Review of The Dark Knight (2008) by Stephen Z — 26 May 2016

With "The Dark Knight", Christopher Nolan has once again proven himself a master of suspense, drama, and psychological thrills. He has built upon the dark, moody, and gritty groundwork laid in "Batman Begins", and taken it to a whole new level, delivering a film with a level of sophistication never before seen in a comic-book film. This Batman film is also a philosophical film that delves deeply into the topic of morality; what is right, what is wrong, and are they black and white? And like the tragic heroes of Greek mythology, when faced with these decisions, Batman does not always make the right choice.

As a result, "The Dark Knight" is the perfect blend of drama, thriller, and action films. From its brilliant opening scene to its suspenseful climax, "The Dark Knight" does not feature a single dull piece of action throughout the entire movie, and all of the action is smart, well thought out, and original. Likewise, the twisting and intricate plot is layer upon layer of tragedy, unexpected turns, and suspenseful thrills. Finally, much like "Batman Begins", the visual style of "The Dark Knight" is one of its many strengths. Once again, the character designs - especially the dark, gruesome interpretations of The Joker and Harvey Dent - look outstanding. Much like Scarecrow in the previous film, Two-Face looks incredibly terrifying, and I love how they keep teasing his transformation.

But the real highlight of this film (as you've probably heard) is The Joker. This Joker may anger many devoted Batman fans because this Joker is no clown; he is sadistic and darkly comical. It is a very radical and edgy interpretation, but it is the right direction for this franchise. Not only does The Joker look horrifying, but he is INCREDIBLY well written in this film. However, it is Heath Ledger's performance that makes this the best film portrayal of Batman's arch nemesis ever. Heath Ledger's brings to mind Anthony Hopkins's Hannibal Lector in "The Silence of the Lambs"; cunning, manipulative, and calculating. Lastly, and I don't know how Ledger pulled it off, but the Joker's laugh is haunting and will send shivers down your spine.

However, as captivating as Ledger's performance is, he is not the only one amongst this huge, talented cast to give a great performance. Christian Bale once again proves to be a strong lead and improves on his performance from "Batman Begins" by giving us a Bruce Wayne with more depth and a Batman with more grit. Maggie Gyllenhaal, inheriting the role of Rachel Dawes from Katie Holmes, does not give a moving performance, but she is still quite good. Aaron Eckhart brings great intensity to his performance as Harvey Dent/Two-Face and serves as an excellent foil to Bale's Batman. Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon excels in his expanded role and delivers a stirring closing monologue. Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox likewise is given an expanded role and is a fun presence. Finally, Michael Caine is once again great in his fatherly role of Alfred. This is one of the strongest ensemble casts I've ever seen.

A few months ago, I said that "Iron Man" was the greatest comic-book film to date. That didn't last long because "The Dark Knight" is the uncontested greatest comic-book film of all time. It is possibly one of the greatest films of all time, period. "The Dark Knight" is a deep, thought-provoking film and an absolute must-see, regardless of whether or not you like comic-book movies.