We wrap up our series on The Dark Knight with the return of our former film editor, Dan Cohen, on why the film deserves its place in cultural history.
If you’re somebody who gets bent out of shape and irritated beyond belief at hearing about how great The Dark Knight is, I’d recommend you stop reading this right now. This film is ten years old and I’m going to give it the honor it deserves no matter how many times it’s been praised and shoved down your throat:
The Dark Knight is one of the greatest movies ever made. Get over it.
In preparation for this article, I just re-watched the film. This is probably the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing it, maybe a little over a year. You forget how flawless a movie it really is. Everything that goes into the art of filmmaking is operating at the highest possible level.
Where do I begin? The characters. Let’s start there. I’m not the first person to say this, but the movie is about Harvey Dent more so than Bruce Wayne or Batman. In fact, that’s the point. Bruce Wayne is supposed to be the one character who doesn’t change.
You can say Bruce Wayne is naïve though. A year into being Batman, it’s all going according to plan. The mob is crumbling. Harvey Dent is the true symbol Gotham needs. Bruce Wayne’s goal of saving the city is now a reality. One of the fascinating elements to this screenplay is how Batman views the Joker early on: “One man or the entire mob. He can wait.”
Batman is one man and look what he did to the mob inside a year. How does Batman not see this? Everyone warned him this was going to happen. Gordon talked of escalation. Alfred constantly lectures Bruce on how this man isn’t just another criminal.
Let’s stick with Alfred for a moment. It’s the subtleties that make this film truly remarkable. In one of the most cringe-worthy Joker scenes of the entire movie, the Joker tortures one of the fake Batmen. Pay attention to how Alfred and Bruce each watch the video. Bruce watches in complete shock. This isn’t Maroni. This isn’t Falcone. He doesn’t understand him.
In contrast, Alfred knows exactly what the Joker represents. It’s all over his face as he watches the video. He knows this is an enemy that won’t be taken down by simple tricks and theatricality. This is going to test Batman in ways Bruce thought he’d never have to endure.
That leads us to the Burma speech. This is one of the perils of your movie being so absurdly successful. We’ve all heard the Burma speech 900 times. It’s kind of a joke now. We like to parody Michael Caine talking about it. Think back to when you first heard that speech, though. It was riveting. It was relevant. The score syncs up beautifully when Alfred ends with “Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
Before we get rolling on the Joker, we need to give Aaron Eckhart his due. There’s a reason his turn as Two-Face hits you like a ton of bricks. You believe in Harvey Dent. You truly do. There are so many moments in this movie that don’t get talked about enough. How about Dent’s first scene? Go back and watch him enter that courtroom and the chemistry he has with Rachel. It’s all right there. You buy into this guy immediately.
Then you have Dent and Gordon meeting for the first time. This is where the screenwriting is operating at Academy Award levels. They drop hints about Gordon’s corrupt unit, which is obviously crucial later on. There’s tension. After all that tension, though, there’s still a respect between the two characters. It’s the perfect blend of conflict and camaraderie, which makes the final act of this movie so damn effective—and tragic.
Alright, we’ve gone long enough. Let’s get to it. Everything that has been said about Heath Ledger as the Joker has been said. It’s the best (fill in the blank). I’ll do my best to add something to the conversation.
The best way to describe Ledger’s performance is that every scene with the Joker is an event. Every time he’s on screen, the entire theater stops. The bank heist is extraordinary, but it’s the mob meeting with the magic trick that you can’t recreate. That scene is exactly who the Joker is in the comics. It’s depraved. It’s sick. It’s unnerving. It’s scary. It’s also something the Joker finds absolutely hilarious. It goes back to the array of subtleties this movie offers. Listen to the way Heath Ledger clears his throat before saying “Group therapy sessions.” That’s something you can’t teach in an acting class. Ledger’s turn as the Joker is one of the greatest cinematic performances in the history of film. The end.
Let’s also give the writers their due. The scar stories. The hospital speech. Every single line of dialogue the Joker has is so sickeningly well-crafted. It still goes back to Heath though. It’s a well-known fact that Ledger improvised the Joker clapping after Gordon is made Commissioner. That’s right up there with Harrison Ford’s “I know” in The Empire Strikes Back.
Out of all the incredible moving parts to this film, there’s one aspect that stands above all else: It’s the greatest conflict ever between a superhero and supervillain. Yes, this movie is a spectacular crime drama akin to The Heat or The Departed. No question. At its core though, it’s still a superhero movie, and the relationship between hero and villain is something never seen before on film. How many movie villains can you think of where the villain’s goal is to be killed by the hero? It puts the hero through a test unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Nowhere is that test more apparent than in the brutal interrogation scene. The more Batman punches, the more it fuels the Joker. To see Batman powerless and unhinged puts your stomach in knots. Watch how the scene is filmed when Batman grabs the chair and Gordon tries to come running in to stop him. It’s directing at its finest.
Aside from just how emotionally draining that scene is, it also manages to take one of the most iconic lines of the nineties (“You complete me”) and make it its own. That line is now more famous in The Dark Knight than it is in Jerry Maguire. That’s amazing.
Despite the interrogation scene, or the hospital where the Joker dresses like a nurse as he poisons Dent’s mind, the moment that will always stick out for me is that final exchange between the Joker and Batman:
“This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.”
Not only does that sum up their relationship in this movie, but it perfectly captures every Batman/Joker storyline ever. As a screenwriter, you could retire off that one brilliant line.
I need to stop. I could write a book about this film. The IMAX shots. The Joker’s make-up. Scarecrow’s cameo. Rachel’s narration of the letter as Batman stares at the scarred coin. The ferry scenes. Hans Zimmer’s score (that Joker note). The batpod chase. That wall flip is still one of the best moments I’ve ever experienced with an audience at the theater.
At the end of the day, though, it’s that final monologue from Gordon. The perfect ending to a perfect film. That’s Batman. Uncompromising, and willing to sacrifice his name to protect what he cares about most: Gotham City.
If you liked The Dark Knight when you first saw it but developed a hatred for it due to obnoxious people like me who constantly talk it up, I implore you to watch it again. Remove yourself from the hype and noise. Turn off the internet, sit down quietly, and just watch the film. You’ll be glad you did.
Happy ten-year anniversary to The Dark Knight. Maybe in another ten years, I’ll get to all the stuff I didn’t get a chance to talk about.
