Fifteen years ago this week, Christopher Nolan released a small film entitled The dark knight which, in my opinion, was the best comic film to date. It’s a rare example of a highly anticipated Hollywood blockbuster living up to the hype, an exceptional cinematic piece that has only gotten better with age.
Fifteen years ago this week, Christopher Nolan released a small film entitled The dark knight which, in my opinion, was the best comic film to date. It’s a rare example of a highly anticipated Hollywood blockbuster living up to the hype, an exceptional cinematic piece that has only gotten better with age.
Everything just clicks here. Nolan’s lucid direction, Hans Zimmer’s and James Newton Howard’s thunderous score, the wild action sequences and intriguing psychological themes, the dynamic between our hero and villain – “The Dark Knight” thrills more than a decade after its initial release.
Of course, we remember the image from Heath Ledger’s incredible, Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker. From all appearances, the late actor excels in this role, stealing every scene he appears in and reimagining the classic villain for the modern age. While other actors have embodied the Joker and received awards for it, Ledger’s rendition remains the most memorable. This clown prince of Gotham is cunning, cruel and completely unreasonable. You can’t take your eyes off him.
Christian Bale is a great Bruce Wayne
Still, all these years later, I couldn’t help but marvel at it Christian Bale, whose performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman is strong enough to warrant a list of accolades of its own. Bale, who is rumored to be serving as the straight man for Ledger’s mad clown, is quiet, reserved, but emotionally relatable here. He conveys so much even while hiding in that bulky costume. A head tilt here, a scowl there, it all adds up to one of the most criminally overlooked performances of the past two decades.
Ironically, Bale later won an Oscar for The Fighter, where he enjoys the more flashy role opposite Mark Wahlberg’s straight husband. Wahlberg, too, was overlooked for his quiet but effective performance because the Academy (for whatever reason) hates subtlety.
And that’s what this is all about: subtlety. Bale’s Bruce Wayne harbors demons that continue to torment his soul. You can see it in his eyes, in the way he puts on a fake Patrick Bateman smile and attends decadent parties, in the way he tosses a glass of champagne over the balcony after speaking to a roomful of guests, in the way he calmly watches the Joker, desperately trying to calculate his next move. In this scene he interrogates Sal Maroni but can’t get rid of him and lets out an almost exasperated growl:
At one point, the Joker calls a news station and threatens Coleman Reese’s life during a live television broadcast. Nolan walks over to Bruce and watches the nightmare unfold, with a look of almost submissive disdain on his face. He quietly listens to the Joker’s demands before he pulls himself together, buttons his jacket and sets off for work. Again, his acting is subtle, but you can understand what the poor guy is struggling with – a villain he doesn’t understand, the loss of his girlfriend Rachel, and the burden of Gotham City weighing on his shoulders.
As Batman, he’s even more conflicted. The Dark Knight seems bored when we first see him in a scene with the scarecrow at the beginning of the film. He jumps at the chance to deal permanently with the criminals during the spectacular Hong Kong sequence, effortlessly conducting the operation and capturing Lau. There is no sense of thrill or joy in Batman’s actions. He’s just trying to clear up any unanswered questions so he can get on with his life.
By the end of the film, however, Batman hobbles to his motorcycle – tired and broken, but committed to his chosen life. When Harvey asks why he was the only one who lost everything, Bruce momentarily breaks character and whispers, mostly to himself, “It wasn’t that.” Gah. This is heartbreaking.
Previously, following the Joker’s capture, Batman expresses how Gotham has shown its willingness to believe in anything good. In response, the clown remarks, “Until her mind completely breaks down.” Batman leans forward in exhaustion, possibly disheartened by his opponent’s refusal to heed reason. This subtle act is in sharp contrast to Ledger’s wild nature. Batman longs to find a reason to continue in battle, an end to the facade, and Bale skillfully portrays the character’s unwavering determination while gradually revealing a tinge of vulnerability. Even he is unsure of how this story will unfold.
I also love the classic interrogation scene where we see Batman actually snap for the first time after the Joker goes too far with his revelation that Rachel and Harvey are about to die. Batman needs everything not to smack his enemy’s face to a pulp. We are witnesses to anger, pain, fear and frustration. Ledger deserves plaudits for his stunning performance here, but he wouldn’t be nearly as effective if Bale didn’t hit all the right shots.
I appreciate the quiet nuances in Bale’s portrayal of Batman. It’s easy to overlook, but the actor shows why he was the perfect choice for the character. Without him, the Dark Knight ceases to exist. He grounds the chaos on screen and helps make a great film a classic.
Interestingly, Bale recently expressed his disappointment with his performance, telling Yahoo.com: “I didn’t quite do what I was hoping for throughout the trilogy. Chris made it, but my own sense of self says, ‘I didn’t quite make it.’”
He continued: “Heath showed up and completely ruined all my plans,” Bale said. “Because I was like, ‘He’s so much more interesting than me and what I do.'”
Nonsense. Bale is mesmerizing as The Dark Knight and one of the main reasons the film is still awesome 15 years later. It’s a masterpiece.