“An unstoppable force meets an immovable object.” The perfect metaphor used to describe the Batman-Joker face-off, delivered by none other than the Joker himself (the late Heath Ledger) in the second installment of Christopher Nolan’s re-envisioned Batman series. Where previous Batman films have been described as “hammy” or “campy”, Nolan’s most recent edition is by far the darkest. Its unrelenting intensity and malice make for a superhero movie unlike any you have ever seen. As Gotham soars to new heights with the Batman (Christian Bale), newly-elected District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) bringing the few remaining criminals to justice, the dawn of a new age for the corrupt city seems just over the horizon. Dent’s words prove prophetic: “The night is darkest just before the dawn.” This night is extremely dark. With Ledger holding the reins, the Joker reaches disturbing new depths, previously unexplored by any cinematic baddie. The Joker is the embodiment of havoc and chaos. He is wicked, repulsive, sadistic, and unnervingly hilarious; the ideal blend of terror and humor. A charming sociopath, if you will. His lack of consistency, however, is his most frightening feature, as you never know which cards he has up his sleeve. Ledger’s Joker is simply the perfect villain. Not since Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Departed” has there been such an impeccable performance by such a talented young actor. There is no doubt my mind that Ledger will be nominated for his phenomenal acting ability come next Oscar season. Ledger’s vicious clown paired with Gotham’s vigilante of justice produces one of the most fascinating filmic dichotomies to date. While the Batman morally objects to murdering his gruesome adversary, the Joker is just having too much fun to destroy his beloved toy. This symbiotic relationship creates a stalemate for the arch nemeses and considerable tension for the audience. Then there is Harvey Dent, pulled in opposite directions by the tug-of-war created by Batman and the Joker. Dent’s optimism and criminal batting average make him the perfect target for the Joker, who infects Gotham’s “White Knight” with his anarchic virus. As a result, Dent is disfigured – both physically and psychologically – and reduced to a vengeful force of justice and providence: Two Face. With his new moniker, Dent deals out his own brand of justice at the flip of a coin. “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” claims the quintessential Dent, a concept that both he and the Batman struggle with throughout the film, as they attempt to discern the needs of the citizens of Gotham from those of their own. Even more stunning than these intriguingly complex characters is Nolan’s use of IMAX cameras to create spectacular imagery, particularly over the rooftops of Gotham. The visuals cause jaws to drop from the initial shot overlooking the beginnings of a bank robbery to the Batman’s exhilarating freefall in downtown Hong Kong. Take my word for it: See this movie in IMAX. No one will regret it. “The Dark Knight” runs at 152 minutes, but with all the intense action, fascinating images and amazing character performances, viewers will not know where the time went. Already having broken several records including opening weekend total revenue ($155.34 million) and fastest rate of online ticket sales (15 tickets per second on Fandango.com), “The Dark Knight” is easily the biggest movie release in the history of Hollywood.
Ian Bostick can be reached at [email protected].
