the dark knight: movie review

So I realize that this movie has been out for years; quite possibly 99.9% of the world’s population has watched it at some point, and yet I only managed to watch the film in its entirety very recently.

It started with an English class presentation I had to do regarding archetypes in literature. My topic was on Devil Figures. So, basically EBIL, capitalizing the E. Underlining the evil. Someone with clearly no sense of remorse for their actions and commonly offering trade-offs to the protagonist in return for his/her integrity or soul – any of this ringing a bell? While doing research for this archetype I suddenly had a MAJOR epiphany and was reminded of the Joker from Batman. Which gave me an excuse to see the movie. So after searching it up online and watching it illegally on a random movie sharing site (I clearly did not have the $20ish bucks needed to buy the DVD, owing to my pitifully light wallet post-prom shopping - but that is another matter entirely), I am absolutely inspired. I cannot believe I have not watched the movie before. Where has the Dark Knight been all my life!?

It was basically 2 and a half hours of pure, unbelievable cinematic action and philosophical food for the soul – my oh my. There was just so much about it – the tragically beautiful role played by Heath Ledger as the Joker, whose acting was so inspired I cannot for the life of me figure out if he was a half-crazed psychotic murderer or some misguided fanatic. I am so sorry I was not able to see more of his work before he passed away. And Batman, leading the double-life of an extremely wealthy and sophisticated heir by day and shedding those gorgeous custom Gucci and Armani pressed suits for Gotham City’s token superhero-slash-vigilante cape and leathers by night. There was suspense, there was drama, there was a love line, it was heartbreaking, it was moving. But enough gushing. Here is why it makes my top 10 favorite films of all time:

1.) Christopher Nolan. (need I say more?)
2.) THE JOKER. So different than other portrayals of Joker in the past, but it hits the mark so well. Even Batman himself is made to feel like a secondary character. The Joker is easily the most memorable character in the film.
3.) The cinematography. It was crisp, clean, never too over the top or cheap, and was consistently stark and hinting at underlying emotions and scenes.
4.) Rachel Dawes, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, was a much stronger, confident individual this time around. Wonderful contrast to the moral corruption presented in the film.
5.)Its emotional impact. Brings up a long list of social/societal issues that filmmakers are generally scared of, so as to avoid controversy. But the issues brought up are important ones and makes it a film to ponder and think about long after you have watched it. Any movie that makes me think is a good one.

If I had to list some things I didn’t like about the Dark Knight, it would have to be the length. While every minutes was very vital to get down all the detail and action, I felt it dragged on just a bit, and cutting it down a bit would have made it more enjoyable.