The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is a 2008 film directed by Chrisopher Nolan (who also directed Memento), based on the DC Comic character, Batman.

I went to this movie in a theater back in 2008 and I recall how dark I thought the movie was, along with how violent.  In particular, the scene where the Joker (played brilliantly by Heath Ledger) shows the mobsters how a pencil can disappear stood out as I recalled what I remembered of the movie.

Watching it again this week, though, helped me to see a lot more of the movie.

What I saw was much more than just a dark movie.  Much of the action was set in the dark, but again that's when Batman comes out to fight against the bad guys.  The title of the movie is very fitting in this regard. 

Christian Bale plays the character of Batman/Bruce Wayne and does a great job.  I really like him as Batman and think he is the most well-rounded of the various Batman's that we've seen.  Much has been said about the way Heath Ledger played the role of the Joker.  As far as crazy, bad guys go - this is it!!  He played him so well, a complicated, psychopathic, arch-enemy to not just Batman, but to all of humanity.

This was definitely a story of good versus evil, but there are also facets of evil versus evil, and even good versus good (as Harvey Dent changes into the role of Two Face), and also the on-going conflict that goes on within Bruce Wayne/Batman as he struggles with his role of being Batman in Gotham City.

Harvey Dent had a quote at one point that I think encapsulates some of that internal struggle within Batman.  "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."  As the movie ends we see that Batman will indeed become the villain as the stage is set for the next Batman movie.

The action scenes and set designs were very good.  Nolan made very good use of the skyline and architecture of Gotham City (Chicago).  The sound and score tied into the film brilliantly.  There were also beautiful shots of Gothem City, which helped me connect more to the city than I had in previous Batman movies.

The acting from the main characters was tremendous, including Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, but the supporting cast with Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman playing Lucius Fox were also quite good and added an extra dimension of believability.

Finally, the style that Christopher Nolan uses with this film make his interpretation of Batman seem more believable than in any of the other Batman movies I've seen.  I love movies that have a higher theme, a theme that deals with humanity, mankind's relationship with mankind.  With The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan effectively got viewers to see the larger picture.