The Dark Knight (USA, 2008)

Heath Ledger’s Joker is like New York City.
When I went to New York, I arrived on the back of literally years of glowing references. Everyone I knew who’d been there told me it was the most incredible city in the world, that I would fall in love with the place, that I would have an amazing time. When I got off the train I thought to myself, go on then, New York. You’ve been talked up a hell of a lot. Prove it.
A week later I emerged from NYC breathless and amazed and in love with the place, and I remembered that thought a week earlier. It lived up to the hype – and it did it so well I even forgot that I’d been primed to marvel at it.
Same thing with Ledger’s Joker. You’ve heard already the Oscar whispers, the reverence from his fellow cast, and the rave reviews on line. All the hype. But when you see the film, you’ll forget about the hype and disappear into the experience of watching this performance and afterwards you’ll think back and realise, It is all true.
There is much to love about The Dark Knight. It balances its action adventure with its character exploration and its themes with its drama better than anything out of Hollywood in many years. It isn’t perfect – the plotting requires incredible contrivance for villainous plans to work, and that doesn’t sit right with the gritty tone – but when you’re watching you just don’t care. If LotR established that the hugest blockbuster could still have a heart, then this establishes that the hugest blockbuster can still have a brain.
Esteemed patron of the additiverich collective expressed dissatisfaction with the meanspirited cynicism on display, and I find it hard to argue with this point, except to say that it didn’t bother me.
So. Highly recommended. Go see.

3 thoughts on “The Dark Knight (USA, 2008)”

  1. I just got in from the theater, and the guy in front of me had to be shaken (by me) 3 times because he was snoring so loud people were asking me to wake him.
    He was asleep when I left. I figured if he didn’t leave earlier, why should he do so when the movie was over?
    And I became distracted by the joker’s tongue, meaning I watched for it more than I listened to his funny voice….

  2. Yes, exactly! When I watched it I was mesmerised, forgot entirely it was Heath Ledger, and it was after I left that I thought – so that’s what all the hype was about!

  3. My uncle falls asleep every time he goes to the movie and snores like a chainsaw. Apparently he also does this in live theatre, even when he’s in the front row.

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