Review of Batman Begins (2005) by Godsif S — 05 Nov 2015

In Batman Begins the protagonist, Bruce Wayne billionaire, is introduced as a young boy running through his estate, chasing a girl who later is revealed to be Rachel Dawes, his childhood sweetheart and only person who truly knows him. Bruce attempts to hide falling down inside a well; this scene is extremely important throughout the entire film. It introduces the audience to reason behind his fear for bats, followed by him being imprisoned and introducing him to the League of Shadows. In next childhood scene Bruce is rescued from the well by his father, followed by the family riding high above the city on the monorail designed and built by his father for the poor of Gotham. This is the first time in the movie the Wayne wealth becomes known, not only by showing the physical wealth but showing the family looking down from above at "their city". The wealth factor plays into the bigger picture and overall theme behind the movie and most all movies in this genre. Wealth will either corrupt someone or it will make the person into something the less privileged desperately need. In Bruce's case his fear and wealth are the driving factors for him becoming batman. Witnessing his parents' death as a young boy pull these two ideals into view, the opera the family was attending scared Bruce due to the bat theme during the film, Bruce's fear caused the Wayne's to leave down the side alley mid-performance only to get held up by a gunman. Ending in both of Bruce's parents being shot, this is the motivation behind Batman. The idea that his (Bruce's) fear and wealth caused his parents death, which is very prevalent in most superhero movies. And this idea that he even as a young boy never wanted this to happen to another child, why he became Batman.

Everyone has heard the saying "wealth is the root of all evils" Batman Begins shows this through the main setting, Gotham a corrupt and decaying city that before Batman has very little if not no hope in recovering. Gotham represents New York City in which during the day takes on a completely different face than at night. During the day Gotham takes on the face of a business thriving city with money similar to New York and Wall Street. At night Nolan shows just how dark it gets and filled with organized crime it is, extremely similar to New York City and its organized crime. Bringing into view that things need to be done and an ordinary person can do it.

The idea that money is the cause of evil is shown through almost any superhero movie you find. This is directly linked to the view of America and how especially since the recession of 2008 superhero movies have taken a turn for the darker side. Batman Begins is the first movie to being this shift to a darker side for superhero movies. Resembling the American view point of society. Especially with Batman that you don't have to have gifts from other worlds or genetically mutated.

Bruce has never known true fear in his life, he has never understood the fear the poor face in Gotham every day. When Bruce in an early scene of the movie confronts Don Falcone (Gotham mob king) about killing the man that killed his parents. Falcone then states that Bruce will never know what it's like for the poor and he is just a little rich boy. This makes Bruce realize that if he intends to do anything about the corrupt Gotham he must understand how crime and criminals work, he must become one in order to defeat one. Even though Bruce Wayne is a billionaire he takes himself into the life of criminals to become someone that can fight them. He discovers he will never understand them unless he becomes one, at this point in the movie Bruce disappears living a life in the shadows among the criminals. Entering third world countries forced to steal in order to survive this life soon leads him to the League of Shadows an organization believed to cleanse the world of evil, a secret ancient organization. Bruce is then trained in the way of the League. Bruce then becomes aware of the League's plans for Gotham, believing there is nothing left to save and Gotham needs to be started from square one. This, Bruce believes is the farthest thing from the truth leading him to leave the League of Shadows and returning to Gotham convinced to save it. Christopher Nolan the director does a beautiful job of leading Bruce to how he will become everything Gotham needs, and the idea that a man can only do so much but a symbol can create so much more, it can create fear. And using his fear to inflict fear on those that feed off the fear of the weak and poor is exactly why Bruce chooses bats, thus becoming Batman. One main antagonist is a character known as "Scarecrow" who also uses fear but for the complete opposite reason, to influence individuals and the Gotham system to do his bidding. The "Scarecrow" uses a powerful hallucinogenic to induce a fear in the innocent for a greater plan, the destruction of Gotham. While Batman uses the idea of fear to protect the city of Gotham and the innocent.

Throughout the rest of the movie Bruce battles with the League of Shadows and the people of Gotham accepting he is there to help. But Bruce is constantly plagued with his guilt of inner blame from the death of his parents. Which is a separate drive behind his crusade of cleansing Gotham. By the end of the movie Bruce takes his own fear, the fear of bats, and turns them on those that pray off fear in others. This movie pulls together many different symbols and all aspects of Bruce Wayne and Batman. The above and below which is basically how something appears at first glance is not how it is below the surface. Drawing a link between US citizens and the US government system. Batman Begins truly beginning the series of superhero movies taking a darker and more serious approach towards our political and justice system. Representing just how the American people view it and how they believe there needs to be change whether by one person or a group of people.