The Dark Knight (*** 1/2)

The Dark Knight is quite possibly the greatest superhero movie ever made, if it could be called that. It transcends the superhero genre that it is mistaken as, having more in common with recent crime dramas such as The Departed and Zodiac. I, however, would hesitate to call it the masterpiece that many people are rushing to label it as. While it is apparent that this film will probably be one of the greatest achievements of the year, I think it is a film that needs to be mulled over and thought after before being labeled as a masterpiece. I think it will take many repeat viewings and/or years for it to achieve this status, but all great films are like this.

The story picks up right where Batman Begins left off. Gotham City is being terrorized by the Joker, in my opinion, the most menacing villain to probably ever appear on screen. He is a character shrouded in mystery. His scars are mementos of a violent past, but what that past is the viewer cannot be certain. He is a villain that does not do what he does for money, but rather for sport. As one character says, he wants to see what happens when the world around him burns.

Heath Ledger plays the Joker brilliantly, completely embodying this menacing character. He portrays him with this manic devilry that is quite frightening but saddening at the same time. The Joker has been labeled as a freak. While he is a totally demented character that seems like he is causing all of this chaos mainly for fun, it seems like another motive of his is to find others like him. He feels secluded from the world because of his scars. He sets up the citizens of Gotham in extreme moral predicaments where the boundaries of good and evil will be tested. The social experiments, as one may call them, almost appear to be the Joker’s way of trying to establish that he is not alone in the world. He wants to find others as demented as he is.

Without a doubt, Heath Ledger deserves a Best Supporting Actor nomination (and perhaps a win). He should have won Best Actor for Brokeback Mountain. With this performance Heath Ledger was showing that he was just hitting his stride, and the sky was the limit for this amazing performer, but his untimely death probably robbed movie fans of many amazing performances to come.

It is up to Batman to stop the Joker’s reign of chaos on Gotham City, with the aid of Lieutenant Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Here is where the film’s central message comes about. What defines a hero? Where does a hero trying to do good cross the line into villainy?

In the film Bruce Wayne is struggling with his Batman persona. Batman is supposed to be a symbol of justice, an impenetrable force that can protect Gotham for crises. Wayne believes that eventually Batman will not be needed in Gotham anymore, and when this time comes he can leave the mask behind and live a normal life with his longtime friend/lover Rachel Dawes. This is not something easily done, however, because the viewer gets the sense that it is not Batman that is the persona, but Bruce Wayne. Mr. Wayne will never be able to leave Batman behind, and Rachel realizes this.

Still, how much good is Batman actually doing? Innocent lives are being lost everyday that Batman does not reveal himself to the Joker. When Mr. Wayne is finally ready to reveal himself, Harvey Dent takes the fall for him. Is this something a hero would let happen? In the many battles with the criminal of Gotham, when does the violence turn Batman into a cruel villain himself. These are the questions presented to Bruce Wayne, and these are hard questions to answer. I have thought about them after viewing the film myself and still can’t come up with definite answers. The Joker sees this kindred spirit in Batman. He sees a freak like him, someone that is not fully accepted by Gotham, and when he is not needed anymore, the citizens will just turn their backs on him.

The one definite hero of the film, however, is Harvey Dent. He is a beacon of light for Gotham City, not someone that has to hide in the shadows. It may not be good to be labeled the hero, though. As Harvey says, “"You either die a hero, or live long enough to become a villain." While Dent may be the hero that Gotham needs, below the surface is this menacing man who will do whatever it takes to achieve justice. When tragedy strikes Dent that hidden monster is unleashed. Dent may have been a hero, but not for long.

Going back over my review, I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of this film. It is a film that needs to be studied, each character analyzed in depth. Is a complex, multi-layered film that for the most part works (greatly). I think the film could have used some trimming off the hefty run time. Also, the film only reaches greatness when Heath Ledger is on screen. I wish I could have seen more of him. It probably could have worked better as two films, but Christopher Nolan does a fine job piecing it together as one. Overall, I really enjoyed the film. Now let me go mull over it some more.