How a DIRTY SYSTEM can make us CRUEL, MURDERERS and HEARTLESS
General Reviews
Why is it that more than 10 years after its release, The Dark Knight has not been surpassed by any film of the subgenre? Why does no one talk about the masterful background behind it? Why is this even considered one of the best American films of all time by popular critics? I will answer all that. We will talk about the best film of the superhero subgenre, we will talk about The Dark Knight.
It is no coincidence that Batman is always a topic of conversation, that it is always a point of reference when talking about superhero movies or cinema in general. It is no coincidence that this is the favorite movie of many, whether they are fans or not of this cinematic trend, because this is a film with essence. The essence is that ability that a film has to make you feel something that you identify with so that after leaving the theater you feel completely satisfied and even changed, that provokes that unique and unmatched pleasure that we feel when seeing the credits of a wonderful film appear because we are not the same after seeing that film, be it a little or a lot, but it has changed us. That is achieved by having a film with a well-defined theme, that behind the entire plot or the entire adventure, something is attempted to be said with that story and that this is in sync with the execution of it.
This is where we get to the magic of The Dark Knight, because Nolan and his brother understood everything that this hero meant and used it to write this masterful film.
First, let's quickly dissect how this exquisite script works to see why it is so fluid and intense and why we can watch it 30 times and still be impressed as the first time. Personally, I could compare it in terms of script with Chinatown (1974) or even The Godfather (1972) because of how well it works, the number of twists it has and how it includes a very good subtext at the end. Although the Joker is the main antagonist and the greatest force of conflict, in reality the film's problems are triggered by something else, the mafia and the corrupt city.
1st ACT
The first act focuses on showing us how the mob still controls a large part of the city and how the police are still afraid to act, with this they introduce us to all the characters who are trying to make Gotham a better place, Harvey, Rachel, Gordon and Batman. This first act focuses directly on raising the problem of the mob and solving it. What sets the film off is that they know that Lau is the one who launders the money for the mob and they need to capture him, with this they deal a decisive blow to the organization and practically bring it down, we are entering the first 40 minutes in a mafia conflict without the Joker affecting the plot directly other than with scenes that build his imminent action to the main plot, but, this has its reason.
2nd ACT
The 2nd act starts off with everything seemingly resolved with the twist where the Joker threatens the city with killing someone until Batman turns himself in. This sets off the whole frenetic and incredibly unfolding film that is essentially a cat and mouse game between the Joker and Batman.
The reason this film is so fluid and entertaining is because we have about 5 plot twists in the 2nd act alone, including Rachel's death, which is a totally overwhelming sequence and we haven't even gotten to the climax of the film yet. The plot twist that ends the 2nd act is the final threat against the city, making everyone get on the ferries and with the pressure of Harvey as the new antagonist, this act is the one that ends the film, with a resolution that doesn't even involve the Joker. It is in these last minutes of the film where the whole script reveals its meaning, the greatness of its story and what it wants to tell us because Harvey is the key to understanding this whole plot, he is the character in which the idea of the film is embodied and that is why the climax is practically centered on him. With this we understand the beautiful idea that Nolan wants to give us about his Batman.
The SYMBOL of HOPE in a ROTTEN SYSTEM
Batman is a hero who is born involuntarily from the pain of the misery of a city and from that point of view he is an atypical model of a hero. His fight lies in saving the city, but in a much more symbolic way which not only includes beating up the bad guys but also completely changing the ideology of Gotham City which symbolizes the decadence of the modern world, the decadence of the world's society. Batman as such represents for himself that impulse to change and here the vital point in Nolan's trilogy is the central idea that moves all the characters during his 3 films: THE SYSTEM.
Gotham City is presented totally corrupted in the first film, but, Batman's idea of what he symbolizes changes it, for the second we have a system that is already trying to fight against itself, that is purging itself, that following Batman's idea little by little becomes better, the streets are safer, judges are less afraid to act against the mafia, control is already in the hands of the judicial forces, all because of the hope for change that Batman inspires in the people, but, there are still remnants of corruption, there are still weak points that will be key to the conflicts of the film. THE SYSTEM IS WHAT DRIVES THE TWO VILLAINS OF THE DARK KNIGHT.
BUILDING THE PERFECT CRUELTY
The Joker is the perfect villain for Batman because he represents an idea that is totally opposite to his own. While Batman sees his idea of hope and example as a solution so that citizens and police have the strength to confront crime and corruption. The Joker believes that every moral idea, every social construction of order is false and incorrect, that deep down we are just animals guided by the most basic instincts, fear, hate. Deep down everyone can be totally heartless and cruel beings as long as they satisfy some emotion or need. With enough fear and pressure, anyone can be a monster like him. The solution to fix the system is that there is no system. This dichotomy between protagonist and antagonist needed something to detonate it, something where it could be clearly expressed and that the public could understand it, better yet, feel it, and this key seems to be the purpose: Harvey Dent.
This character is a canvas on which Batman and the Joker will paint their battle and ideology, this being a new beginning for Gotham, that hero with a face who will finally come to deliver justice and order to the city, the true savior of Gotham, a member of the judicial system who will fix things and to make it even more interesting they connect him on an emotional level with Bruce by pairing him with Rachel. With this they make us see him from that human and vulnerable side that will eventually be so important to the character's conclusion. Harvey has such a clear and marked arc that he goes from being the hero of the screen to being a cruel villain who is about to kill a child, blinded by pain. Harvey is the visual representation of how the system corrupts a city, better yet, how the world can corrupt us. His villainy is perfect because it's not forced, it's not cartoonish, he has a very tragic purpose to become the villain of the 3rd act, which is built from the moment he first comes out, the system failed him, his friends failed him, his symbol of hope failed him, all he has left is chaos, what's the use of being a decent man in a dirty and cruel world. The Joker wins, HIS PURPOSE, HIS NEED AS AN ANTAGONIST WAS TO SHOW THE CITY THAT HIS ANARCHIST WAY OF SEEING THINGS WORKED AND THAT HE WAS RIGHT, and although it doesn't work with the people, IT DOES WORK WITH THE PEOPLE'S HERO.
“You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain”
(Harvey Dent)
And this is when Bruce shows his true strength as a hero, he loses everything in the movie, he loses the love of his life, he loses his chance for the city to have a figure that will guide it to the light, he loses the battle against his enemy and after all that, he has the strength to sacrifice something else, to sacrifice Batman for the good of the city to preserve what it represents, to keep hope alive, so that the morale of the judicial system does not fall again, so that they do not fear the mafia again, so that the reputation that the police had earned remains high.
The ideal that Batman provoked in the people will die, it will become hatred, repulsion. The hero he built will be a villain for everyone to see, but the hope in a real hero will remain alive, people will have a face to admire. Batman is capable of sacrificing everything he means to save the city and continue purging it, because in the end it is true, he is not a hero, he is a silent guardian, a protective watchman, a Dark Knight.
This film may mean different things to people, but for me what it best communicates is this representation of the city so dirty that it is apparently unsalvageable until Batman comes to light it up and he does it so well that it remains as a universal cinematic example because you can forget that he is the hero of a comic and the force of the film continues to be brutal.
OTRAS RESEÑAS QUE PUEDES APOYAR ESTE MES
En Español
- Érase Una Vez en HOLLYWOOD, La JUSTICIA que NO EXISTIO
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