A Legacy Intertwined:
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Being known to the world only for his bizarre dark comedy film Beetlejuice, Tim Burton took on the franchise and made Batman in 1989 (Figure 4) and Batman Returns (1992), adding his unique style to Gotham, with Michael Keaton playing a far more gothic seeming Batman than Adam West previously had played.
As Burton’s Batman got weirder, Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) (Figure 5) made things more serious, while taking inspiration from the ongoing comic book series in what seems to be the most comprehensive work on Batman. Meanwhile, Joel Schumacher took over directing the rest of the live action of Tim Burton’s series Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997) (Figure 6). The fourth movie was publicly regarded as a cinematic failure, and even George Clooney (who took the role of Batman in the fourth movie) said that he felt Schumacher may have killed the franchise. Of course, his prediction was incorrect, for later on there was Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005) (Figure 7), which revamped the story yet again, making it incredibly realistic in its portrayals. It also removed the fantasy elements so prevalent in Schumaker’s films, especially Batman & Robin.
As Burton’s Batman got weirder, Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) (Figure 5) made things more serious, while taking inspiration from the ongoing comic book series in what seems to be the most comprehensive work on Batman. Meanwhile, Joel Schumacher took over directing the rest of the live action of Tim Burton’s series Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997) (Figure 6). The fourth movie was publicly regarded as a cinematic failure, and even George Clooney (who took the role of Batman in the fourth movie) said that he felt Schumacher may have killed the franchise. Of course, his prediction was incorrect, for later on there was Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005) (Figure 7), which revamped the story yet again, making it incredibly realistic in its portrayals. It also removed the fantasy elements so prevalent in Schumaker’s films, especially Batman & Robin.
Since his creation, Batman has been a character and a franchise that at its heart addresses some deep, sometimes dark human emotions and themes. The main Batman movies deal with various subjects, but considering that Batman’s main motivation is fighting the crime-filled streets that killed his parents, the concepts of revenge and justice are crucial to any understanding of the character. His existence questions the very institutions meant to keep people from doing the wrong thing. However, from his point of view they are not effective enough, but is his vigilantism justified? This question is the driving force that keeps Batman in such a tense place morally speaking. This tension also is present both metaphorically and visually in the conflict between darkness and light. Batman is often called the ‘Dark Knight’, someone who fights for good but associates with an animal of the night often perceived as evil. This perception of darkness as mysterious and ambiguous can be found in the costumes, sets, and of course the lighting of all Batman films (the exception being the Adam West movie, which was known for its color both in costume and in light subject matter). Burton used low key lighting to make scenes and characters heavier, whereas Shumaker used more neon lights to make most of Gotham feel fake and unnatural. Nolan chose to give his lighting a more emotional darkness, which he accomplished by making all the colors more neutral. Christopher Nolan’s films take these dark concepts and pinpoint one aspect of them and bring them to light in each of his films in the Batman series so far. Batman Begins disects the power of fear, whereas The Dark Knight shows the madness of chaos.
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight
Figure 7
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Figure 8
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One key image to take note of in The Dark Knight is the “bat symbol” (Figure 8). After the big production companies finish flashing their names on screen, the beginning of the movie opens up with no credits, no title, simply the bat symbol appearing out of a holocaust of silent blue flames. This not only shows Batman’s marketing power (the bat symbol needs no explanation), but also foreshadows the Dark Knight’s rise from hero to legend. Like Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight shows a super hero who’s looking for a way out of his life as a vigilante. Spider-Man 2 ends with a New York City pleading Spider-Man to return and accepting him as the hero that will save the day. The Dark Knight, however, ends with a broken Batman who’s taken the title of murderer in place of Harvey Dent to defend the once great reputation he held in Gotham before his demise as a killer. This is what separates Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise from nearly every other super hero film to date. From the morally challenging and impossible situations presented to him, Batman found that he could make decisions that are unpopular at the time to the people of Gotham but which, in the long run, he knows are for the greater good (i.e. not revealing his identity despite the Joker’s demands and threats to Gotham).
Throughout his career, Christopher Nolan has developed a reputation for making films that tend to have a more complex and ambiguous storyline that requires active engagement from the viewer. Three of Nolan’s films in particular, The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008), and Inception (2010), all reflect a high degree of authorship from Nolan. As some directors’ authorship is characterized by elements such as extreme violence, as in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980), Nolan’s authorship is reflected by the high degree of complexity of the storyline in his films. It could be said that the level of complexity of one of his particular storylines reveals the level of authorship that he had on that film.
Batman Begins and The Dark Knight differ somewhat from Nolan’s other films like The Prestige and Inception in terms of his level of authorship. Because these two films are from the superhero movie genre, they are made with the purpose of being blockbuster films, and because of this fact, Nolan does not have as high a level of authorship as he would normally. In Batman Begins, Nolan demonstrates his ability to make a successful superhero movie, but he does not necessarily demonstrate a great deal of authorship. In The Dark Knight, however, Nolan is able to write a more complicated storyline for the film because of his proven success from earlier films. Through The Dark Knight’s storyline, Nolan reflects a fairly high degree of authorship while staying true enough to the definition of a blockbuster superhero movie, proving that he can make an incredibly high-grossing film that is unique enough to provide a fresh and original take on the story of Batman.
The Character of Batman
Throughout his career, Christopher Nolan has developed a reputation for making films that tend to have a more complex and ambiguous storyline that requires active engagement from the viewer. Three of Nolan’s films in particular, The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008), and Inception (2010), all reflect a high degree of authorship from Nolan. As some directors’ authorship is characterized by elements such as extreme violence, as in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980), Nolan’s authorship is reflected by the high degree of complexity of the storyline in his films. It could be said that the level of complexity of one of his particular storylines reveals the level of authorship that he had on that film.
Batman Begins and The Dark Knight differ somewhat from Nolan’s other films like The Prestige and Inception in terms of his level of authorship. Because these two films are from the superhero movie genre, they are made with the purpose of being blockbuster films, and because of this fact, Nolan does not have as high a level of authorship as he would normally. In Batman Begins, Nolan demonstrates his ability to make a successful superhero movie, but he does not necessarily demonstrate a great deal of authorship. In The Dark Knight, however, Nolan is able to write a more complicated storyline for the film because of his proven success from earlier films. Through The Dark Knight’s storyline, Nolan reflects a fairly high degree of authorship while staying true enough to the definition of a blockbuster superhero movie, proving that he can make an incredibly high-grossing film that is unique enough to provide a fresh and original take on the story of Batman.
The Character of Batman
Among comic book companies there seem to be two separate schools of thought about how to create a super hero. The first, what I call “the DC Design”, is to write your super heroes as modern deities, pulling from classic literature like the Iliad, the Odyssey, and The Scarlett Pimpernel to try to craft a modern day mythology filled with gods and monsters. The second, which I call “the Marvel Method”, is to take the concepts from the “DC Design” and deconstruct and poke holes through the concept and through the characters, such as asking about what would really happen if the power of God was to be found in the hands of an imperfect human being. These two philosophies only refer to how to create super heroes, however. After their initial inception, the characters can go in all sorts of directions. Remember that Superman is also Clark Kent, and that Clark Kent is also Superman.
Batman, being a DC Comics creation from the 30’s, was very much steeped in “the DC Design” from his inception. In The Dark Knight we see this clearly. The story of a rich, spoiled, and seemingly airheaded socialite who realizes that social reform cannot happen if he continues to act inside the law, and who uses his tremendous wealth to go out and become the people’s secret champion is a familiar one. The character continues in the grand tradition of such characters as The Shadow, Zorro, The Scarlett Pimpernel, and even Robin Hood. He is the ultimate peak of human cleverness, ingenuity, physical prowess, and moral certainty. He is a modern myth, and a legend.
Most other superheroes that have been made in the past ten years are stooped in “the Marvel Method”. Tony Stark, Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, and all of the characters in Watchmen have such complex mentalities that they seem more likely to become villains than heroes. Of course, it is within that concept that the brilliance of “the Marvel Method” and the reason why those movies are so successful truly lie. Showing real human beings with just as much capacity to be evil as to be good makes for more interesting and relatable characters. This is the dilemma of the modern day myths of “the DC Design”. Writers have made more mistakes trying to establish the balance between establishing a modern myth, and creating a complex character (watch Superman Returns for a good guide about what not to do.) In Batman Begins and The Dark Knight we see what I believe to be the most perfect balance of these two sides. Batman is shown to be a man who is well aware of the archetype he represents, he knows that he needs to use that power to inspire the people of Gotham city into action. He is also just as aware that he is nothing more than an ordinary human being; he does what he must to be a symbol, a modern myth that people can rally around and get inspired by. In the end of the film he decides that it would serve the people of Gotham city better if he were to become a villain. And so Batman becomes a new archetype, more of the horror movie monster than the monster hunter this time. Bruce Wayne is shown as a writer, crafting the character of Batman in the way he knows will best get the desired reactions from the public.
Batman, therefore, finds himself taking a role above traditional heroics to a place where no super hero has gone before in cinematic history. Knowing that the truth of Harvey Dent’s fate could shatter the moral of Gotham’s citizens, Batman allows his own reputation to be thwarted so Dent’s example of hope can shine on. So the Dark Knight now finds himself in a position where he is hated by Gotham but can still watch over and protect its citizens. Although the idea of heroes being hated by those they protect has been done before (X-Men, 2000) The Dark Knight is the only super hero movie where the hero intentionally throws his traditional heroic persona away for the sake of preserving the moral spirit of those he protects, thus elevating himself above the level of any big screen super hero to date. Commissioner Gordon sums it up well in the final line of dialogue in the film: “Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.”
Batman, being a DC Comics creation from the 30’s, was very much steeped in “the DC Design” from his inception. In The Dark Knight we see this clearly. The story of a rich, spoiled, and seemingly airheaded socialite who realizes that social reform cannot happen if he continues to act inside the law, and who uses his tremendous wealth to go out and become the people’s secret champion is a familiar one. The character continues in the grand tradition of such characters as The Shadow, Zorro, The Scarlett Pimpernel, and even Robin Hood. He is the ultimate peak of human cleverness, ingenuity, physical prowess, and moral certainty. He is a modern myth, and a legend.
Most other superheroes that have been made in the past ten years are stooped in “the Marvel Method”. Tony Stark, Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, and all of the characters in Watchmen have such complex mentalities that they seem more likely to become villains than heroes. Of course, it is within that concept that the brilliance of “the Marvel Method” and the reason why those movies are so successful truly lie. Showing real human beings with just as much capacity to be evil as to be good makes for more interesting and relatable characters. This is the dilemma of the modern day myths of “the DC Design”. Writers have made more mistakes trying to establish the balance between establishing a modern myth, and creating a complex character (watch Superman Returns for a good guide about what not to do.) In Batman Begins and The Dark Knight we see what I believe to be the most perfect balance of these two sides. Batman is shown to be a man who is well aware of the archetype he represents, he knows that he needs to use that power to inspire the people of Gotham city into action. He is also just as aware that he is nothing more than an ordinary human being; he does what he must to be a symbol, a modern myth that people can rally around and get inspired by. In the end of the film he decides that it would serve the people of Gotham city better if he were to become a villain. And so Batman becomes a new archetype, more of the horror movie monster than the monster hunter this time. Bruce Wayne is shown as a writer, crafting the character of Batman in the way he knows will best get the desired reactions from the public.
Batman, therefore, finds himself taking a role above traditional heroics to a place where no super hero has gone before in cinematic history. Knowing that the truth of Harvey Dent’s fate could shatter the moral of Gotham’s citizens, Batman allows his own reputation to be thwarted so Dent’s example of hope can shine on. So the Dark Knight now finds himself in a position where he is hated by Gotham but can still watch over and protect its citizens. Although the idea of heroes being hated by those they protect has been done before (X-Men, 2000) The Dark Knight is the only super hero movie where the hero intentionally throws his traditional heroic persona away for the sake of preserving the moral spirit of those he protects, thus elevating himself above the level of any big screen super hero to date. Commissioner Gordon sums it up well in the final line of dialogue in the film: “Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.”
