In Brightest Day, Or Darkest Night / Movie Review: The Dark Knight



Someone once said, Superman is how America sees itself, Batman is how the world sees America. But i disagree. Batman is good but misunderstood. Dark but good. America, well.....nuff said. Kudos to Christopher Nolan for this amazing sequel. This is the fourth Nolan movie I've seen after Batman Begins, The Prestige and Memento. He has seemlessly blended a good taut storyline, a superhero feel, a dark gritty atmosphere and an undertone about America's ruthless destructive tendencies and invasion of privacy.

The dark knight gets grimmer as a new playe, the Joker enters the fray. As he tests limits and patience, the dark knight must not only fight him, but build his own boundaries, deciding whats wrong and wats not. Working with Lieutenant Jim Gordon, he has put most of the mafia behind bars. They are joined by Harvey Dent, the newest hero of Gotham City.

The film enthralls for its entire two hours plus duration. The film works on all levels, as a drama, as an action movie, as a superhero caper. Nolan captures the true spirit of the dark and disturbed character that is The Batman. Unlike the previous Batman movies barring Batman Begins, there is proper focus on his psyche and what drives him, no messing with comic book continuity and no hamming guest actors as villains.

The mindless havoc wreaked by joker, his madness methodical but without logic, the fall of Harvey Dent is very well inculpated. As far as acting credits go, Christian Bale is undoubtedly the best Batman ever, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are perfect as his two trusted supporters. Gary Oldman is top notch. As for Heath Ledger's Joker, all I can say is we have lost an extremely talented artist just coming into his own. This was one hell of a swansong. One of the best on screen villains in recent times.

The background score is seamlessly blended though it was conspicuously missing in some parts, notably the tunnel chase sequence featuring a truck, a SWAT van and the Batmobile. But then maybe I'm just pointing this out because I have to show some flaws. For this is a movie that comes as close to perfection as a movie can.

Then there was a take on the contemporary world situation and politics, reflected in Harvey Dent's good character turned radically bad by disillusionment. Goes to show fanaticism can take root on either side. There was Joker's character uncompromisingly hell bent on destruction just for the sake of it. And then there was the scene where Batman taps into the cellphones of the entire Gotham population in a bid to locate Joker, opposed by his aide and technical expert Lucius Fox.

All in all an amazing movie clocking in at over two hours, every minute of which is enjoyable.