We just got back from “The Dark Knight,” about an hour ago and wanted to jot down some quick thoughts about this formidable film. The IMAX experience was sensory overload that’s for sure. Poor Anne Thompson, she must have needed to lie down afterwards. As many have noted, it’s a gripping crime drama, though comparisons to “The Godfather II” seem to be overstated and not quite thought-out considering how many era’s that thing spans and how completely different they are (maybe they were trying to just say it was a strong sequel?)
That Oscar talk for Heath Ledger may be on to something here, as he masterfully underplays this thing with a tour de force performance of simmering intensity and genuinely frightening psychotic-ness. It’s a lunatic dance along a razor’s edge and is a wonder to behold. While Christopher Nolan has improved with his action sequences, it’s not his strong suit, but fortunately the film is about much more than just big set pieces (though some moments, especially via IMAX, are near breathlessly vertigo-inducing and head-spinning).
The moral centerpiece of the film, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, is thankfully no longer undervalued and underused and it’s great to see Oldman dig into some material (Michael Caine is again, fantastic as well), but it’s obviously Ledger who chews up the scenery (without being a showboat or hog).
The big take aways here are escalation and raising the bar. Nolan’s script raises the stakes tenfold, yet that’s a grand understatement, as the story rages like an all or nothing ferociously caged animal. Lives will be lost, lines will be crossed, there will forever be no going back and we undoubtedly love a film where every action can be a manifest destiny. Certainly there’s never been a film this violent, jarring and disturbing that still made the PG13 grade, no? Taut and engrossing, Nolan expertly ratches up the tension via super tense intercutting and certain three-way scenes are like imminent collisions you can barely contain yourself through. The score, btw, is impeccable and just further fuels the anxiety and the idea that the world here is about to burn.
And this is key. “The Dark Knight” is like a desperate leap into the void to prevent that flaming bottle from bursting on the ground and searing everything asunder. The Joker is pure 100 proof anarchy and unbridled chaos and his unhinged free-for-all onslaught is fearsome and almost too much at times (we can almost understand some detractors that claim the picture is overload or excess). When a terrified city of Gotham is pushed to its limits near the end of the picture, you can completely understand why. The sheer madness of Ledger’s character is off-the-reservation and it scorches through the film. Not only that, it makes you understand how imperative his performance is to the psychology of the film.
Small Spoilers (read no further if you don’t want to know)
A certain character from the original film, “Batman Begins,” returns here. And while this rumor was out there a long time ago, maybe eight months, we had pretty much forgotten about it and or assumed it was just that, rumor. We haven’t heard much about it lately and we’re glad its not really making the rounds as people don’t need this spoiled for them, but it’s a nice surprise and a nice touch (Vague enough for ya?)
At two and half hours, “The Dark Knight” is grueling and nearly exhausting, but it is an incredible achievement and it’s easily the most subversive tentpole film released in years. To put things into perspective, we’re not just drinking the kool aid here. At the end of the day it is just a comic book film and it will likely not even make our top 10 of the year, as we’re pretty sure it doesn’t contain the kind of longstanding emotional resonance we need in films, but it is remarkably good for what it is and its genre, plus an impressive experience to be sure. For the geek fans of these flicks, you couldn’t possibly ask for more. More tomorrow (so much for “quick” thoughts).
