No 458 - Batman
Director - Tim Burton
All has been rectified. I have watched the last of the four Batman films to be in the list, and indeed the earliest.
However, don't let the title fool you. Despite everything, this is not a film about Batman. This is a film about Joker.
The film begins in the deep, Gothic and fantastically murky architecture of Gotham City. The criminals and hoodlums are nervous there is talk of a vampire bat stalking the streets and picking off the muggers. We are introduced to Gotham after the establishment of Batman and we will not get anything like an origin story, besides a flashback of Bruce Wayne's parents getting shot at. That is all the motivation Batman seems to need. But considering how dull (once again) the character of Batman is in Burton's world, it doesn't really matter. This film follows one man. Jack Napier aka The Joker.
Jack Nicholson's Joker is an odd character. It seems that his insanity is only there for show as when he is 'behind the scenes' with his goons he becomes a lot more serious and grounded. He isn't as manic and unpredictable as he could be. Instead he is a very powerful goon with the trappings of a clown.
Whilst we're not given a Batman origin, we are given The Joker's origin as the powerful mobster, Jack Napier is dropped into chemicals he emerges, mutilated, white faced, green haired and laughing like a loon. I can only think of one bleachy type chemical that makes hair green - so I assume it was chlorine he fell into. I think the acid story is a bit silly, and whilst I promise not to continually compare with Heath Ledger's Joker, I find the concept of a villain who chooses to wear make up, far scarier than a mutilated one.
Saying that, we do not know JUST how mutilated the Joker was at the start. The Joker is obscured to the villain until after reconstructive surgery. The surgery scene is probably the darkest and most chilling moment in the film. A beautiful piece of cinema with with the grimy hospital visuals and The Joker's chilling laugh. It sets up a lot of potential for The Joker to be this genuinely scary clown faced psycho. Sadly, Burton goes down the more jokey 'zany' route which kind of cheapens a lot of his scenes. Specifically the art gallery scene. I found it really disappointing to see The Joker with his minions dancing around to Prince with a ghetto blaster and matching Joker branded outfits. It just seems very tacky.
However, that scene drives home a big point. This is not a re-imagining of Batman. This is taking the existing camp and brightly coloured batman world and putting it into a darker environment. Joker has the same minions and brightly coloured cars that he had in the hyper bright original. He cavorts with mimes and clowns and is generally a cartoon. There is not a huge difference between Jack Nicholson and Cesar Romero. Just more graphic violence.
This is Tim Burton's take of the old Adam West series. He has not recreated the characters. Just made them a bit crueler, a bit savage, a bit more Gothic.
I haven't really got much to more to say - as I covered a lot of the Tim Burton Batman universe in this morning's blog. However there are three points I wish to bring up.
Firstly... I believe Danny Elfman's theme may be the greatest thing he has ever written. Even better than the Simpsons or Nightmare before Christmas. It is justifiably iconic. It is very good.
Secondly... Alfred is still amazing and Michael Gough is still the best thing in Wayne Manor (even Kim Basinger can't best him).
Finally, The Joker is meant to be Batman's permanent foe. The never ending threat. His very opposite. Killing him off at the end feels cheap.
We want The Joker to return, and mess things up again, because Batman and The Joker share a lot of history.
Showing posts with label Batman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Batman. Show all posts
Monday, 5 October 2009
Sunday, 8 February 2009
You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
No 15 - The Dark Knight
Director - Christopher Nolan
Part 2 of the Saturday Afternoon Nolan Batman Double Bill (Or the SANB double bill as I've just decided to call it) and it is surprising to see just how high up to chart this film is. When you get in to the top 20 you're looking at true classics. The Godfather, Star Wars etc. So it is impressive for a film that was only made recently to rocket in the public polls. It is however, reflected in the fact that it has made roughly a hundred gajillion bazillion dollars at the cinema.
I have already spoken about the character of Bruce Wayne, and the clever construction of Nolan's Gotham city so in this blog I plan to just talk about the new additions. Before we talk about the obvious, I wish to talk about some of the minor characters. Beginning with notable mentions and building up to Heath Ledger's powerhouse performance:
Firstly, it is nice to see Eric Roberts as Maroni. For whilst he may have played the worst Master ever he is also a truly superb actor and deserves to be in more film and television gubbins.
It is also good to see Rachel Dawes played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Partly because she is stunning but also because she has the traits and qualities that Katie Holmes didn't have. She is sassier, she seems more streetwise, more world weary, more like someone who has had to fight against the corruption of the criminal fraternity.
Also, how awesome is it that Nestor Carbonell is the mayor of Gotham. I love the witty referencing of placing Batmanuel into a Batman film. And it really looks like his is wearing eye make up. All the time (I noticed it in Lost originally).
However, the addition that deserves the majority of this blog's attention is Heath Ledger's Joker. He is a truly menacing, unhinged piece of acting genius. And is roughly a million miles away from his role in 10 Things I Hate About You.
His character is a terrifying prospect, mainly because he has no reason, no back story. every time he goes to explain how he got his scars, the reason changes. There are no clues to his identity:
Nothing. No matches on prints, DNA, dental. Clothing is custom, no labels. Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint. No name, no other alias.
The fact that he can't be explained, that he has no motivation, that he just wants to watch the world burn - this is what makes him a threatening villain. His perverse pleasure in any pain inflicted means he is an unsatisfying fight. His magnificent schemes to see the chaos in people mean he is a terrifying adversary. His lack of order, of reason means that he is a cool leopard but an unpredictable destructive nightmare.
Christopher Nolan also uses excellent techniques to introduce the Joker without resorting to back story. In one sickeningly hilarious moment you know everything about the Joker that you will ever know.
He is a tour de force, creating chaos which acts as a catalyst to the destruction of the world around him. Whilst a certain amount of the 'Joker Hysteria' does come from the very sad news of Heath Ledger's death, he does deserve every award and nomination he has earned. It is a career best, and he has created an amazing character.
However, whilst The Joker is the glistening grease painted star of the film, he is only the story's catalyst and it is Harvey Dent's story.
Harvey Dent is Gotham's last great hope and watching his gradual decline to 'bad guyness' is as bleak and as depressing as the film gets. It also opens up the idea of decisions. For whilst The Joker is utter unplanned chaos, Two Face represents chance.
It is also impressive to see how the film turns a character that is a bit ridiculous and explains scarring, the schizophrenia, the motive without him turning into a joke. Arron Eckhart is a horrific terror, whilst Tommy Lee Jones is only a dandy cartoon.
I'm aware that this blog is shorter than my others but it is in conjunction with the Batman Begins film. Nolan's Gotham is a wonderful creation. His characters are real versions of extraordinary (and potentially unbelievable) people. I am looking forward to when Nolan starts his third film.
Though the lack of Joker will be sad....
Director - Christopher Nolan
Part 2 of the Saturday Afternoon Nolan Batman Double Bill (Or the SANB double bill as I've just decided to call it) and it is surprising to see just how high up to chart this film is. When you get in to the top 20 you're looking at true classics. The Godfather, Star Wars etc. So it is impressive for a film that was only made recently to rocket in the public polls. It is however, reflected in the fact that it has made roughly a hundred gajillion bazillion dollars at the cinema.
I have already spoken about the character of Bruce Wayne, and the clever construction of Nolan's Gotham city so in this blog I plan to just talk about the new additions. Before we talk about the obvious, I wish to talk about some of the minor characters. Beginning with notable mentions and building up to Heath Ledger's powerhouse performance:
Firstly, it is nice to see Eric Roberts as Maroni. For whilst he may have played the worst Master ever he is also a truly superb actor and deserves to be in more film and television gubbins.
It is also good to see Rachel Dawes played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Partly because she is stunning but also because she has the traits and qualities that Katie Holmes didn't have. She is sassier, she seems more streetwise, more world weary, more like someone who has had to fight against the corruption of the criminal fraternity.
Also, how awesome is it that Nestor Carbonell is the mayor of Gotham. I love the witty referencing of placing Batmanuel into a Batman film. And it really looks like his is wearing eye make up. All the time (I noticed it in Lost originally).
However, the addition that deserves the majority of this blog's attention is Heath Ledger's Joker. He is a truly menacing, unhinged piece of acting genius. And is roughly a million miles away from his role in 10 Things I Hate About You.
His character is a terrifying prospect, mainly because he has no reason, no back story. every time he goes to explain how he got his scars, the reason changes. There are no clues to his identity:
Nothing. No matches on prints, DNA, dental. Clothing is custom, no labels. Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint. No name, no other alias.
The fact that he can't be explained, that he has no motivation, that he just wants to watch the world burn - this is what makes him a threatening villain. His perverse pleasure in any pain inflicted means he is an unsatisfying fight. His magnificent schemes to see the chaos in people mean he is a terrifying adversary. His lack of order, of reason means that he is a cool leopard but an unpredictable destructive nightmare.
Christopher Nolan also uses excellent techniques to introduce the Joker without resorting to back story. In one sickeningly hilarious moment you know everything about the Joker that you will ever know.
He is a tour de force, creating chaos which acts as a catalyst to the destruction of the world around him. Whilst a certain amount of the 'Joker Hysteria' does come from the very sad news of Heath Ledger's death, he does deserve every award and nomination he has earned. It is a career best, and he has created an amazing character.
However, whilst The Joker is the glistening grease painted star of the film, he is only the story's catalyst and it is Harvey Dent's story.
Harvey Dent is Gotham's last great hope and watching his gradual decline to 'bad guyness' is as bleak and as depressing as the film gets. It also opens up the idea of decisions. For whilst The Joker is utter unplanned chaos, Two Face represents chance.
It is also impressive to see how the film turns a character that is a bit ridiculous and explains scarring, the schizophrenia, the motive without him turning into a joke. Arron Eckhart is a horrific terror, whilst Tommy Lee Jones is only a dandy cartoon.
I'm aware that this blog is shorter than my others but it is in conjunction with the Batman Begins film. Nolan's Gotham is a wonderful creation. His characters are real versions of extraordinary (and potentially unbelievable) people. I am looking forward to when Nolan starts his third film.
Though the lack of Joker will be sad....
If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely.
No 81 - Batman Begins
Director - Christopher Nolan
Nana nana nana nana nana nana nana nana BATMAN. No.... banish all thought of the campy 60's television show. Banish all thoughts of the even camper Batman and Robin. We are not going into the world of rubber nipples here.... we're in darker territory. Here be monsters!
Movies have been trying to bring a sense realism to the strange world of superheroes, often with the superhero filmed being tagged as 'darker' (mainly the films that end in 2... Xmen 2 and Spiderman 2) - However it is Nolan's superb vision of Gotham that truly brings gritty realism to the cinema's superheroes.
This film is a true origin story (I know, the clue is in the title) explaining every aspect of how Bruce Wayne formed his alter ego. Even explaining all the small things such as how he creates his helmet, why he has a cape as well as the more standard elements like how he becomes the Batman.
In fact, his origin only has one massive flaw that I can think of. The motivation behind the Batman comes from the death of his parents. An entirely avoidable event. During Bruce Wayne's training, Liam Neeson turns to him and tells him that his parent's death was the fault of his father. I would have to agree....
You see, if your son has a crippling fear of bats.... would you take them to see Die Fledermaus?The show is about a bat! Of course it will terrify your son.... Of course you will have to leave... and whilst leaving doesn't necessarily mean being shot at and parental death, it would have all been avoided if you'd stayed in Wayne Manor playing kerplunk with Alfred.
Now, I have mentioned a few names in the above paragraphs so let me talk about some of the veteran actors which appear in this film. Starting with Liam Neeson....
Liam Neeson is a tough threatening menace of a man... like an angry, smarter, ninja Qui Gon Jinn. And yet, despite this, I can't take him seriously in films such as Taken where he is supposed to be utterly badass.... He seems more at home in Love, Actually. Which is what makes him more threatening here.
The other actors that I wish to talk about are two legends of cinema. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.
Michael Caine plays Alfred the butler, and he is a massive change from the original stalwart of Batman Butlering, Michael Gough. Caine is a much more casual butler and seeing how many people assumed Wayne to be dead, he is also the owner of Wayne manor. He makes a superb team with Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, who provides the gadgets and gizmos and science which are so important to Batman's armory.
Both of these characters bring warmth and a likable nature to the film. Because Bruce Wayne is not that agreeable or likable a man. Wayne is a complex man in that he is multi faceted, but none of the facets are the nice. Let us examine:
Pre Batman Wayne - Seems to be very 'Jack from Lost' petulant, stubborn and determined to have his own way.
Bruce Wayne (alter ego to Batman) - Arrogant, posing, preening buffoon. Which kind of works for what he is trying to do (hide the fact he is Batman by being as much of a billionaire playboy as possible) - however he just makes me think of Patrick Bateman in those scenes.
It is a brave move to have a main character that isn't that likable. Batman's determination and his rigid view on right and wrong means that he isn't a character you would root for, he is quite cold, aloof and emotionless. He is not the charismatic hero. This Batman isn't George Clooney. However it is necessary for the world Nolan has created. It is a dark world, and Batman has to be a dark and desperate figure. Christopher Nolan's Gotham is equally dark and sordid and suffering from mob rule (which is far more believable than hundreds of costumed goons) and the film takes great effort to make sure that this is reflected in all aspects. Which is why the casting of Katie Holmes is so strange...
Back in the day, when I was a wee nipper of a lad, I had a bit of a crush on Katie Holmes. Mainly because she had the sweet 'girl next door' look. However this look doesn't work in Batman. Rachel Dawes should be more world weary and have more attitude than Katie Holmes is able to convey... She is just the wrong casting for the role.
Another questionable casting choice is Cillian Murphy as the Scarecrow. I like Cillian Murphy a lot, I think he is a great actor and is particularly good at portraying the worryingly unhinged and threatening. The film (and apparently the comic canon, but I'm not well versed on these matters) helps to realistically convey someone like Murphy as a realistic threat - the drugs that he uses manipulating fear and hallucinations. But Cillian Murphy looks too young, too much like a little indie boy in glasses to be truly convincing. He does make an excellent cowering mad man however.
My final criticism with the 'Batman' world is the strange contraption that he has to summon bats. I understand that bats communicate using sonar, so a sonar device could contact bats? But would it cause millions of them to flock to you and swoop round baddies? No.... probably not. It is that one moment where the film returns to its cartoon roots, and the film suffers slightly for it.
What is interesting is that although Nolan had never originally planned a sequel, he left a cliffhanger so enticing that he was essentially forced to make a follow up film....
And we are all glad that he did, for he brought as an amazing character.
Director - Christopher Nolan
Nana nana nana nana nana nana nana nana BATMAN. No.... banish all thought of the campy 60's television show. Banish all thoughts of the even camper Batman and Robin. We are not going into the world of rubber nipples here.... we're in darker territory. Here be monsters!
Movies have been trying to bring a sense realism to the strange world of superheroes, often with the superhero filmed being tagged as 'darker' (mainly the films that end in 2... Xmen 2 and Spiderman 2) - However it is Nolan's superb vision of Gotham that truly brings gritty realism to the cinema's superheroes.
This film is a true origin story (I know, the clue is in the title) explaining every aspect of how Bruce Wayne formed his alter ego. Even explaining all the small things such as how he creates his helmet, why he has a cape as well as the more standard elements like how he becomes the Batman.
In fact, his origin only has one massive flaw that I can think of. The motivation behind the Batman comes from the death of his parents. An entirely avoidable event. During Bruce Wayne's training, Liam Neeson turns to him and tells him that his parent's death was the fault of his father. I would have to agree....
You see, if your son has a crippling fear of bats.... would you take them to see Die Fledermaus?The show is about a bat! Of course it will terrify your son.... Of course you will have to leave... and whilst leaving doesn't necessarily mean being shot at and parental death, it would have all been avoided if you'd stayed in Wayne Manor playing kerplunk with Alfred.
Now, I have mentioned a few names in the above paragraphs so let me talk about some of the veteran actors which appear in this film. Starting with Liam Neeson....
Liam Neeson is a tough threatening menace of a man... like an angry, smarter, ninja Qui Gon Jinn. And yet, despite this, I can't take him seriously in films such as Taken where he is supposed to be utterly badass.... He seems more at home in Love, Actually. Which is what makes him more threatening here.
The other actors that I wish to talk about are two legends of cinema. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.
Michael Caine plays Alfred the butler, and he is a massive change from the original stalwart of Batman Butlering, Michael Gough. Caine is a much more casual butler and seeing how many people assumed Wayne to be dead, he is also the owner of Wayne manor. He makes a superb team with Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, who provides the gadgets and gizmos and science which are so important to Batman's armory.
Both of these characters bring warmth and a likable nature to the film. Because Bruce Wayne is not that agreeable or likable a man. Wayne is a complex man in that he is multi faceted, but none of the facets are the nice. Let us examine:
Pre Batman Wayne - Seems to be very 'Jack from Lost' petulant, stubborn and determined to have his own way.
Bruce Wayne (alter ego to Batman) - Arrogant, posing, preening buffoon. Which kind of works for what he is trying to do (hide the fact he is Batman by being as much of a billionaire playboy as possible) - however he just makes me think of Patrick Bateman in those scenes.
It is a brave move to have a main character that isn't that likable. Batman's determination and his rigid view on right and wrong means that he isn't a character you would root for, he is quite cold, aloof and emotionless. He is not the charismatic hero. This Batman isn't George Clooney. However it is necessary for the world Nolan has created. It is a dark world, and Batman has to be a dark and desperate figure. Christopher Nolan's Gotham is equally dark and sordid and suffering from mob rule (which is far more believable than hundreds of costumed goons) and the film takes great effort to make sure that this is reflected in all aspects. Which is why the casting of Katie Holmes is so strange...
Back in the day, when I was a wee nipper of a lad, I had a bit of a crush on Katie Holmes. Mainly because she had the sweet 'girl next door' look. However this look doesn't work in Batman. Rachel Dawes should be more world weary and have more attitude than Katie Holmes is able to convey... She is just the wrong casting for the role.
Another questionable casting choice is Cillian Murphy as the Scarecrow. I like Cillian Murphy a lot, I think he is a great actor and is particularly good at portraying the worryingly unhinged and threatening. The film (and apparently the comic canon, but I'm not well versed on these matters) helps to realistically convey someone like Murphy as a realistic threat - the drugs that he uses manipulating fear and hallucinations. But Cillian Murphy looks too young, too much like a little indie boy in glasses to be truly convincing. He does make an excellent cowering mad man however.
My final criticism with the 'Batman' world is the strange contraption that he has to summon bats. I understand that bats communicate using sonar, so a sonar device could contact bats? But would it cause millions of them to flock to you and swoop round baddies? No.... probably not. It is that one moment where the film returns to its cartoon roots, and the film suffers slightly for it.
What is interesting is that although Nolan had never originally planned a sequel, he left a cliffhanger so enticing that he was essentially forced to make a follow up film....
And we are all glad that he did, for he brought as an amazing character.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)