The Dark Knight
Starting with the phenomenal acting, and carrying through to the dark storyline, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight has the edge on the original Batman film. It’s not that easy of a statement to make. Tim Burton (Corpse Bride) does bring an element of darkness into the story, and Jack Nicholson brings out the Joker’s quirky, clownish nature. However, the 1989 cast portrays the Batman characters with a literal interpretation, whereas Nolan’s cast takes the literal portrait, and goes deeper.Following Batman Begins, The Dark Knight shows Batman feeling the weight of his role. With Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) as the new District Attorney, Bruce considers giving Batman a rest; that is, until the Joker comes along. The definition of psychotic, he turns the city upside down, and it’s up to Batman to stop him. The storyline truly is dark, placing characters in, what Roger Ebert describes, as ethical dilemmas that don’t have an easy solution (Rogerebert.com). (more…)