The Dark Knight
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman
Director: Christopher Nolan
152 Minutes
Warner Brothers
2008
Rating: M15+

After a successful first part, it is usually difficult for the sequel to maintain the high standard. Thankfully, The Dark Knight does maintain, and in some ways, exceeds the dark intensity that made Batman Begins so captivating and striking.

When Batman has brought organized crime to the brink of eradication, the mob allows a new player, The Joker (Heath Ledger), to help. Unlike other criminals who turn to evil for mostly material gains, The Joker seems to be more sophisticated, with a different end in mind. As Gordon pointed out from Batman Begins, the "escalation" is realized; and Batman (Christian Bale), Gordon (Gary Oldman) and the shining DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) band together to attempt to defeat The Joker and organized crime in Gotham.

Christian Bale (Harsh Times, American Psycho) is characteristically faultless in his role as Batman. Whilst he has, in a sense, settled and matured somewhat as a person, he nonetheless carries the aggression and anger which he always had. However, what is really interesting in this film is that he feels the burden of what is expected of him, the burden to persevere and the burden to increase, improve and intensify his efforts, especially against The Joker. Bale conveys all those emotions and the mental torment naturally and subtly, showing that while Bruce Wayne in some ways does not care what others think, he is still human and part of him does feel the pressure of the opinions of others and his desire to live a relatively 'normal' life. The late Heath Ledger as The Joker is compelling. He is clearly psychotic and intelligent and deliberately unlike Jack Nicholson's more comic portrayal (which is brilliant in its own right). Ledger certainly conveys the anarchic psychology of his character convincingly and together with his stagnated and disjointed delivery and facial expressions makes him frightfully disturbing while still being humorous. Like Bale, at no point does Ledger drop his energy and intensity, making him a true nemesis of Batman. Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face is strong but not overtly, a contrast to those around him but not overly dramatic to the point where it competes with Batman or The Joker which would then seem unnatural.

In its themes, it is no less dark and in some respects more disturbing than Batman Begins. There is the usual theme of "justice contrasted to revenge" and as mentioned before, Batman's struggle to continue to carry his burden. What is also interesting and very much related to all that is the theme of "the ends justifying the means" as well as the issue of escalation. While Batman adheres to an objective and absolute moral standard, his enemies do not. As the evil escalates, the will and resolve of Batman, Gordon and Dent are tested as they take extreme measures to deal with The Joker without breaking moral constraints. The complex relationships between patience, perseverance, endurance, sacrifice, suffering and loss in one's responsibilities (and life in general) and in turn man's will, weakness and corruptibility are explored, subtly or otherwise. The character of The Joker reminds one of the devil as he plays people against each other and also especially like that in the book of Job where he selects the best and then tests them for the sake of proving a point. Not surprisingly and unfortunately, like most modern stories, there is also the humanist view (i.e. "faith in the goodness of mankind"). Nevertheless, that view is not necessarily favored (nor should it be) as the narrative does contrast those who choose not to succumb or compromise or neglect and those who do or are indifferent.

The photography by Wally Pfister (The Prestige, Batman Begins) and editing Lee Smith (Batman Begins, Robocop 2) is dynamic and balanced. Unlike the previous feature - where the cuts are quicker in action sequences, giving the action a more frantic feel as well as showing less of Batman as a horror element - this film uses a more conventional style. Even in the action sequences, the shots are held longer with more focus on Batman, this adding weight to the action and violence - particularly Batman's brutal fighting style - and the overall shot as a whole. This obviously also fits well to the narrative as Batman has evidently established himself as a force and is more focused as a character. Also of interest is that there are many smooth moving shots, not just the commonplace wide sweeping over-flying shots of the city but also the extensive use of the dolly and steadicam in other sequences. The relatively longer shots combined with the smooth camera work gives the film a consistently energetic and kinetic feel without being too frenetic and disorientating, thus distracting the audience and visually overloading them.

The music, composed by veteran Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, Crimson Tide) and James Newton Howard (Collateral), like Batman Begins, has a constantly forceful and dramatic presence. The score obviously builds on the themes and movements from the previous film. While it has no less of that Hans Zimmer's trademark harsh mix of brass and aforementioned forcefulness, the score, like the character of Batman, has developed, with more subtleties and layers and an increased use of synthesized effects.

The Dark Knight is more than a good looking sequel with a big budget. The performances from the cast are all fittingly strong. Visually, it is intentionally less frenetic and horror-like than Batman Begins but nonetheless gripping and striking. In its production, everything from the sound mix to the photography, editing and action choreography is clearly top class. Although this feature is long by modern standards, the narrative is tight, with no weak or unnecessary scenes, making The Dark Knight a thrilling film with substance and depth.