The Dark Knight

Today I treated myself and went to see the Dark Knight and honestly I am blown away. Now, there is little to nothing that I can say about the film that would not give something away and at this juncture spoilers may very well get me killed. So, let's talk about all three movies and the impact they will have on film in general.

Now when dealing with a franchise like Batman, one often has to be reduced to talking about each director and the impact they had on the franchise all together. For example, if one talks about the first two films and Burton's take, they could say something about the dark overtones and the over the top villains in both concept and actual vision. When dealing with Joel Schumacher, one could take about suits with nipples of bad neon lighting on everything, the list is endless. Thank god Christopher Nolan stepped up and changed it all!

Not since the days of the original Star Wars trilogy have we seen a director with such a singular sense of style and awareness as Nolan holds. The Batman trilogy ties together so well with one another it is very easy to sit back and watch all three films back to back and never be bored. Nolan's directing style is almost god like as we see the full progression of not only the main characters but of the city as well. For instance, in Batman Begins Gotham City is a very dark and almost primitive with the narrows and the subway system running through the heart of the city. In the Dark Knight, the city of old has been replaced with a more modern environment and with a more modern and savage criminal, all leading up the Dark Knight Rises and the perfect culmination of both the city and the people within. Nolan's thought process of growth, change, and challenge proposes an aging of not only Batman but of the audience who enjoys the films as well.

Another aspect is character development. In Dark Knight Rises, Nolan proposes messiah like foreshadowing in the use of both new characters and old as he winds his dynasty down to a dramatic and final closure. From Bruce Wayne, to Alfred, Cat Woman, and even the hush hush character elements I don't want to reveal, all pan back to the first film. It's almost like that long lost family reunion you never knew you needed but are thankful you have had. It is through this process that Nolan becomes a true master of his environment by staging past, presence, and even a little hint of a future in this third film and by giving the audience something they can cheer, cry, shout, and whisper for. Only true artists are capable of this and so very few have endured through not one film but three films.

In closing, go see the damned movie. Hell, watch the first two at home and then go see the third, I promise you won't be disappointed. Dark Knight Rises is the perfect ending to a long friendship and a climatic conclusion to an era in film. Nolan has not only been able to reinvent a franchise but has established himself among great directors like Lucas, Spielberg, and even a little Kubrick in there. Nolan is one of the few directors who can proudly say that not only did he leave his mark on a film franchise, but on film history itself.

So yeah, go see the movie!

Just my thoughts
J.