A Movie Review: The Dark Knight

Everyone seems to be all giddy over the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight."

I saw it last week, and as much as we Gators like to go against the grain of the wider popular culture, I must admit it was spectacular. The movie is a refreshing turn from the standard super hero movie that has become a summer staple in the last 10 years. We continually see movie after movie where the hero is called to face some foe or enemy that challenges who he is and what is right. And the hero manages to beat the villain at his own game.

This is not so much the case this time.

Batman finds himself being called a vigilante by the people of Gotham, and there are few who understand and appreciate the service he is performing in the city. I won't give away the ending, but there is an amazing Christ-like sacrifice he makes involving his own reputation, calling to mind the old mantra that true character is how one acts when no one can see you.

Most of the hype is over the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker. Let me first say that, regardless of Ledger's unfortunate and disappointing death, this is the performance of the year. Ledger plays the classic villain with a depth and richness that rivals that of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates" movies. He is at once comical, creepy, eerie, human and believable... and I think it is that last piece that makes the movies so appealing.

Superman is an Alien and Spiderman is the result of a freak accident... But Batman... Batman is a person. A human, like any other, who trained himself in martial arts and enlists the aid of technology and close friends (like Morgan Freeman and Michael Kane's charcters) to make him the powerful agent for good that he is. In the latest series of movies, disbelief is suspended with little trouble because everything is portrayed so realistically. Even the Joker's eerie permanent smile is actually scars, and he clearly wears make-up instead of being some scarred freak.

It is these elements that support the characters and make the movie such a rich experience. The Joker is a deeply evil character that we somehow like... we don't want him to win, but at the same time he is real and he is human and he is kind of fun. He is also the ultimate villain because he doesn't seem to have anything that makes him tick. Most villains (such as the Character of Two-face) are borne of some childhood crisis or tragedy involving a loved-one in adulthood... The Joker is the exception. He seems only to desire anarchy and chaos. When things go wrong it is almost as if he wins anyway.

I would suggest that anyone interested listen to the Fresh Air interview with Director Christopher Nolan and Batman himself, Christian Bale. Toward the end, Bale adresses the issue of Ledger's accidental overdose and the how much he truely enjoyed playing the Joker. When you see the movie, I think it is clear. Ledger's performance is rich with the fun he enxperienced driving his portrayal.

6 stars on a scale to 5.