It’s always an interesting phenomenon to see certain movies come along and generate so much publicity that, like Paris Hilton, they seem to attain a quality of being famous just because they’re famous, thus generating even more publicity. It is a much desired effect of marketing that, on the other hand, can often make or break a movie (see The Blair Witch Project). The Batman movies have, since the first sequel, too often been plagued with high publicity followed by enormous disappointment (hear that, Mr. Freeze?), but director Christopher Nolan has teamed up for the second time with Christian Bale as the man in black and led the franchise to heights that surely even Danny DeVito could never have imagined.

The Penguin reacts to The Dark Knight’s smashing box office success.

For a relatively short franchise, it’s surprising at how many people have donned the costume of the caped crusader (does anyone remember Val Kilmer?), possibly because it has just been so hard to get over George Clooney’s bat nipples. At any rate, it seems safe to say by now that Christian Bale is the one who will be remembered as Batman more than anyone else, possibly even Michael Keaton. He inhabits the role so completely and so effectively that the ailing Batman franchise no longer seems to be in freefall. Let’s hope he can do the same thing as John Connor in the upcoming third Terminator sequel which, I understand, will include all relevant original cast except Eddie Furlong.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in full make-up for next summer’s Terminator Salvation.

But of course the role that everyone is talking about is the late Heath Ledger as The Joker, an unusually dark and sinister role (for the actor as well as the movie) that takes on new depth after Ledger’s tragic and untimely death. His performance is arguably the best thing in the entire movie, which is a strong statement, since for the last few years people have generally been most concerned with what the new batmobile looks like.

The Dark Knight in 2005, previous to his request for a wardrobe modification. “I want to be able to turn my head,” he says.

Incidentally, the batmobile is certainly not a letdown. When it first comes quite literally crashing into the movie, it looks remarkably similar to the one in the last film, but soon becomes badly damaged, adding a sense of realism to the film until, of course, Batman pushes various buttons and levers and bursts out of it on a motorcycle which seems to have been built in for just such an emergency.
The Batmobile. Bat pod and, presumably, iPod equipped.

But what really makes the movie great is not the performances but the addition to the Batman legend, specifically in the way it delves so deeply into the bizarre psychological realities of the characters. It’s a testament to the film that, as The Joker makes an effort to explain the motives for his actions, what would in a lesser film come off as weak screen writing (“I just…DO things…”) serves to enhance his character. A man who does vicious, evil things can be an effective character, I suppose, but a man who doesn’t KNOW why he does vicious and evil things…NOW you’ve got something…

The Joker’s lack of real motives, the idea that he is basically flailing wildly and there is no explanation for his viciousness, could easily come off as a weak excuse to present an evil character with no moral boundaries. But he is written and performed so well that you almost want to cheer for him. His brutal honesty counteracts his evil tendencies and makes him enormously watchable. Like Mickey and Mallory, writers Christopher and Jonathan Nolan (also responsible for the purely brilliant Memento) understand the odd irony that the most important thing about a good villain is public appeal.

Batman demands to know the truth about those scars.

Batman’s plight in The Dark Knight is that the public is finally calling for his unmasking and for him to face the consequences for breaking the law while protecting the citizens of Gotham. There is a major identity struggle as Wayne watches in dismay the news reports of public masses calling for him to show himself, while The Joker has promised to kill innocent people for every day that Batman remains hidden.

In a brilliant attempt to undermine everything that Batman has come to represent, The Joker concocts morally impossible predicaments in which Batman must make a decision between two choices, each of which forces him to make a terrible ethical or moral mistake. He is forced to choose someone at the expense of another, to do something he would never normally do, each time lengthening his rap sheet, so to speak. The good he does is irrelevant, the public focuses only on the bad things, and his image is effectively destroyed.

A brooding Batman reflects on what he has become.

The transformation that the characters undergo is hugely unexpected, and it is not at all disheartening that the movie ends with virtually the promise of more sequels. It’s also interesting to consider which characters are sure to show up again. I personally expect to see again Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Two-Face, Gordon’s son (who we meet only a couple times as a young boy), and probably Salvatore Maroni. He has a relatively small role, but it’s interesting that Batman dropped him off a building and shattered both of his legs, and then he was walking around again a few scenes later. He’s gotta have powers of some kind.

It’s not often that a movie comes along with this much hype and expectation and speculation, and not only lives up to the hype, but surpasses it. Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film has not only elevated the Batman franchise, but it has both elevated and broadened the entire sub-genre of the comic book movie. While so many extra sequels these days come off as another movie tacked on to a successful franchise just to cash in on the popularity (Raider of the Lost UFO, anyone?), the Nolan brothers have taken us deeper into the story and completely changed the direction. It’s nice to leave the theater anticipating the next one.