Letting the days go by

The genre of comic-book films has been defined since Superman: The Movie. It has to pay homage not only to the comic book series it adapts but also the characters and creators. No matter how serious the story or the comic’s origins – X-Men and its creation from the civil rights conflict between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X for example – the film should be the highest form of entertainment. Even if the story is a tragedy, the film still has to be fun in some way shape or form.
The Dark Knight is no comic-book film, not in the traditional sense. It cannot be compared to any comic-book film before it, not even the golden standards – Superman: The Movie and Spider-Man 2. It cannot even compare to first film in the reboot of the Batman series, Batman Begins. Although the title is a reference to Batman, the fact that this film is the first in the entire series not to include the word Batman makes it a bold statement. Thankfully, it supports that bold statement with what may be destined to become a classic film.
Gotham City has slowly become a safer city because of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale – American Psycho, Rescue Dawn) and his influence. The police, following the actions of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman – The Fifth Element, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), have taken a firm stand against organized crime. A new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart – Thank You for Smoking, The Black Dahlia), has become the face of justice and is leading the fight against corruption in the city. Even regular citizens have decided to take ill-advised but noble stances as vigilantes in the vein of Batman. This decrease in crime has Wayne thinking about putting his mask away and trying to return to a normal life with old friend and former flame Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal – Sherrybaby, Stranger Than Fiction), Dent’s girlfriend and assistant district attorney.
However, a new kind of criminal has come from the woodworks. A man known as the Joker (Heath Ledger – Brokeback Mountain, A Knight’s Tale) is working along with and parallel to the mob, seeking ways to increase the chaos among and within the citizens of Gotham. His motivation is not from money or power; he is an unnatural force of evil, one who is only consumed by an endless desire to deconstruct a stable society. The only one who can stop him is someone not afraid of going to the darkest depths of him or herself.
A number of reviews have compared Chris Nolan’s effort as a relative to Michael Mann’s Heat or the works of Martin Scorsese. The film is influenced by these works, but this is entirely the vision of Nolan. Opening the film with the Batman symbol appearing from and devolving into a ball of fire, Nolan sets up the film from the very beginning as a descent into menace. The film begins with a carefully orchestrated bank heist. With overhead shots of the city, close-ups of the masked robbers, and ending with a nail-biting moment involving a grenade in a mouth, the heist establishes the look and feel of the film.
Wally Pfister, the cinematographer, is one of the main reasons the look works so well. The camera never wastes a shot, and moments such as Batman standing on the Sears Tower, moments that would be superfluous and extravagant in the hands of many others, come off with grace and intensity. The editing, led by Lee Smith, adds more character to the camera. One of the best examples is in the interrogation room with the Joker and Gordon. The lighting renders only the Joker’s face and half of Gordon’s face visible, and just the simple cross-cut editing in the scene provides atmosphere to the shots.
In Batman Begins, none of the actors were wasted. In The Dark Knight, every actor takes it a step further and sells the film without question. Christian Bale became the best actor to don the Batsuit in Begins, but now he fulfills his greatness as Batman by fully inhabiting the role of Bruce Wayne. He emphasizes the joys of being a cocky billionaire, and makes the audience believe that he really wants to give up Batman for a stable life. His happiness as Wayne is balanced by his moments of anger as Batman. In the interrogation scene he becomes a man unhinged, sending chills down the viewers’ spines as he straddles the line of control by almost killing the Joker with the cops looking on. His work as Batman and Bruce Wayne fulfills the promise Bale always had since Empire of the Sun, and he deserves a lot of the credit for making Batman a 21st-century hero.
Aaron Eckhart gets the tragic role of Harvey Dent, and he never lets it slip out of his hands. From his idealistic look and his arrogant yet honorable smile to the moment his character falls from grace, Eckhart captures every facet of Dent, making his fall more tragic. Eckhart takes the nice-guy charm he possesses and inverts it after a significant event and makes it look effortless. The way his character interacts with everyone adds believability, starting with the relationship with Rachel and his connections to Batman and Lt. Gordon. Eckhart got everyone’s attention in Thank You for Smoking, and now he proves his career is just beginning.
Gary Oldman has the task to play the noble Lt. Gordon, and he helps the character grow from the last movie. Gordon is the symbol of unending good, something not typical in Oldman’s canon, yet he carves a detailed portrait of a character many pass off as a supporting role. His love for his family, his trust in Batman, and his risk-taking attitude elevate Gordon beyond just a cop in need of a hero, and Oldman has given everyone the ideal interpretation of Jim Gordon.
Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, the elder statesmen of the film as well as Academy Award winners, define what a supporting role truly is with their respective roles as Wayne’s butler Alfred and Wayne Enterprises CEO Lucius Fox. These two men allow the other actors to have the moments they need, yet they are treated and treat the other roles as equals. Caine and Freeman become memorable in their own right by making what could be two-dimensional characters have real depth. Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over the role of Rachel Dawes and infuses more emotions in her than before. Her love for both Wayne and Dent shine through, and although her role still boils down to just a piece of the puzzle, the role feels more important than before, and its significance shines with Gyllenhaal adding subtlety to her character.
However, the movie cannot work without a good turn for the villain. Heath Ledger doesn’t give a good turn – he gives a legendary performance, one that will be remembered no matter what awards it wins. From his intro at the bank heist, Ledger never lets go of the screen or the audience’s attention. Every little tick – him licking his lips, his emphasis of syllables, his posture and walk – accentuates the character and his intensity. He is a personification of chaos and anarchy, and his role in the film comes off as less of a villain and more of, as the character describes himself, an immovable force. The Joker’s sadistic and disturbing humor makes the audience laugh, yet those picking up on his act will understand what laughing at him means – they have accepted his anarchy and want to join in. Many actors have portrayed unhinged insanity, but very few have portrayed controlled insanity, a state of being in which the character is a textbook definition of insane yet is in complete control of his actions and decisions. Ledger has joined that list of actors and makes a Joker that rivals Anton Chigurh of No Country for Old Men and Hannibal Lecter of The Silence of the Lambs as one of the finest antagonists ever crafted. It makes one angrier that Ledger died because he cannot build from what he has created with the Joker, but what is left is a truly masterful performance, one that shows promise fulfilled and unfulfilled at the same time.
The music supports the film instead of telling the story, creating the atmosphere at the right moments. The drone that permeates when the Joker is present gets under the skin and becomes the most memorable piece of music for its disturbing and undeniably addictive quality. The theme that Hans Zimmer and James Newton-Howard crafted for Batman in the last film returns with force, balancing the drone of insanity with the last semblance of hope. Too often, the music in films take precedence over the action, yet Zimmer and Howard know when the right music should be played as well as the right quantity for each piece. It’s a score that’s unforgettable for its singularity.
A special note should be made for the script. Chris and Jonathan Nolan created a multifaceted, complex script that is the foundation for the film’s transcendence of the comic-book genre. By weaving the stories of Batman/Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, the Joker, Alfred, Lucius Fox, and Rachel Dawes with such delicate precision and telling the story of the effects of a man who, as Alfred puts it in the film, “wants to watch the world burn,” the Nolan brothers have crafted one of the best original scripts in years. The depth of each character and his or her actions is conveyed expertly, and the script shines because of it.
The comic-book genre has been seen as a genre for well-crafted and altogether fun films. The genre, as well as most summer films, is seen as just great entertainment. The Dark Knight isn’t entertainment in the pure sense; it’s a bold, detailed action drama, one that is a mirror of the world at large underneath the superhero veneer. It’s an art film disguised as entertainment, and it is one of the best films of the decade.

So I started a new job. It's a temporary one to hold me over until I leave for grad school. All I can say is that it's definitely going to be a long summer.

My birthday - a week ago - was refreshing. I didn't do anything at all, and it felt absolutely wonderful! I got Wii Fit, and so far the game has told me I've gained weight even though I exercise on it every day. It's absolutely useful because it's keeping me active. The exercises are good, and I actually feel like I'm getting a workout. I may have gained a little weight, but that may change in the coming weeks.

Another gift I got - a graduation and birthday gift - was a beautiful Ibanez Artcore guitar from my girlfriend. It's a hollowbody electric, and it has a gorgeous sound to it. I can play it unplugged and still feel like I'm getting a true guitar experience out of it. It's the first guitar that felt comfortable at the onset. I couldn't think of a better gift. At some point, I'll put pics of it on here.

I'm reading James Joyce's Ulysses, and I should have known better. Yes, I have read War and Peace, but that at least was remotely linear and engrossing. It isn't a bad book, but I'm having a definite struggle with it. I know I'll finish it. I just hope I'll still understand it when I'm done.

One final thing: I'm thinking about writing a book. Call me crazy, but for some reason, it's been in the back of my mind as of late. I know how I want to set it up, but I need to get all the details out - characters, plot, setting...you know, the important stuff. Maybe I will start on it. I've still got to record an album of me playing guitar, so who knows.

Well, that's the dirty lowdown for now. Feel free to comment or just send me a message. I promise, I won't bite.

In this crazy world, the only things that are certain are death and taxes. For those of you who thought that there were only 9 planets in the solar system, be prepared to let go. During my free time at work I have been reading up on the decision to redefine the term "planet" allowing to keep Pluto in the mix. Apparently, this opened up a new floodgate as there are now three more possible planets with more coming in the future. Now, I don't want to rant, but this just seems to be a good thing. I live in a mixed up country right now where the people just can't decide on where to go. I'm not a progressive, but I don't mind moving forward. 9 times out of 10 it's the best decision to make if it doesn't harm anyone directly. My country's school system is in dire need of an overhaul so that instead of lowering standards to make everything fair, we can encourage intellectual growth and understanding. The big deal about this new definition is that it makes all of our astronomical textbooks obsolete. So what if there is no mnemonic method to remembering the planets now? It's good that the system is expanding. Being a geek, intellectual expansion is a necessity for me. This won't hurt anyone. For all those sci-fi freaks or potheads who kept telling us that there is more out there than we know, I salute you. Ride in the glory now because you know I wish I had thought of that. Now all we are waiting for are teleporters and anti-gravity craft, and I think then every geek like me will be truly satisfied with the world.