The Dark Knight ***** (2008, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart) – Classic Movie Review 847

Three years on from Batman Begins (2005), co-writer/director Christopher Nolan follows up with his 2008 Batman/Dark Knight reboot sequel that is arguably even more thrilling.

This time Nolan boldly takes on Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) directly, with the story of the Dark Knight (Christian Bale) taking on the criminal organisations that plague the city, with the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). But a new evil nemesis arises in the form of criminal mastermind The Joker (Heath Ledger)…

Ledger’s drugs death on January 22 2008, aged only 28, overshadows The Dark Knight. The film is dedicated to him. When the movie came out in July 2008, his passing cast a terrible tragic, melancholy pall over it. Would he have won a Best Supporting Oscar as The Joker if he’d been alive? We’ll never know.

However, he does throw himself into the role heart and soul, in a splendidly scary, full-throttle performance. It’s a great portrait of a comic-book psycho, both crazily sadistic and insanely psychotic. But it is upsetting to see Ledger look as ravaged as this.

Ledger’s appearance is based on the dishevelled look of punk rocker Sid Vicious and the mannerisms of Malcolm McDowell’s character Alex De Large in A Clockwork Orange. Hiding away in a motel room for six weeks, Ledger delved deep into The Joker’s psychology, developing his voice and  laugh. Ledger designed The Joker make-up himself, using white clown makeup and cosmetics from a drugstore.

And, again, Ledger’s performance doesn’t erase memories of Jack Nicholson and the film doesn’t supplant Burton’s Batman, both merely adding memorably to the myth. Michael Caine, returning as Alfred, says: ‘Jack was like a clown figure, benign but wicked, maybe a killer old uncle. He could be funny and make you laugh. Heath’s gone in a completely different direction to Jack, he’s like a really scary psychopath.’ It was vital to come uo with a completely different Joker, and Ledger does it. A decision was made by Nolan early on not to explore The Joker’s origins, to keep his mystery.

Ledger said: ‘The Joker, so far, is definitely the most fun I’ve had with any character. He’s just out of control — no empathy, he’s a sociopath, uh, a psychotic, mass-murdering clown. And, uh, I’m just thoroughly, thoroughly enjoying it. It’s just exceeded any expectations I had of what the experience would be like.’

As for Batman himself, Wayne asks Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) for a new Batman suit with a head piece that is ‘easier to look around in’. In his new, lighter Batsuit design, a leaner Bale continues to etch deeper his excellent portrait of the sombre Bruce Wayne/Batman, who is still centre stage, even if this time there’s big competition from The Joker, who dominates a lot of the movie.

Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes as Bruce Wayne’s closest childhood friend Rachel Dawes, and she makes more or an impression, though it’s still not much of a role somehow. Cillian Murphy happily reprises his role as Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow, the first actor to reprise a Batman villain in the whole series. This is the first film to depict Two-Face’s origins, starting with Harvey Dent as Gotham’s district attorney then becoming Two-Face, and Eckhart is very effective.

The Dark Knight was a critical and box office sensation, becoming the fourth movie to make more than $1 billion worldwide on 20 February 2009.

It is followed by Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (2012), the final part of the trilogy. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) reboots both franchises.

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 847 derekwinnert.com