Well tonight, I saw my first movie in the blu-ray format, on a huge tv, and wow. It made me think of my first movie on DVD (Twister! which was also on a friend’s TV) and I had the same question, will I really be able to tell the difference? Within the first shot, the first frame, you can definitely tell the difference. I’ve now added blu-ray player to my electronic wishlist! (Not necessarily a PS3 just for that feature)

But I thought this would be the opportunity to share just why the Dark Knight just may be my favourite movie of 2008.

What some of you may not realise is that I studied Cinema. Oh wait, that is in my profile..
What I mean is that, when I was in high school, when I was at uni, I thought I’d be writing screenplays by now. I thought I’d be writing a regular column for a magazine, critiquing film, tv and all things pop culture. I did that part time for a well known national movie website for a while, but that fizzled out.. (long story). I was also featured for a short time in the Herald Sun, on Saturdays when they regularly asked me, and a few others from my Cinema class opinions on recent releases.

My fondest memory is when a family friend told me her 10 year old son made the choice not to see Rollerball (the abominable remake) after I wrote a very brief, concise ‘don’t bother’ review on it. I loved that.

Mind you – I can’t stand writers that tell the readers what to see, and what not to see, and I prefer that they write passionately about what they loved about the film, or.. what they liked, and what was not so great about it; and let the reader decide for themselves.

I digress though – this was about my new inspiration. I have seen a tonne of movies lately (thank goodness!) because there has been a time when I was watching a LOT of TV, but now I’m back into movies.

The Dark Knight.

It has broken a lot of records, beaten Spiderman 3 (which I never realised was the benchmark!) and it has had a massive amount of hype that I haven’t seen the likes of for a while. (Not even Indiana Jones’ geriatric return)

Personally, I was willing to wait, I didn’t want to go amongst the crowds. I was actually a bit put off by how much talk there was of Heath, and his performance, but all the lamentation about how this was most likely going to be his breakthrough – one that propelled him forwards, even faster than his role in Brokeback Mountain did.

And it has done that. I do hope that its not in some, bittersweet, overly sympathetic way, that because he died an accidental death – there is not some other deserving Oscar nominee – but I do think he exceeds the hype in this particular role.

I was lucky enough to see The Dark Knight, straight after a cinema screening of Batman Begins – and Christopher Nolan has done a wonderful job. This can be a stand alone movie – or it can be a straight sequel to Batman Begins, but one doesn’t need to see the first to be impressed by this follow up. Whilst the first was a sombre, but spiritual insight into how Bruce Wayne became ‘The Batman’ – this is now a fast paced, gritty crime thriller. The Dark Knight presents Gotham as a more believable city, in that whilst Batman Begins introduced the Wayne family as playing a part in the foundation of Gotham as a big, high rise city – the Gotham in Dark Knight is presented as.. more of a state – a state with many
sides, not just the high rise corporate world that we saw, and only glimpsed the ‘bad’ side of town. Here, the audience is introduced to the ‘world’ of Gotham – and it could be a place we visit!

When do you remember a super hero movie where the city itself, the landscape was as much a character as the caped crusader?

The characters themselves seem to be more developed this time around – at least the supporting characters, including the newly promoted Lieutenant Gordon, Harvey Dent, Rachel Dawes (played by a much more impressive Maggie Gyllenhaal) amongst other stellar cast members. Christian Bale himself represents less of a tortured, vengeful Batman in this film, instead he has come to a place where Gotham isn’t at such a troubled place, but he also faces the fear that soon, the city won’t need him; and what then? Who is he as Bruce Wayne? In Batman Begins, he is told to ‘play’ the playboy, to use his money as a front for Batman, and to be able to use that as a symbol. But how does one drop the symbol – and go back to
reality? The insecurity comes into play when Harvey Dent is introduced as the White Knight, and Rachel’s boyfriend. A character you can’t hate – he’s too ‘good’.

The villain/s of the piece are brilliant, The Joker – the best. Iconic – he will be as quoted, and impersonated as Hannibal Lector, no doubt about that. Ledger, portrayed so much of the Joker’s persona in his mannerisms. In the way he made a grand entrance, coat flapping behind, the subconscious eery licking of his dried lipsticked mouth, the way he walked nervously but confidently at the same time. Yes – even without the cackle, without the grin.. he was The Joker. He eclipses Jack Nicholson’s portrayal easily.

There were moments in the cinema when The Joker did something so shocking, or so shockingly quick and brutal, the cinema gasped – but then clapped. That kind of performance isn’t seen often, and although clapping in cinemas happens more in the U.S (I’ve been there more than once to experience it) that kind of reaction is not common at all in a more subdued Australia.

I don’t want to delve too much into plot – because I don’t really like to give away spoilers – even though this is under a cut.

What is so powerful about this film is that the good aren’t always ‘good’. The good characters are questionable – and can make decisions that then put them on a path towards immoral, unethical. Which life to save? Because life isn’t black and white. There are shades of grey, and Christopher Nolan and his cast have shown that, making the far fetched city, and characters of Gotham seem more life like, and realistic than a non-fantasy genre film.

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