The Dark Knight

There are movies which you would call them good movies. After watching, you feel happy, but watching again? No-no, you are not going to waste your time and money.

Above good movies, you call them unforgettable movies. You’ll always remember the scenes, music, and storyline of the movie; but, there are people who may disagree with you as they think it’s just an ordinary-and-not-too-bad movie.

Well, above unforgettable movies, I give you classic movies. There are just too few classical movies since my generation was born, e.g. Titanic, Lord of the Ring (trilogy) etc. Now, recently, 3 days ago, we have a new movie on the list – I proudly present to you, The Dark Knight.

The Dark Knight, probably the best comic-turn-into-movie, beatable only by its sequel, I guess. Before that, we revise the prequel, Batman Begins, was revolving how Bruce Wayne became the Batman, and the theme base on the core: how to uphold justice. As the Batman told Lt. Gordon on the roof, “It’s not about who I’m, but what I do defines me.” From there, we know that a new Batman franchise had arisen. We know that it’s going to be unlike any other Batman movies made before, which merely portray him as the hero saving a day. In this new Christopher Nolan-paired-Christian Bale Batman series, there are more dimensions in the Dark Knight’s character. More philosophy was being incorporated into the movie, like karma, violence in upholding justice, conquering fear by becoming the fear yourself etc. They remind us, Batman, at the same time being the hero of Gotham; he is also a vigilant, and a masked man who fights violence by violence. In Batman Begins, he had to kill Raza-Gul, who was also his master. It’s the first time, he learned that justice needs to pay price.

Even though I just have the chance to watch Batman Begins on DVD, after watching it, there are few philosophical points left to be pondered about. Notable quotes would include “to overcome your fear, you have to become the fear yourself” – it explained why Bruce chose the bat as his symbol of fighting against crime. Another one, of course – “It’s not about who I’m, and it’s what I do that defines me.”

Years passed by, until last year when the trailer of TDK was released. Before that, in the teaser, we heard the Joker saying “People start to die…from tonight! Haha~”. It’s the first time we listened Heath Ledger speaking as the Joker – it sounds creepy and maniac. Then, in the official trailer… we are being told of many other quotes, one of them is which I can’t stop myself from thinking of it – “Why so serious?!”

At last, on the 17th of July…Batman stomps into cinema in his Batpod!

In this very classical sequel, The Dark Knight, we can see how the dimensions of Batman are being further expanded, with the adding of philosophy, mostly about justice and crime. It’s too good in every aspect – all reviews give the movie a nearly full star rating… It’s historical achievement for any DC or Marvel comic movies can make. Evolving from how Batman Begins was a non-ordinary superhero movie, TDK successfully make it as a superhero-cum-philosophy-plus-psychological thriller movie! Never in my life time I watched a movie with so many elements in it, and yet not too burden for viewer to digest… No surprise if Hedge Ledger is nominated as the best supporting actor (posthumously), or TDK being shortlisted in Oscar best movie nomination. Being the first comic movie in such nomination…I’m wordless but only can clap my hands as audiences in the cinema hall I watched did!

Okay, even though I said the movie is not hard to digest, but it still takes me one day to really understand the ending of story. Basically, as TDK promotion showed, it’s a story on its own surrounding 3 characters: Harvey Dent (a.k.a. Two-Face), the Joker, and Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Let us start with Harvey Dent. In the beginning of the story, he was the rising star of Gotham, the District Attorney who represents the new hope for justice. Unlike Batman, he’s a hero with unmasked, and he put criminal in jails by book. As the vigilant actions of Batman has caused direct crash between violence, people of Gotham start to prefer Harvey more. Nevertheless, he has predicted his own destiny at the beginning of the story – “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.” At the end, he was turned psycho by the Joker and become the notorious Two-face in Batman story. This signifies that the fall of Gotham City’s new hope. In order to protect the city and the name of a battle-mate, Batman made the sacrifice himself. Harvey Dent didn’t have to die a villain, he, instead, died a hero. While at the same time, Batman live long enough to become a villain. People in Gotham will still believe that Harvey died as the DA who once fought against crime. It’s the belief that Batman hope it instilled among people to keep holding on justice, and not fall to the devil side. Well, I really astonished by how the story line turn about this Two-face. Christopher Nolan made a brave move to cancel out some parts in the original comic, and put the Harvey Dent/Two-face in between the war of Batman vs. Joker, just to make the movie even tensing. Parts that left out in the comic, is like the duality of Two-face (he always refer himself as “we”), his obsession of number “two”, how Two-face become a mob boss etc. But, the essential of Two-face remains: he was once Batman’s friend, and he flips coin to determine whether to kill or not. Even though viewers know he turned into Two-face, but to me, he died a hero.


Okay, now what? The Joker! What I can say about him…beyond description, I say. “This city deserves a better class of criminal, and I’m going to give them one.” The better class of criminal, referring to a criminal that commits crime just for crime, nothing more. As inspiration from the comic Batman: the killing joke, Nolan worked together with Ledger to create the new Joker, which is the best Joker forever as Ledger is not going to reprise this role forever. In TDK, the Joker is a complete contrast to Batman – he preaches chaos and anarchy. The Joker did that simply because he wants to do that. He has no motive… just like he has no identity. What he wants to achieve is merely creating a world with no rules, for sake of crime, not himself. We think of Batman fighting against crime, the only crime he can’t fight is the Joker as the Joker simply turning everything everyone around him into crime! As the Joker said to Batman (while hanging up-side-down), “unstoppable force encounter with unmovable object.” I never felt how Joker can be the arch nemesis of Batman, comparing to other villains like Penguin, Catwoman, Riddle, and Mr. Freeze etc, not until I watch TDK. The Joker only did two things to be eligible as the arch nemesis – kill Rachel (Bruce’s love) and Harvey (technically to give rise to Two-face). The fate of the Joker was unknown at the end of story, most probably being kept in Arkham Asylum. He obviously won the war by destroying Gotham’s hope – Harvey Dent. But he won for nothing, because of Batman’s sacrifice to make Harvey die a hero. But, he isn’t loose either! Remember? He commits crime for crime; he has nothing to lose!

At last, here we come the man who said “I know what I have to become to take down a man like him.” – The Batman / Bruce Wayne. At the end, he became on the wanted list of Gotham PD. He makes himself live as a villain, so the new hope of Gotham (Harvey) will forever in people heart as the hero. If it’s not of what Batman did, Harvey’s fall would probably become Joker’s victory in the psychological war as people may believe that the evil has won over the good. The Gotham people already lost their new hero, they can’t afford to lost hope anymore. “He is the hero this city deserved, but not the one this city needs”, this is how Lt. Gordon explained to his son why he has to hunt this hero down… A true hero, Batman. He fights crime, and he took the blame of crime he didn’t commit – for sake of people he has been protecting. I could feel the warmth in my eyes as Lt Gordon broke the Bat-Signal… He lost his love and friend in the battle, and the last thing he lost – the honor being a hero. He’s not a hero at the end… he turned into the protector of city at night – the Dark Knight.

In the end, here’s my deepest salute to the every cast and producers of The Dark Knight. Live long Hedge Ledger, live long Batman! The classic, that only beatable by its successor.