The Dark Knight: A Dark Hero, a Brilliant Villain

action, superhero

2:32

PG-13

2008

Review by Brandon Talks Movies on Sep 11, 2018

Because some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.

2008 was a good year for superhero films. Iron Man put the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the map, and The Incredible Hulk followed later that year; Hellboy II was a surprise hit; we even got Hancock, an interesting take on the superhero genre (even though it wasn’t that good). But The Dark Knight came along and it made the rest of these films look like child’s play. Best superhero movie of all time is a hotly debated title now, but back in 2008, The Dark Knight was the undisputed winner. Directed by Christopher Nolan (Inception, Interstellar) and starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, this is a smart crime film and a competent action film in addition to a superb superhero film, and it, along with Iron Man, showed the world that superhero movies could have an appeal beyond comic book fans, being artful blockbusters in their own right. This is a brilliant entry in the superhero genre and it will be remembered as one of its great classics.

The story centers on Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, as he’s doing a pretty good job cleaning up Gotham City. A new figure in local law enforcement, Harvey Dent, seems poised to take over the clean-up in the city, which would make things much easier for Batman. Then, a new villain arrives on the scene: the Joker. The Joker doesn’t operate like the ordinary thugs, who want to set up systems to bring them cash—he just wants to create chaos and bring out the worst in people. He teams up with the thugs to take down Batman and central figures in Gotham City’s law enforcement. The Joker is a brilliant and devious strategist, which means big trouble for both Batman and Harvey Dent.

I’ll show you. When the chips are down, these… these civilized people, they’ll eat each other. See, I’m not a monster. I’m just ahead of the curve.

This is a Nolan film, so expect a brilliant and intricate plot. The degree to which the Joker plans things out, predicting his opponents and preparing for the future, is astounding. This is first made apparent in the brilliant opening scene, which is one of the best in cinema history, but many scenes in this film carry that same brilliance and complexity. Batman initially wants to use intimidation and strength to subdue the Joker, but these have almost no effect on him. The Joker wants to engage in a battle of wits, and he’s very effective at playing that game. Nolan does an excellent job of showing how capable Batman is at dealing with common criminals, then showing how he struggles to deal with the Joker, and the game of cat and mouse the plays out between the Joker, Batman, and local law enforcement is thrilling and ingenious.

We can’t talk about this film without talking about Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker. The Joker may be Batman’s most iconic villain, but portrayals of him before this film were somewhat comical, mostly clown-like (which is, admittedly, true to the comic). Couple that with Ledger’s reputation as a pretty boy of Hollywood and you can see why many people didn’t think this film would be as good as Nolan’s original 2005 film Batman Begins. Ledger hid away in a motel room for about six weeks to develop his character for the Joker, delving into the character’s psyche and developing everything from the deranged voice to the little tics to the unsettling laugh. What we got was probably the best supervillain portrayal of all time. Ledger’s Joker was brilliant, sadistic, chaotic, and terrifying, showing his talent and versatility as an actor. Ledger died of a drug overdose after filming his scenes for this movie, but before the film’s release, tragically making this brilliant performance his last.

Between the intricate plot by Nolan and brilliant performances by the entire cast, there’s a lot that went right with this film. It’s thrilling from start to finish, with great tension, some particularly well-done action sequences, and a touch of mystery. Both Batman and the Joker get some iconic lines and scenes among the most memorable in the genre. Even minor subplots, such as Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Rachel and the Chinese businessman Lau’s turbulent relationship with Gotham City’s mob, are well-developed and add a lot of depth to the story. The story is deep where it counts, but also shows a great breadth—a difficult balance to achieve.

Should I Watch The Dark Knight?

Is The Dark Knight the best superhero film of all time? The rest of the industry stepped up their game after this film, so that’s a hotly debated title right now—but it would be hard to argue that The Dark Knight is not in the top three. There’s a brilliance here that’s hard to replicate, and even Nolan couldn’t top this film with his follow-up, 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises. Whether you’re a lifelong comic book fan or you’ve never opened one, this film is not to be missed. It’s just that good.

Movies Like The Dark Knight

Nolan’s other Batman films (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight Rises) - The Dark Knight is the second film of a trilogy, and the whole trilogy is worth watching.
Iron Man 3 (2013) - The invincible Iron Man deals with a villain’s ideology, and spends most of the movie out of his superpowered suit. Many fans hated the slower pace, but the film takes its time dealing with Tony Stark’s psychological issues, and Stark has to figure out how to be super without his suit—in mind and body. Be aware that this movie carries emotional weight because of what Stark went through in other films—you don’t get the full effect watching this movie in isolation.
Captain America: Civil War (2016) - This is the MCU in top form. The action sequences are stellar, the plot carries emotional weight, and the characters are thrust into situations that force them to make some hard decisions that they wouldn’t ordinarily make. The standout, though, is the villain Baron Zemo. He has no powers and little fighting ability, but he causes more damage than most MCU villains with his cunning use of manipulation. He’s a thinking villain, and that shows in this film.

Academy Awards

Winner: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Heath Ledger, presented posthumously), Best Achievement in Sound Editing (Richard King)

Nominee: Best Achievement in Cinematography (Wally Pfister), Best Achievement in Film Editing (Lee Smith), Best Achievement in Art Direction (Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando), Best Achievement in Makeup (John Caglione Jr., Conor O’Sullivan), Best Achievement in Sound Mixing (Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo, Ed Novick), Best Achievement in Visual Effects (Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber, Paul J. Franklin)

Runtime: 2:32
Director: Christopher Nolan
Year: 2008
Genres: action, superhero
Rating: PG-13

About Brandon

My name is Brandon, and I love movies. Not bad ones, though—just the good ones. I’m curating and reviewing a list of classic, essential-viewing, or just plain good movies from all decades, and I've been reviewing them since 2016. I also co-host Peculiar Picture Show, a podcast about movies and mental health and write about Dungeons & Dragons options, builds, and optimization.

The Dark Knight: A Dark Hero, a Brilliant Villain

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