'Batman Begins' (2005)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
Release Date: 12th June 2005
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥💥
Christopher Nolan's first instalment of his 'Dark Knight' trilogy succeeds by establishing a Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) character that immediately resonates as his Batman persona. Through this character development, Nolan paces his protagonist's journey with a similar slow burning energy to that of a thriller. This is a minor pitfall accounting for the film's laborious exposition as we trace Wayne's training with mentor Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe), yet a feature which encompasses Wayne's transcendence from billionaire to Batman overall. Moreover, this genre-blending sets the film's darker tone as we move into the later scenes of a corrupt Gotham where villains prey on the city's vulnerability. Where the previous failures of 'Batman: Forever' (1995) and 'Batman & Robin (1997) are, in part, a result of their superfluous Gotham setting, Nolan avoids this issue with the aid of Wally Pfister's visceral cinematography, giving rise to a setting in need of a superhero.
'The Dark Knight' (2008)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Jonathon Nolan, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
Release Date: 24th July 2008
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥💥💥
Where 'Batman Begins' (2005) was a neat exposition to the origin of the Batman, Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' exceeds both superhero and blockbuster expectations alike. Despite Nolan's previous auteurship evident in films like 'The Following' (1998) and 'Memento' (2000), the director is aware of his spectacle, complete with a brilliant opening scene. This bold exposition sets the chaotic tone for the film's action, as embodied by an emphatic Heath Ledger performance as The Joker. Unlike the transparency of Ducard and Ra's Al Ghul, Ledger's Joker is a perfect foil to the regulated justice of the Batman as he philosophically transcends the conventions of superhero villains. This binary is showcased by Nolan when the two characters come head-on in the truck action sequence. Whether through the intensity of this action or the subtlety of the Joker's origins, the film is as willing to provoke audiences as it is to entertain them.
'The Dark Knight Rises' (2012)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Jonathon Nolan, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
Release Date: 20th July 2012
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥💥
In the four-year gap between the final instalments of 'The Dark Knight' trilogy, Christopher Nolan further consolidated his cinematic skill with the Oscar-nominated 'Inception' (2011). In this complex action-drama, the director also conveyed his ability to showcase a character's turmoil through large-scale spectacle with the inclusion of protagonist, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio). This skill is translated into 'The Dark Knight Rises' through the villainy of Bane (Tom Hardy) a character whose neglect is echoed by his authoritative reign over a broken Gotham. Of this crumbling society, Nolan bookends the fragility of Gotham's civilians, who are overwhelmed by violence and a lack of justice resonate of 'Batman Begins'. This is not a reductive portrayal of the city, but a presentation that brilliantly mirrors the conflicted morality of Bruce Wayne. In the physical destruction of our protagonist, so are audiences aligned with Wayne's determination to restore justice in Gotham once and for all.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
Release Date: 12th June 2005
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥💥
Christopher Nolan's first instalment of his 'Dark Knight' trilogy succeeds by establishing a Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) character that immediately resonates as his Batman persona. Through this character development, Nolan paces his protagonist's journey with a similar slow burning energy to that of a thriller. This is a minor pitfall accounting for the film's laborious exposition as we trace Wayne's training with mentor Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe), yet a feature which encompasses Wayne's transcendence from billionaire to Batman overall. Moreover, this genre-blending sets the film's darker tone as we move into the later scenes of a corrupt Gotham where villains prey on the city's vulnerability. Where the previous failures of 'Batman: Forever' (1995) and 'Batman & Robin (1997) are, in part, a result of their superfluous Gotham setting, Nolan avoids this issue with the aid of Wally Pfister's visceral cinematography, giving rise to a setting in need of a superhero.
'The Dark Knight' (2008)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Jonathon Nolan, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
Release Date: 24th July 2008
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥💥💥
Where 'Batman Begins' (2005) was a neat exposition to the origin of the Batman, Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' exceeds both superhero and blockbuster expectations alike. Despite Nolan's previous auteurship evident in films like 'The Following' (1998) and 'Memento' (2000), the director is aware of his spectacle, complete with a brilliant opening scene. This bold exposition sets the chaotic tone for the film's action, as embodied by an emphatic Heath Ledger performance as The Joker. Unlike the transparency of Ducard and Ra's Al Ghul, Ledger's Joker is a perfect foil to the regulated justice of the Batman as he philosophically transcends the conventions of superhero villains. This binary is showcased by Nolan when the two characters come head-on in the truck action sequence. Whether through the intensity of this action or the subtlety of the Joker's origins, the film is as willing to provoke audiences as it is to entertain them.
'The Dark Knight Rises' (2012)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Jonathon Nolan, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
Release Date: 20th July 2012
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥💥
In the four-year gap between the final instalments of 'The Dark Knight' trilogy, Christopher Nolan further consolidated his cinematic skill with the Oscar-nominated 'Inception' (2011). In this complex action-drama, the director also conveyed his ability to showcase a character's turmoil through large-scale spectacle with the inclusion of protagonist, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio). This skill is translated into 'The Dark Knight Rises' through the villainy of Bane (Tom Hardy) a character whose neglect is echoed by his authoritative reign over a broken Gotham. Of this crumbling society, Nolan bookends the fragility of Gotham's civilians, who are overwhelmed by violence and a lack of justice resonate of 'Batman Begins'. This is not a reductive portrayal of the city, but a presentation that brilliantly mirrors the conflicted morality of Bruce Wayne. In the physical destruction of our protagonist, so are audiences aligned with Wayne's determination to restore justice in Gotham once and for all.
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| Tom Hardy as 'Bane' and Christian Bale as 'Batman'. Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/mediaviewer/rm401191936 |
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