Movie Review: The Dark Knight - Page 2

From the moment you lay eyes on Ledger, you’ll be agog over his performance. Even so, while it is easy to hone in on Ledger’s dynamic turn posthumously, Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Cillian Murphy all mesmerize as well. Eckhart is brilliant, playing the second best villain (next to No Country for Old Men’s Anton Chigurh) to let his actions be determined by the chance flip of a coin. Gyllenhaal pulls off Rachel with more purpose and plausibility than Katie Holmes’ unproductive depiction. Bale retains the honor of “Best Batman,” although he still insists on moving his lips awkwardly when he speaks in his patented, raspy, hero whisper. As for Freeman, Caine, and Murphy, they all produce accordingly and raise the bar for those around them.

With the introductory chapter of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Batman Begins) under his belt, writer/director Christopher Nolan has returned the Batman series to focusing more on its antagonist(s) rather than protagonist(s). When you think of Batman Begins, you think of a black synthetic Batman suit belonging to Bruce Wayne. When you think of The Dark Knight, you’ll think of the smeared make-up and whiny pedophilic voice of The Joker and the two-headed 1922 Peace Liberty silver dollar of the grossly CGI-deformed Two-Face.

Be that as it may, The Dark Knight is much more expansive than the characters involved. Consider the heroes and villains merely puppets on strings playing out a deeper feud between good and evil. In this battle, ideals are at stake; a city’s future hangs in the balance; and, the most eminent threat is not a single entity, but rather “urban terrorism” in general.

The Dark Knight is a vicious and engrossing tale of order and chaos clashing like bloodied fists. It’s about anticipating the dark before the dawn. Most importantly, it’s about sacrifice for the greater good. It’s visceral, revelatory, and imposing against a bleak backdrop.

To intensify the experience, see The Dark Knight on the IMAX screen; it’ll not only knock your socks off, but also the skin clean off the soles of your feet, exposing raw vulnerable flesh — susceptible to bleeding out onto the theatre floor. 

Article Author: Brandon Valentine

Brandon Valentine is a film critic from Hershey, PA. Aside from possessing the last name “Valentine” and living in “the Sweetest Place on Earth,” Brandon was also born on Valentine’s Day. That’s right, a Valentine born on Valentine’s Day. …

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