The Dark Knight (2008)

 

2008 may be the most important year for superhero films in this year both The Dark Knight and Iron Man came out. Iron Man gave birth to the MCU and began the concept of a connected cinematic universe. Meanwhile The Dark Knight showed that superhero movies do not have to be made with kids in mind. While this film receives a PG-13 rating, there is little to nothing in this dark and disturbing film for younger Batman fans. This is obviously a pre-cursor to many adult-aimed superhero movies including those with an R rating. Roger Ebert stated, "This film, and to a lesser degree 'Iron Man,' redefine the possibilities of the 'comic-book movie.'" It is hard to argue with Ebert's comment. 

In this film after proving himself to many in Batman Begins (2005), Batman must now face a threat like he has never known before. Gotham is being terrorized by a new villain in clown make-up known as The Joker. The only method to Joker's madness is madness itself. Meanwhile the new distract attorney Harvey Dent is providing the city with new hope and giving Bruce Wayne the hope that one day he may not have to be Batman anymore. Hoping to make Gotham descend into pure madness, The Joker sets his sights on Harvey. 

With his second Batman film, director and co-writer Christopher Nolan (along with his co-writer and brother Jonathan Nolan) delves into everything that made his first movie stand out and expands on it. Doing this he creates one of the best Batman films. This movie is darker and gritter than the first film. It also sets the action in a much more realistically grounded world. This movie takes Batman into a post-9-11 America world, brilliantly reflecting the fears and anxieties of a modern world. Nolan also expands upon the first film's exploration of what Batman should stand for. While Batman Begins shows that Batman must be a symbol to inspire Gotham. Yet here, Bruce begins to question whether or not he has inspired Gotham in a good way. There are scenes with various Gotham citizens dressing up as Batman and trying to take the law into their own hands. The scene where the Joker interrogates one of these citizens is chilling and really makes us question whether Batman is truly the best solution to Gotham's corruption. Though Batman is clearly the hero of this movie, he is not always morally correct. Towards the climax he has one action that is extremely morally questionable. This creates something more complex than your average superhero film; while never having you turn against the hero.  

Much has been made of Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker. Beforehand many doubted that Ledger could pull off this character. Yet when the film came out his performance was almost universally praised. The fact that Ledger had died at the age of 28 before the film's release helped give this performance an almost mythical quality for many. Watching this film today, his performance is just as wonderful. While his interpretation of The Joker differs quite a bit from the comic book character, he is incredibly dynamic, and he commands the screen whenever he is on. Yet I feel it is unfortunate that Ledger's performance tends to overshadow Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent and Two-Face. To me he is the dark beating heart that drives this movie and Eckhart's performance is simply incredible. This character and the great performance by Eckhart help drive this movie to something greater, more powerful and more tragic than your average superhero film. 

This movie was a greater hit than anyone could have imagined. It became the highest grossing movie of 2008. At the time it was the fourth highest grossing movie ever and the highest grossing superhero film. It stand the test of time and is still a masterpiece making not only one of the best Batman movies but one of Nolan's best films.