Like Ebert once said, "A good movie is always too short." Clocking in short of three hours, the only hard part about the length of The Dark Knight is the strain on the bladder. The movie is a tragedy played out between superheros, idealists, and white knights on side and mobsters, thugs, and a new chaotic demon on the other. This is beyond the comicbook movie, although those seem to be evolving with Frank Miller's The Spirit and nerd-crazed Watchmen. Here, they have a new level, bringing the crime drama to both a conflict of the gods and human emotion at the same time. I thought Iron Man was the movie to bring the comicbook to the form that would give it massive audience, but Dark Knight will probably be cast a shadow over it and rightfully so. (Note: This does not lower the value I see in Iron Man. The Exorcist did the same thing to horror film, casting a shaodw in the previous year's Rosemary's Baby, one of my all-time favorites.)
The film picks up where Batman Begins left off, but the past speaks for itself and lets the characters move the sequel for itself. The Joker (the late Heath Ledger) is psychoatic and violent. The only insight to his past is his explanation of his scarred smile, revealing a violent childhood against his father. To say he wants to destroy is an understatement. He wants to see other men lose their morals and burn the world around them for him. Mobsters take money, he just wants to see everyone fight and plots how to get the most people to do so. Adding this element into the corrupt Gotham City has Batman (Christian Bale), Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman), and fearless District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) pushing the limits on their morals and methods in attempts to bring the violence to an end.
Probably the greatest insight of this movie is how it plays on all levels of the field. Gordon, Dent, and Batman all face loss and question how far they will go. Some early violence close to their characters shows the movie isn't afraid to throw close punches and let some of them land. While we watch the three good men fall from grace and come to their limits, just as entertaining is seeing new depths of the Joker's plans, setting people against each other and themselves.
Clocking in at 152 minutes, the movie is a testiment to good writing. It doesn't feel like two hours at all because the script keeps a constant move without any old formula to fall into. There are unexpected turns throughout to keep it apart from other films, but ultimately the movie stands on its own.
There's a number of unspoken references to the first film that add to depth of the characters if you think about them. Both Batman and Joker are results of violent childhoods, one struggling for good to overcome it, the other enjoying it. Both of them cast out their previous lives for the new ones dueling against each other. The Joker questions what it would take for Batman to break his "one rule," echoing how Batman was cast out from the League of Shadows in the first movie. No doubt, Batman remembers the death of his parents and is haunted by it thoroughout other deaths.
A big question for those looking deep is why is this so good as a superhero movie instead of a cop drama? Why does this plot outline work so well in this genre? I believe the film is part surrealism. Batman is the embodiment of criminals' fears while the Joker is the living nightmares of his violent childhood. Gordon is law and order, police following his every move carrying out his orders. Dent is something you'll have to watch to understand.
Alfred (Michael Caine) provides insightful conversation with Batman, where we get an idea of the surrealism with the line, "Batman has no limits." When he asks him how did Alfred, when he was in the service in the jungles of Burma, how'd he catch the man that simply wanted to watch the world burn, Alfred replies a chilling, "We burned the jungle down." Words very close to what men of the law are resorting to.
Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) puts his objection to how far Batman has gone when he sees Batman has tapped every phone in Gotham. Although Batman puts the man who objected to the machine in charge of it, it doesn't come off as a political issue, no matter how many times they say "terrorist." It is a philosophical fight, and the characters have been given enough depth, it is no longer our issue, but their's.
I believe the movie deserves an oscar for Heath Ledger's performance, which speaks for itself better than I ever could. The script is one of the best I've ever seen for plot alone. I once saw a webcomic saying Director Christopher Nolan sold his sold for the cast of Batman Begins. If he did for Dark Knight, it was worth the price.
Is it entertaining? Yes. Every minute.
Is it for everyone? Yes. Although it is not for young kids, most of the violent is off-screen or rather bloodless. He's shot but doesn't spray blood. Joker cuts mouths open, but the camera moves away carefully, still sending chills. The blend of action, iconic characters, and serious drama blends well for every to enjoy this movie immensely in one aspect or the other.
Is it memorable? Yes. If we could forget Ledger's death, we would still not forget the importance.
Suggestion: See it on the big screen.
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