urban epic for our times.

Guh... use a pen, Joker...

The film isn’t flawless by any means. There are any number of plot holes and Dent’s arc, set up so well in the opening acts, is somewhat rushed at the three-quarter mark. Still, these are minor problems and don’t distract – the film manages to rachet the tension and pace the action so well that the plot holes are easy to miss; Dent still gets more development that most other blockbuster leads.

What Nolan accomplishes with the film is nothing less than amazing. He sets us up on a crime saga that would be interesting enough on its own – Gary Oldman is amazing as the city’s one good cop and Eric Roberts has never been better than as slimy gangster Salvatore Leone – which would be interesting in its own right, but then he lets loose our costumed vigilante and a psychotic clown. Both characters brilliantly cut through the conventional narrative and leave a trail of destruction in their wake. Nolan cleverly lets them shred the plot, creating a feeling of discomfort in the audience, but manages to tie all the loose ends together in the end.

Batman doesn't have much of a sense of humour...

Nolan also does well grounding the movie in a more realistic setting. Gone are the poison gas plots and the ninja assassins, replaced with conventional explosions and mobsters. There’s no attempt to destroy the city itself, which is a bit refreshing in a comic book adaptation. Instead, Nolan locks his two antagonists in a more philosophical battle – Batman’s faith in humanity pitted against the Joker’s grim nihilism. Of course, there are lots and lots of explosions, but – unlike most big budget action movies – they aren’t designed merely to dazzle and distract the viewer from the void where the plot would normally be.

The movie cleverly mixes thought-provoking questions with its stunning imagery and storytelling. It may be the best movie that Hollywood has produced on the War on Terror – perhaps because it isn’t forced to heavy-handedly reference current affairs; perhaps because it remains neutral on the questions it raises (rather than resorting to a default position of condemnation for Batman’s interrogation techniques or surveillance operations, like most films on the subject would) – the film cleverly leaves the answers and discussions to the audience, but it poses some deep questions.

Forget the Bat pod, the Bat pad is where it's at...

Even outside the broader issues, the film provides one of the fascinating superheroic worlds ever created on the silver screen. Batman’s presence affects Gotham through more than just a decrease in crime – he’s a notion weighing on the minds of politicians and journalists, an inspiration to other would-be vigilantes and responsible for a massive shake up in the underground criminal hierarchy in the city. The film wisely avoids giving us the origin of the villain (by giving us several), but it leaves little doubt that Batman created the conditions where the Joker could thrive. The notion that Batman’s arrival in Gotham shook up the established traditional mob enough for the “freeeks” to take over isn’t a new one, but it’s handled very well here.

The whole ensemble is fantastic. Bale is underrated as Bruce, but that probably comes from the film’s more epic feel (as opposed to the character study of Batman Begins). Michael Caine is always charming. Morgan Freeman is given a bigger part and – though it’s a role he could do in his sleep – he brings the necessary gravitas to the part. Maggie Gyllenhall is a trade up from Katie Holmes, but it helps that the character is given some growth and development in the sequel. It’s great to have Cillian Murphy back, even for a cameo. And Aaron Eckhart is very, very powerful – giving a very rugged American hero performance, but getting sucked up in the character. Dent’s transformation isn’t handled as smoothly as it could be, but Eckhart manages to keep the movie on the tracks.

We've got a hit on our hands...

This brings us to the two standouts. By this stage it’s easy to forget how brilliant Ledger’s Joker is. Adjusted to fit Nolan’s version of the universe in the same way that Ra’s Al Ghul was (he wears makeup, his skin isn’t bleached, he has no laughing gas, etc.), it’s amazing the character remains as true to his roots. What you end up with is a distilling of the character to the medium of film. He is cleverly used as a counterpoint to Batman throughout (note his farce at the penthouse party and compare it to Bruce’s; note how Batman captures a mob accountant while the Joker takes out one of the syndicate’s ruling trio). The two share the film’s best scene in the middle, as Batman takes the law into his own hands as he interrogates the clown. The character is a fascinating creation, and possibly the best mainstream villain since Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of Hannibal Lector.

The other stand out is easy to ignore. Gary Oldman has the somewhat unfortunate job of anchoring the movie. The only lead who makes it to the climax of the movie with some semblance of normality intact, he has to get the audience to relate to the character. Oldman himself has joked that his preparation of the role consisted of only growing a moustache and delivering lines with a Chicago accent, but it’s so much more. Michael Caine plays Alfred as Bruce’s heart, but James Gordon is Gotham’s heart. He is the man who trusted the city to Batman and he’s the one who must watch it burn if Batman fails. There’s an amazingly small moment when Batman prepares to storm the tower with the hostages. Gordon has had it with the caped crusader and clearly wants to try to put a lid back on the city (he accuses Leone of letting “the clown out of the box”, but he let the Bat out of the cage). He commands Batman to stop, and draws his gun. His hand quivers as Batman climbs the roof and makes his jump, as Gordon shouts after him (“We have to save Dent!” before admitting his own feelings of guilt “I have to save him.”) It’s a small moment, but it’s one that reveals a lot of character and the depth of Oldman’s portrayal.

Yep, burns like that tend to itch like hell...

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t make some comments about the superficial action that surrounds all this plot and character. Nolan again shows his visual flair. He tops action scene after action scene. He makes Batman fly. He gives us one of the best car chase sequences in memory. He stages my favourite opening sequence in quite some time with pitch perfect timing. He has brought together some of the most talented film makers in the world. Every aspect of the production is top notch. Special mention must go to the film’s score. Batman Begins offered a solid soundtrack, but The Dark Knight trumps it. Every technical aspect is pitch perfect.

There’s a legitimate case to be made that the movie might work even better than it did by splitting it in half. Indeed, when I heard the movie included the character of Dent, I assumed that it would be split in two. There is a lot of plot crammed into the second half, and I can see who critics suggest that the film would work as two smaller films. On the other hand, the movie thrives on its energy and focus. Once it builds up enough mass in the opening half-hour, it tears through the rest of the run time. Splitting the story would have damaged that momentum and might have cost the film its epic feel.

This has been a long review, but I loved the film. It was easily the best movie of 2008 and did deserve a nomination at the Oscars.
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The Dark Knight is directed by Christopher Nolan (The Prestige, Memento). It stars Christian Bale (Batman Begins, Public Enemies), Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy, The Fifth Element), Michael Caine (The Italian Job, Get Carter), Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption, Wanted), Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain, 10 Things I Hate About You), Eric Roberts (Heroes, Doctor Who), Maggie Gyllenhall (Secretary, Stranger Than Fiction), Michael Jai White (Spawn, Universal Soldier: The Return), Nestor Carbonell (Lost) and a cameo from William Fitchner (Heat, Prison Break). It was released the USA on 18th July 2008, but the UK and Ireland had to wait until 24th July 2008 to see it.

This is one of a series of articles being published to celebrate the anniversary of the release of The Dark Knight and the seventieth birthday of the character. There will be one-a-day for the week – but don’t worry, it won’t interrupt our other coverage of pop culture happenings.

Filed under: Non-Review Reviews Tagged: | aaron eckhart, batman, batman begins, christian bale, Christopher Nolan, dark knight, film, gary oldman, gotham, harvey dent, heath ledger, joker, Movies, non-review review, review, two face