I went to go see The Dark Knight with (what turned out to be) a very unnecessary attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been up for a good Batman movie for the last twenty years, and I have never been disappointed by the man behind the mask as portrayed on the big screen. However, for the few months leading up to The Dark Knight’s release, it seemed to me that the film was not being anticipated as another installment of the brilliant Batman saga; instead, The Dark Knight became known as simply “poor, tragic Heath Ledger’s last completed film.” To further complicate the matter, previews for the film were just not working for me; selected shots made me see Ledger’s neurotic portrayal of the Joker as stiff and forced. And so, before viewing The Dark Knight, I became the equally obnoxious antithesis to the clamor of moviegoers dead-set on praising the performance of the deceased star no matter what. I went to see The Dark Knight to prove Ledger’s Joker was just a joke.

I was terribly wrong. Not only did Heath Ledger steal the show, he left me gaping with my mouth wide open every time he appeared on screen. Delightfully, The Dark Knight’s Joker is a much more intense, impassioned Joker than the figure from Tim Burton’s Batman twenty years ago. In the earlier film, the Joker is a mere caricature, over-the-top in circus garb and prosthetic makeup. But in Nolan’s Batman, the joker is startlingly subdued, so much so that he is a real character – gritty, complicated, and messy - except for his perfectly punctuated fits of violence. This Joker isn’t filled to the brim with pristine wit and humorous rebuttals; instead, Ledger’s Joker twitches and involuntarily licks his lips. Sometimes he even seems caught up in the moment, as though he is simultaneously inflicting and experiencing his own menace. Though Heath Ledger’s acting breathed the most life into his character, everything about The Dark Knight’s Joker was spectacularly done. This is by far the best-written character in the entire film; I especially loved the series of contradictory stories he spins about the origin of his facial scars. Of course, The Dark Knight’s makeup department is equally as brilliant as its writing; Ledger’s cracked and caked-on face, his scar riddled lips, and his shadowy, sunken eyes – all of this is why his Joker’s jeer makes Nicholson’s grin look like that of a Cheshire Cat.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe the rest of The Dark Knight lived up to Ledger’s performance. Christian Bale was bland and unimpressive and the film’s story was a bit tough to follow. The Dark Knight shows a Batman who continues to loath the scum of the streets while simultaneously hoping a successor will step up to do his dirty work. Batman/ Bruce Wayne is greatly encouraged by Gotham’s new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who’s been throwing away more criminals than Batman - without wearing a mask. Things get a little messy when Wayne’s latest love, Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal – a HUGE improvement over Katie Holmes), falls for Dent, and when chance and criminality ensue, the joker proves that all of us “die heroes or live long enough to see ourselves become villains.”

Though the movie is beautifully shot, its plot is much too fragmented for my taste. I was only able to suspend my confusion (just barely) because Noland strung his sketchy story together with such authority. Still, much of the movie’s action is sloppy (the beginning bank robbery scene was not nearly as well-executed as it could have been) and its characters are introduced, or reintroduced, much too quickly (make sure you watch Batman Begins before watching this one!) Furthermore, the story is splintered by far too many shallow subplots that could have been very interesting if they had been thoroughly pursued. All in all though, The Dark Knight offers a hauntingly beautiful ride, well worth the two and a half hour investment. Go see it; I’m not kidding!

Liz Licorish
LizFlix@ElitesTV.com