REVIEW: The Dark Knight (12A)

Here it is, folks! Good or bad, The Dark Knight will be the film 2008 is remembered for. Partly because of the unprecedented hype generated by viral campaigns and internet chatter, but also sadly because of the tragic death of it’s star, Heath Ledger. The anticipation for this movie can be matched only perhaps by the buzz surrounding the Matrix sequels five years ago, or that surrounding Star Wars: Episode One nearly a decade ago (!).

As if you didn’t know, The Dark Knight is the sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins, with most of the core cast returning bar Katie Holmes, who is replaced for this instalment my Maggie Gyllenhaal in the role of Rachel Dawes. The plot sees Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) still in the cape, but frustrated by the responsibility of protecting a city that doesn’t appreciate his help. He views the new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) as a way out - a legitimate ‘hero’ to take the responsibility from Batman. The worlds of all three, however, are thrown into chaos when a crime spree attacks the chief lawmakers of Gotham, led by a sinister bank robber named The Joker (Heath Ledger).

The trouble with all the hype surrounding the second of Nolan’s ‘darker’ Batman series is that to those following the hype, only the most perfect superhero movie will do. Luckily, it is. The plot twists and turns, and is as much about the villains as it is about Bruce Wayne, or even Batman. Ledger’s Joker is, as Nolan himself put it, like the shark in Jaws - he creeps up on you and wreaks beautiful havoc, without explanation or reason. The real character arc is with the Dent-Wayne-Dawes love triangle, a storyline which climaxes in a scene which is equal parts moving and terrifying. With all this wonderfully written plot, the action set pieces are just as superb, with all the leaps from buildings and car chases executed in Nolan’s usual pragmatic manner.

Where do we start with performances? Bale is as brilliant as ever, with Michael Caine’s Alfred providing the quasi-paternal support. Bale fills Wayne with inner torment, coupled with the responsibility of his new life. He’s not the Bruce Wayne of Begins, who has nothing to live for. He’s now torn between the life he wants, and the life he has created for himself. Eckhart is also superb, but we may have to leave it to you to see why.

Now we come to Ledger. Yes, he is a force of nature, tearing through the screen, but that is exactly what makes it a work of genius. He’s unpredictable, savage and terrifying. Every scene he’s in is unforgettable. It may be futile advice, but try to not to see it as the final performance of an actor cut short, but look on it for what it is - just absolute brilliance. At the risk of adding to a whole new set of rumours, the posthumous Oscar buzz is richly deserved. Not because he died, not as any kind of sympathy vote, but because he is just amazing for every second he’s on screen.

It’s not often you say this about a film that spans two-and-a-half hours, but you leave the cinema wanting more. There are so many more elements to this film that make it so watchable, so engrossing, so brilliant, that this already-long review could not cover it all. See it, then see it again, and even then it might not be enough. Brilliant.

Dir: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Released: 25 July