Review: The Dark Knight
A skyline, a seething film score, and an explosion in a window set the pace for the thrill ride that is “The Dark Knight”. As has become the norm for epic blockbusters, Christopher Nolan’s latest re-visioning of the Batman saga forgoes opening credits in an effort to throw us right into the madness of a deteriorating Gotham City. As I sat there in a darkened theater listening to the low growl of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s score, my heart ached in anticipation for whatever would come next as I repositioned squarely to the edge of my seat. Good thing, because nothing prepared me for what I would go through for the next 160 minutes.
Drawing on 1970s crime films for an inspirational palette rather than the computer generated mind-warps that have become the norm ever since “Titanic” hit, Nolan’s team has crafted an experience in nerves that is deserving of the lunacy of the caped crusader’s current foe, the Joker. The villain’s devious plots will tie your stomach into knots making you feel as psychologically drained as the poor victims of his crimes, but the toll it will take on you is certainly well worth the fun you’ll have watching everything unfold. The action is, without question, the best you’ll find this summer. The film contains at least two incredibly tense moments of intercut destruction that will make you dig your fingernails deep into your armrest, not to mention the shoot-em-up chase midway through that will have you cheering from the back row.
Let’s get this out of the way: Heath Ledger’s performance is not ghoulish and it is certainly not any more impressive as a result of his untimely death. It is disheartening that we have lost such a talented young impresario, but it is not as hard to swallow as, say, watching Owen Wilson reveal suicidal wounds in “The Darjeeling Limited” shortly after slashing his wrists in real life. Make no mistake, Mr. Ledger’s final role is his best, among the best characterizations onscreen one can find. It is reminiscent of watching Sir Anthony Hopkins become Hannibal Lecter; Johnny Depp become Captian Jack Sparrow, or Marlon Brando become Vito Corleone (to name but a few). To discuss it here doesn’t do it much justice, so let’s move on.
Christian Bale reprises his role as the playboy/asshole version of Bruce Wayne he pioneered in “Batman Begins”, this time from a penthouse rather than the more traditional Wayne Manor. He does a fine job as the caped crusader, but it is hard to tell since a lot of the other characters get what feels like more face time. Besides Ledger’s joker, we get a moving performance by Aaron Eckhart as D.A. Harvey Dent, an understated and altogether redemptive one from Gary Oldman as good-cop Jim Gordon, and sage brevity from both Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman playing both the personal and professional better halves of Mr. Wayne in Alfred and Lucius Fox, respectively. Maggie Gyllenhaal, while not necessarily letting herself loose on the role of Rachel Dawes, provides a wonderful upgrade to Katie Holmes, the weakest part of the last outing. The point here: when Mr. Nolan juiced up his special effects team, he in no way skimped on memorable performances all around, a depressing rarity in the crash-bang films we’ve seen in recent years.
Speaking of special effects, one would think that by 2008, after all that we have seen we might have seen it all. One would be wrong. We have all seen car chases, hell we’ve probably seen hundreds on screen, but the one composed in the middle of the film by Mr. Nolan is nothing short of genius, reminiscent of the thrill of watching Popeye Doyle chase an elevated subway in “The French Connection”. The fix is the exact opposite here, the Joker forces a police motorcade to take an underpass turning them into “turkeys on Thanksgiving”, but its metering is spot on for raising our tension. We know that we are in for something special, so we brace ourselves. What follows is a lyrical masterwork of ups, downs, explosions, surprises and a cherry on top that has resulted in cheering at both screenings I have been to. Nolan doesn’t let you out of the woods quite yet though, for you are in for even more of those moments, where your head is left spinning by both the cruel intensity and inane joy that comes from watching everything explode in front of your eyes.
Maybe, just maybe, if the action were merely this good, the film would be great. Throw in the phenomenal and plentiful performances and you work towards something wonderful, but when you add in the solid storyline, replete with precise dialogue and impeccable timing, and real-crime drama stylings, the film becomes nothing short of brilliant. It is the best film of 2008 so far, and audiences are actually going to see it. Who could ask for anything more?
