With The Dark Knight Rises just around the corner, Martin Deer revisits The Dark Knight…
In the build-up to the release of The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan’s final chapter in his epic Batman trilogy, I’m sharing my thoughts and feelings on how we got here by looking back at the first two instalments. On Monday we looked back at where it all started, Batman Begins, the film which brought Batman back to the big screen and showed us how Bruce Wayne became the Caped Crusader and brought change to Gotham. Now let’s look back at the film which became a cultural phenomenon, pushed Batman into the billions and – thanks to the unbelievable snub it received that year for at least a Best Picture nomination – even changed the way the Oscars are now nominated. I give you The Dark Knight…
When Batman Begins was in production and during the build-up to release my activity online was minimal, however for The Dark Knight I had joined the guys over at Batman On Film and apart from providing a spoiler free locale to talk all things Batman, it made me aware of the viral marketing that was taking place. You might be aware of what went on, a lot of you probably aren’t, but the viral marketing for TDK was ground breaking. Fans were involved on a whole new level and that created a fever pitch of excitement. Bat-fans were involved on the streets of the USA, from Joker scavenger hunts that lead to images from the film being released to faux political rallies with people out campaigning for Harvey Dent, Gotham’s District Attorney elect.
I got my own chance to participate in the viral marketing at the end of April 2008 when one of the websites devoted to the marketing advised that supporters of The Joker were to meet on The Mall in London – the road leading up to Buckingham Palace – on Wednesday 28th, and similar notices were advised for 11 cities in the USA. So on a cold, wet and windy evening I travelled into the city to take part, finding a host of other Bat-fans, some with Joker paint. We were then advised to co-ordinate with participants online to find clues throughout London. The players online would communicate the clues and then those of us on the ground had to find the locations in London, usually monuments, which were the answer, which would then lead us on the next clue. It was quite an evening, as we moved from The Mall to Piccadilly and Oxford Circuses and through China Town where we were all given customised Joker playing cards, which I still have as a memento, by a Warner Bros. representative and we were then instructed to head to the Odeon at Leicester Square. Showing our Joker cards to the suited and booted doorman we were granted access and told to make our way into the theatre and take a seat. Once inside a man representing Warners came on to the stage and advised, to much jubilation, that we were going to get to see the second theatrical trailer before anyone else. You’re probably wondering right now why having trudged through a miserable evening of weather what the excitement was over a 2 and a half minute trailer; if you’re a Bat-fan reading this though I’m sure you’ll understand what all the fuss was about, and it was definitely worth it. It was an experience we’ll probably never get again – highlighted by the fact that the marketing for The Dark Knight Rises has not been anywhere near the same level; it was new, revolutionary and the fact that it was The Joker and Harvey Dent just worked perfectly and captured lighting in a bottle for a once in a lifetime experience.
Upon finally seeing the film the experience and the emotions were far different to those for Begins, as when I came out of the cinema I wasn’t feeling like I loved it or had that: “man, that was awesome” feeling I have now. That’s not to say I came out feeling that it was a bad film, it was just that I came out not thinking anything. I didn’t know how to think or feel about it, I was numb. I felt like a character in a movie who’d just had a grenade go off near my head, stumbling around in a confused daze unable to speak or hear. The Dark Knight was a rollercoaster of emotions and the ending was both gut wrenching and heroic on a level never been seen. Those familiar with the world of Batman knew Dent’s eventual turn to Two Face and yet the incredible way in which Nolan weaves the story still shocks and moves you, and his death was heart-breaking. His journey had been inspirational at first as he looked to clean up Gotham City using nothing but the laws of the land, the hero with a face that Bruce was looking too to take up the mantle of The Batman so that he could call time on his nocturnal life. All of that is taken away from Bruce by the actions of The Joker, who sweeps through Gotham city like a tornado causing chaos, panic and terror aiming to prove to Batman that everyone is corruptible, even its White Knight… A belief which is proven when the murder of Rachel and his terrible scarring pushes Dent down a dark path.
Bruce goes through a wonderful arc throughout TDK, as he begins the film looking for a way out of the cowl and believes he has found it in Harvey Dent. Then, as events escalate, he prepares to turn himself over to the authorities to try and curb The Joker’s reign of terror as the people of Gotham begin to turn against him, only for Dent to step up and take the blame himself. And in a role reversal, when Dent’s transformation to Two Face is complete and his attempted killing of Gordon’s son forces Batman to intervene resulting in Dent’s own death, Batman makes a brave and heroic choice: to take on the murders that Dent had committed, portraying himself as the villain and leaving Dent to be the hero of Gotham so that it can move forward, away from vigilantes and darkness and towards a brighter more and hopeful future. Batman’s decision here is incredibly selfless, putting his own life in immediate danger for the sake of Gotham. There’s not a Bat-fan alive who didn’t walk out of the cinema open-jawed at that moment. Batman wasn’t being a hero, he was being something more.
Again all of the cast performances are stellar. But one man completely steals the show – Heath Ledger. From the moment that first trailer aired in December 2007 fans, myself included, were bewitched with his performance. As much as I am a fan of Batman I am equally a fan of The Joker (thanks for being an irresponsible parent and letting me watch Batman 1989 when I was 5, Dad, much love), and it had felt like an eternity between that moment with the reveal of The Joker card at the end of Batman Begins to July 2008. I have watched The Dark Knight countless times and Heath’s performance is still mesmerising. He’s despicable and his acts are atrocious and sickening, and yet Heath makes you laugh. That’s The Joker and Nolan and Heath were able to capture that perfectly. There are many scenes in the film which were not scripted and Heath improvised, bringing a far deeper dimension to the character than the already extraordinary interpretation the Nolan’s were able to create: when Gordon is advised he is the new Commissioner of Police The Joker joins in, rather sarcastically, with the applause. All Heath. Just a wonderful performance that rightly won him a posthumous Oscar.
The Dark Knight takes everything I love most about the world of Gotham and packages it in to an exhilarating and moving two and a half hour epic. The events that occur in this movie will be a strong influence on those to come in The Dark Knight Rises as Batman is now a wanted murderer in the eyes of the law and the dark secret of the true killer shakes the ground above it upon which the hope of Gotham is built. Bruce has felt never anything but pain in his life, beginning with the death of his parents and that trend continues as his childhood friend and love of his life is taken from him along with ally Harvey Dent. How Bruce will deal with this pain is yet to be seen so make sure that before this time next week – yes, this time next week – you have yourself a little movie marathon and take in how the story began and then escalated by getting reacquainted with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
And so to close us off again check out my 5 favourite scenes…
5. Re-Introduction
8 or so minutes in and we’ve yet to see The Batman. As some copycats attempt to stop a drug deal being led by the The Scarecrow, they don’t fare to well. Nolan sets the anticipation up for the real deal perfectly as The Tumbler arrives on the scene with some new tricks. As Hans Zimmers pounding score kicks in The Batman appears in an incredibly cool manner.
4. Magic Trick
Despite the opening sequence being devoted to introducing us to The Joker we get a far better feel for him the second time we meet him. Cackling his way in to a room full of mobsters, the brilliance of Heath’s performance is laid out before us as he makes us all very aware we are in for something special with a simple magic trick involving a pencil and some guy’s head.
3. Why So Serious?!
Taking out a potential thorn in his side, The Joker goes after Gambol and tells a chilling tale of how he got his facial scars. It’s all lies of course, and you can see it in Heaths performance how he, The Joker, is making it up on the spot. And yet it’s so convincing, and terrifying.
2. A Dark Knight
“He’s the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now”. This whole sequence at the end of the film where Batman and Gordon stand over the now dead Dent is just one of the greatest Batman moments ever written. Batman taking the blame for Dent’s murders and then Gordon’s subsequent voice over as Batman escapes is a whirlwind of emotions that defines my love of the character.
1. Interrogation
This scene is not just my favourite scene from this film but from any film. It’s a perfect representation of the relationship between Batman and The Joker, that eternal battle between hero and foe on a philosophic level. Heath completely owns this scene just as The Joker owns Batman. For the first time Batman realises he is powerless, and Heath portrays that dominance excellently.
Join me next week as I take a look forward to the final chapter, The Dark Knight Rises.
What about you readers? What are your memories of The Dark Knight?
Martin Deer
The Dark Knight is available now on Blu-ray Triple Play.
Holy Franchise, Batman! – Available now via Amazon.
