This film will also be a part of a larger post about Nolan’s entire Dark Knight Trilogy.
INTRODUCTION
The sixth film in my continued analysis
of The Films of Christopher Nolan is the game changing, genre bending The Dark Knight. There is a lot that has been said about
this film over the years; praise has been (rightfully) lauded on the film,
commenting on its contribution to the craft of filmmaking: direction,
cinematography and acting; as well as several philosophical interpretations.
Yet, in this extensive analysis and dissection of Nolan’s second chapter in his
Batman saga, I have yet to see a uniquely sociological take on the film; which
I will provide in this review.
HISTORICAL
CONTEXT
“I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”-
The Joker
2008 was a big year for the
superhero film genre. It is easy to say that The Dark Knight was easily the most anticipated film of 2008
(especially with its Joker-Dent themed viral marketing campaign that referenced
classic Batman storylines) However, that same year, in addition to The Dark Knight we also got the opening
volleys of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man and The Incredible
Hulk and the much underrated sequel Hellboy
II: The Golden Army. With this slate
of films we could already get a sense of the winds of change were blowing and
even before its release The Dark Knight was
understood as something special…and then Heath Ledger died.
Ledger’s
sudden death in January of 2008 from a combination of prescription and over the
counter medication resulting in cardiac arrest, not only put even more
attention on The Dark Knight (rumors
began to fly about how the role of The Joker had possibly contributed to his
demise) but put the film’s status and potential future into question. Fans (myself included), in a moment of pure
selfishness and disrespect for life, were overwhelming concerned about whether
the film was finished, or if its release would be halted. Once the news of Ledger’s completion of the
film and being presented in its entirety was made public, the fans (again
myself included) could sit back and revel in our moment of awfulness.
Regardless of how bad I feel for my
contribution to the dehumanizing fanaticism that occurred, it is important to
look at how Ledger’s death impacted the film. Making over a billion dollars in
worldwide box office receipts, it is clear that more than just fans saw this
film. To use anecdotal evidence, when I
saw the film in IMAX for the first time, the line to get in was down the street
and around the corner; full of both the hardcore cosplaying fan that camped out
the night before, AND groups of affluent white females (with their respective
male arm candy) dressed up as if they were going to a club. It was clear,
through the observational data I collected, that they had no interest in Batman
or the Superhero genre at all. This was the first time I entertained the notion
that part of The Dark Knight’s
popularity (and subsequent success) is due, in part, to Ledger’s death and the
aforementioned rumors. Thus, the film’s buzz can be attributed, in some way to
people’s morbid curiosity.
It is my opinion that The Dark Knight would not be so popular with the mainstream,
reaching new benchmark levels of success, if Ledger survived. Even his
posthumous Oscar for the role seemed to be a legacy gift, for all of the
stellar looked over roles he had in the past (e.g. Brokeback Mountain) his death robbing the film industry of his
future greatness. This becomes readily apparent when Oscar winner data shows
that no one before, or since, has won an Oscar for her/his role in a superhero
film. Even director Christopher Nolan and the film itself was snubbed for best
director and best picture (a huge insult). It is obvious that the decision by
the academy to award the best supporting actor Oscar, for Ledger’s performance
was not about celebrating the film, but celebrating him.
PLOT
“And Here. We. Go.”- The Joker
The Dark Knight picks up
approximately nine months after the end of Batman
Begins. Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman)
are doing their best to wipe out organized crime and corruption in Gotham. With the help of the enthusiastic new
District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), they are successful in cutting
off the source of the mob’s money. Having been dealt a crippling blow, the Mob
enlists the help of a criminal known only as The Joker (Heath Ledger) to target
Batman, Gordon, and Dent, in hopes of getting their money back. In the ensuing chaos that is wrought by the
Joker, who seemingly has no clear motive, Batman, Gordon and Dent try to
maintain order by a razor’s edge. Yet, as The Joker increases the pressure,
putting each man in moral and ethical dilemmas; Dent, Gordon and Batman are
left to sacrifice their morality and decency in order to give Gotham the order
and peace they hope for.
SOCIAL ANALYSIS
As I have mention, there is a lot that
has already been said about this film.
My contribution through this section will be one that is increasingly
sociological. I will start out with
particular general themes that have been confirmed by Team Nolan through
interviews and news articles. Then, I will slowly transition into looking at
the characters and their motivations in the film using the critical eye of the
Sociological perspective.
Themes
The film has
many different themes some of which are blatant, subtle and misguided.
“I’m an agent of Chaos.”- The Joker
Chaos/Escalation
At the end of Batman Begins Gordon, prophetically predicts that Batman’s presence
will only make things worse for Gotham (while describing The Joker’s first
crime in the city) before they can get better.
This directly insinuates that Batman, is himself a form of escalation
that is then met and equalized by The Joker in The Dark Knight.
It is clear in terms of story structure
that since Bruce Wayne pledged himself and set out on his mission throughout Batman Begins that this second story, is
how those beliefs and that mission would be tested. It stands reason that since
Batman is an embodiment of “chaotic good” really only having one rule (which is
blatantly stated more than once in the film) that the escalation of that would
be “Chaotic evil” represented by The Joker. All of Batman’s tactics of violence
and intimidation do nothing to sway The Joker. In fact, it seems that the more
out of control and enraged Batman becomes the more The Joker loves it, revels
in it. This is no more clearly shown than in the now infamous Interrogation
scene: This scene illustrates the philosophical differences of Batman and the
Joker and it is the point where Batman realizes just what he is actually up
against. You can see the realization wash over his face as The Joker speaks.
“…Should
we give in to this Terrorist’s demands?”- Harvey Dent
Terrorism and
Surveillance
Once the film was released there
were obvious parallels to “The War on Terror” and The Patriot Act that both the
public and critics made. Some political
conservatives even praised the film and Batman for being an allegory for the
actions of George W. Bush and his administration (even going so far as to say
Batman was Bush). Team Nolan never
expressively said the film was representing anything more than an exercise in
great filmmaking. However, one must understand that all pieces of popular
culture (especially film) are created within a particular social and historical
context, which inevitably bleeds into and affects the way in which the movie is
experienced and perceived resulting in these thematic parallels.
“I
realize now what I would have to become to stop men like him.” - Bruce Wayne
The
Joker is clearly a terrorist, though I wonder if it would have been so readily
used in reviews of the film outside of the historical and political
climate. It is his use of nontraditional
homemade explosives unclear demands that adds to the comparison with more
recent acts of terrorism and the current racialized group that we have labeled
Terrorists.
Batman’s use of sonar cell phone
technology as a way to track The Joker towards the end of the film is often
citied to be analogous of “The Patriot Act” in fact, even promoting its use.
Many conservative commentators have praised Batman’s use of the technology to
catch The Joker. In their mind, it is a clear endorsement of non-court ordered
surveillance; thereby justifying real life pieces of legislation like “The
Patriot Act”. The idea is that abusing the civil liberties of the people of
Gotham it is for the greater good. Those
conservatives that have this particular point of view fail to acknowledge
Lucius Fox’s (Morgan Freeman) ultimatum denouncing such actions. They also fail
to understand the significance of the machine’s destruction at the end of the
film.
“It’s all part of the plan.” - The Joker
Sociologically, speaking when I approach
the idea of surveillance I always go back to two particular authors Max Weber
and Michel Foucault and their respective ideas of Bureaucracy and the
penopticon. Max Weber (with a little
help from George Ritzer years later) maps out the inherent problem with a
capitalistic bureaucratic structure: it is a dehumanizing, objectifying,
standardizing, rational “iron cage” that limits human dynamic diversity. For Weber, surveillance is a part of this
“iron cage” which forces people into conformity, a conformity with the system.
In the Foucaudian sense, surveillance, or its implication, is the primary form
of social control within social structures and institutions. If the populace, in their “Iron cage” of
rationality also assume that they are constantly being watched (regardless of
whether or not they actual are) they are more likely to police themselves and
conform to a particular social order. Unfortunately, these ideas about
surveillance are not reinforced by the film.
“They’re
only as good as the world allows them to be.”- The Joker
Debate
on Human Nature
The primary conflict between Batman
and the Joker is an ideological one.
This has been true in the comics as it is here in this film. The ideological conflict centers on how each
of them understands and perceives humanity.
Batman is an essentialist who believes in the good of all people. The
Joker understands (like many sociologists) that our actions behaviors and
identities are dependent upon a particular social and historical context. Given the right social trigger, The Joker
understands that ANYONE can become like him.
In fact, that is what he is trying to prove; that given the right social
conditions, humans are capable of anything. To that end The Joker would be a social
constructionist. The Joker’s ultimate success can be measured through his
manipulation and turn of Harvey Dent into Two-Face, and the vote of the people
of Gotham clearly voting for murder on the ferries.
In this scene The Joker starts to
sway Dent by having him realize the power of social conformity on mass
society. Invoking a Weberian argument
about the power of routines and the social control of organizational systems
(though he uses the term “plans”) The Joker succinctly and astutely makes Dent
aware of the Weberian “iron cage” the world is trapped in. Because the system
doesn’t change Dent’s morality then shifts to chance; the only thing that he
believes is fair in a hyper-rational system that Weber (and the Joker) lay out.
In this scene, The Joker attempts to
recreate a social experiment. The Joker has a lot of historical evidence to
support his claim that the people of Gotham will blow up the other ferry. Many people under totalitarian regimes (Pol
Pot, Stalin, etc.) in history have been forced to kill others. Also, the way that the Joker sets up this
experiment, there is some similarities to the famous Stanley Milgram experiment
on obedience. As a collective, the
people of Gotham all decide to detonate the other ferry, proving Joker’s
point. It is only when that task is
given to one person that hesitation sets in.
This is because, with only one person making a decision (who is not an
authority) there is a lack of a diffusion of responsibility. For the purposes of the film, The Joker has
to believe that he’s lost in order for him to be stopped, otherwise this
disagreement between Batman and The Joker would go on forever. This is why he is not privy to the decision
to blow up the ferry, only the end result and why Batman has to take the fall
for Harvey’s murders at the end.
It should not be misinterpreted that the
Joker’s point of view is validated by these actions at the end of the film and
that he proves through his own evidence and actions in the film that reality is
a social construction and that people are a blank canvas, ultimately becoming a
reflection of the social cultural rules they have adopted which can alter based
upon their own social, historical and political context, choices and
experiences.
Characters
The characters in a Christopher Nolan
film are often anthropomorphized embodiments of social and philosophical
principles; and to that end it serves as the character’s motivation and end
goal(s). The main characters in The Dark
Knight are no exception. Each character is the personification of
particular interpretations of society and the general social world that their
physical altercations in the film are underlined by this philosophical
conflict.
“One
man, or the entire mob? He can wait.”- Batman
Bruce
Wayne/Batman
When
we are reintroduced to Batman/Bruce Wayne in this film we find him maintaining
his mission to relieve Gotham of corruption in order to show its people that
there is hope. This is Batman in his
prime. We see him at his best. The best
in terms of physical combat, detective skills, will, determination and
dedication. However, he is looking to
Harvey Dent as his way out. He bets on
Harvey to be “The White Knight” to be able to clean up the streets from the
spotlight and not from the shadows. He becomes so convinced of this that he is
blinded to the dangers around him and the changing nature of his relationship
with Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
Bruce Wayne seeing his parents
murdered put him in a state of arrested development. Since he does not have a
lot of experiences with adult relationships (and is driven by his mission) he
seems to have a child-like understanding of love. He believes that since Rachel
(at the end of Batman Begins) said
that when Gotham no longer needed Batman they would be together that it was
going to happen. This naïve notion motivates him to go looking for a successor (of
sorts) in Harvey Dent. Even though Rachel specifically tells him not to pin all
his hopes to her or any one person.
Learning from Ra’s al Gul that
criminals aren’t complex (“[You] just need to figure out what [they] want.”)
Bruce Wayne’s pride and desire to move on with his life blinded him to the real
threat of The Joker, despite repeated warnings by Alfred. It is only after the
interrogation scene where he listens, really listens to The Joker for the first
time that he realizes just how wrong he was.
“It’s
not that simple. With The Joker, it never is.” – Batman
Batman not only embodies the
characteristic of essentialism, but he also the personification of will and
determination. In Batman Begins he is willing to sully his family’s good name in
order to save the people of Gotham. In The
Dark Knight he is willing to do the same for “The Batman” It is his true
belief in the people of Gotham that allows him to keep moving forward. He has
the will and determination to sacrifice himself to allow Gotham to have some
semblance of peace. “To have their faith rewarded” as it were. It would have been interesting to see how
Bruce would've reacted to the Gothamites decision to blow up the ferry. Although, because he is an embodiment of essentialist thinking, I doubt he
would have counted it as a true victory for The Joker unless the bomb actually
went off.
“I
do the best I can with what I have.”- Jim Gordon.
Lt. /Commissioner James Gordon
Just
as the film portrays Bruce Wayne/Batman in his Prime, so too is Gordon. At the
beginning of the film he is full of hope, and even when he is entrenched with
fighting The Joker he still has hope and believes they can make a
difference…until Harvey’s disfigurement and turn. To that end, you may assume
that Gordon is the heart of the film. While I am unwilling to go that far it is
quite clear that he is indeed the embodiment of pragmatism (beautifully
illustrated in the succinct quote above).
Gordon is the one that makes
decisions based upon the knowledge he has at the time. He makes the best
decision with what he knows not allowing himself to speculate based in some
type of overinvestment in an ideology (as Dent and Bruce are). However, this
point of view is costly because it makes Gordon both reactionary and remorseful
when he was unable to save Dent. Then when Batman decides to take the fall for
Dent to save the city, Gordon is left alone to hold the pieces of this fragile
peace together (the dutiful pragmatist that he is) A task that eventually takes
its toll on him and his family.
“Dent
is still in there, we have to save Dent. I have to save Dent!”- Jim Gordon.
Harvey
Dent/Two-Face
Harvey
Dent is the only character within the film that has a complete story arc. While Batman Gordon and Rachel end up in
different places by the films end, but none of them complete journey like Harvey.
The Joker is a fully formed force of nature at the beginning of the film, and
the other characters are not given satisfying resolutions. Thus, Harvey Dent is
the one the audience is meant identify with, to embrace and empathize. He is
the window for them into this world of deranged clowns, demons and darkness; he
(like them) doesn’t seem to belong, a spectator to madness…until he succumbs to
it. Because of this, Harvey Dent is the embodiment of the duality of humanity
and its equal capacity for greatness and horror. Dent unwillingly becomes the human canvas on
which both Batman and The Joker paint.
With each tragedy and triumph you can see how each brush stroke affects
him until the picture is completed.
“I
am the Batman.”- Harvey Dent
Harvey
Dent idolizes Batman at the beginning of the film, and in many respects he
wishes he was Batman (just as Bruce wishes he was Harvey Dent) Dent is the
light, the inspiration of goodness that Bruce was hoping for. Driven and
passionate in his pursuit to bring Gotham to justice, Dent believes that crime
and corruption can be eradicated on all levels. From corrupt cops to the mob
itself. This romantic idealism clashes with Gordon’s pragmatic viewpoint
several times in the film. And while
Dent’s position is ultimately vindicated, it is he who pays a greater price.
“It’s
not about what I want. It’s about what’s FAIR!” – Two Face
As the war with The Joker continues,
and the attacks become more and more personal, Dent begins to crack. He was fine playing by the rules, when the
consequences didn't affect the people he cares about. Once The Joker started to
target Rachel, Dent’s morality begins to shift to one of chance, he embraces
his duality with the moniker of Two-Face, becoming The Joker’s “ace in the
hole”, and a representation of his triumph over Batman.
“Why
so serious?”- The Joker
The
Joker
The
Joker (in every iteration) has always been the antithesis of Batman. In
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight he
is the logical escalation and consequence of the presence of Batman. In this very simple set up Nolan hints at the
long standing question in comics: “Would these supervillains be in Gotham if
Batman wasn’t around?” Nolan’s answer is a resounding “No.” Even though it
isn’t fleshed out, I would like to think that before Batman arrives in Gotham The
Joker wasn’t as flamboyant or theatrical in his crimes. It is only after he
observes Batman, and his action throughout Batman
Begins that he decided to complete his persona…a devil masked by the face
of a clown, to match the angel cloaked in the guise of a demon in Batman.
The Joker in The Dark Knight embodies Emile Durkheim’s notion of anomie. Anomie is a state within society
characterized by lack of solidified or agreed upon social rules/norms that
people can follow. This social state of
anomie (often explained as a period of normlessness and chaos) is common during
period of social change, especially when there is a shift in social or
political power from one type of authority to another, catalyzed by sudden
violence. The social change brought on by Batman in Batman Begins (through his successful crippling of organized crime
in Gotham) allows for the Anomie of the Joker to take hold and thrive
throughout this film. He is not so much a character as a force of nature that
all of the other characters have to react to and are effected by. However, it
is ironic that in order cause chaos within an organized bureaucratic system,
even The Joker needs to have a plan. Identifying that chaos, at least in the
anomic sense, is not the absence of organization or a system, but one that is
in opposition to the current social order.
“Do
I really look like a guy with a plan?”- The Joker
Rachel Dawes
Rachel
Dawes in The Dark Knight like in Batman Begins is not a character so much
so as a plot device and film trope. The
trope that she embodies in this film is that of “women in refrigerators”.
Coined by Gayle Simone in the late 1990’s, “women in refrigerators” refers to
the consistent plot device in comics (as well as TV and film) that sees female
character’s killed off (in often brutal and tortuous ways) in order to progress
the character development or story arc of a male protagonist. Rachel Dawes preforms double duty serving as
the motivating plot device for both Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne. It is her death that pushes Dent over the
edge to become Two-Face and destroys what Bruce believes to be his only shot at
a normal life.
Secondly, this film does not pass
the Bechdel test for female representation in the media. This simple measurement is not about
measuring the quality or the feminism of a particular film, just whether or not
this film has a base standard of gender representation. The components of the Bechdel
test are as follows:
1)
Are
there two or more women in the film (who have names)?
2)
Do
they talk to each other?
3)
Is
there conversation lacking exposition and about something other than a man/men?
The Dark Knight only has three
female characters, two of which are supporting. The three characters of Rachel
Dawes, Ramirez, and Barbara Gordon do not even talk to each other; completely
obliterating this test. That, coupled with the aforementioned trope, makes this
film, and its predecessor not great representations of women that Nolan had to
make up for in The Dark Knight Rises.
PRODUCTION
Source Material
The
three graphic novels that acted as primary source material for The Dark Knight was The Killing Joke by Alan Moore, TheLong Halloween by Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale, and The Man Who Laughs by Ed Brubaker.
From
The Killing Joke we get:
-
The
Joker’s origin story being “multiple choice” (and a reflection of the victim).
-
He’s character motivation that everyone
can be like him, it just takes “a little push”
-
Batman
breaks his one rule (though at the end of the book he kills the Joker, not
Dent)
-
An
interrogation scene between Batman and The Joker (though in the book, it’s not
really him
From
The Man Who Laughs we get:
-
The
first meeting between Batman and The Joker
-
The
Joker is understood as an unpredictably fast, and capable fighter
-
The
Joker is drawn to Gotham because of Batman
From
The Long Halloween we get:
-
The
Character of Harvey Dent
-
The
slogan “I believe in Harvey Dent.”
-
The
alliance between Dent, Gordon and Batman to fight the Mob
-
The
seizing of the Mob’s money by the cops
-
The
Transformation of Harvey Dent into Two-Face. (In the book it happens in a
courtroom which the film teases at the beginning).
-
Two-Face
killing corrupt cops and mob bosses (though in the book Two-Face kills Falcone
not Maroni).
While
there were other references and “Easter eggs” that fans have found over the
years none can compare with these three influences.
Cinematography
Wally Pfister is once again Nolan’s man
behind the camera. Principle photography on The
Dark Knight ran from April-September 2007 filming the majority of the shoot
(13 weeks) in the city of Chicago, IL.
As one watches the film the city of Chicago is a predominant figure to
the point that it becomes like a second character. Not only are their breath-taking establishing
shots of the cityscape, but many of the scenes shot on location were set
against the open windows or the open air of the city skyline. The scenes that come to mind are A) when Dent
and Rachel are walking out of the court room and B) when Gordon and Dent meet
in Dent’s office. And C) When Batman is fighting the S.W.A.T. team(s) on
several floors of an unnamed building (what in reality was Trump Tower Chicago
under construction at that time). These
shots give the city a lively living quality that was a bit lacking in the first
film.
One of the biggest changes that Nolan
and Pfister made when they began to shoot The
Dark Knight is their decision to shoot several of the films key scenes in
IMAX(6 scenes a total of 26min). IMAX (acronym
for Image Maximum) is a motion picture film format that is set for cinema
projector standards. IMAX boast a larger 15/70mm format than standard film at
35mm. which increases the clarity and richness of the image on screen.
Yet, the quality of the IMAX image came
with a cost. The IMAX cameras (previously only used for nature documentaries
and animated films) were found to be cumbersome to shoot with. Unable to get around its size and bulk at the
time, Pfister and Nolan had to create a rig to allow the IMAX camera greater maneuverability
to get the angles, and close up shots they needed. Also, the running of the
IMAX cameras were so loud that it would often drown out character dialogue and director
comments just the same, that would have to be replace via ADR (Audio Dialogue
Replacement). To limit the burden of the noise generated by the cameras Nolan
mainly used the cameras for the major action set pieces.
The results were well worth the
hassle. This film is beautiful, with
vibrant color and clear image detail that immerses the audience into the film.
Music
Hans Zimmer alone took on the task to
score The Dark Knight. Hans closely
worked with Nolan to come up with the right tone for the film, sending the
director hours of music samples to find the right notes for The Joker’s theme
(settling on what sounded like razor blades on a bow string) and an epic
triumphant and haunting melody for Harvey Dent, I recommend that everyone buy
the album. I have provided a few samples.
Direction
Many people, myself included
believe that Christopher Nolan should have been nominated for best director for
his unbelievable and awe striking work in this film. It is a crisp
psychological crime thriller with a script so tight that it barely allows you
to breathe. In those rare moments when
you are allowed a respite from your anxiety Zimmer’s haunting music reminds you
of the danger that is still lurking just beneath the surface.
However, I would not call it Nolan’s best work
(that as it seems is always yet to come). Yet, the way in which he masterfully
weaves together genres while providing the audience with entertainment but a
treatise on the philosophy of humanity and morality is just remarkable. He is
able to provide both rousting entertainment for those that only seek the
Superhero film. But for those that like to look deeper (such as myself), he
layers (all of his films but especially) The
Dark Knight with socially conscious and philosophical subtext, and with so
many layers, an audience member can get a different experience watching it
multiple times; which has always been Nolan’s ultimate goal as a filmmaker. He succeeds in spades with The Dark Knight only to improve with the
projects that followed.
CONCLUDING
REMARKS
Many people have commented, in
many different media forms that this is the
best superhero film. It has been
compared to the Godfather, The Godfather part II, The Empire Strikes Back and
other well-known epic films of the past 50 years. While you can watch this film
without seeing or acknowledging the existence of the previous (or the
following) film. It is not a complete story. I look at The Dark Knight as one piece, the second piece, in Nolan’s story
about Bruce Wayne. In that, the larger context, this film means less to the
journey of Bruce Wayne that the other films in the trilogy. It is a great and
masterfully crafted film. But it doesn’t
give me the sense of satisfaction that I get when I watch the complete story,
especially at the end of that story’s third chapter…The Dark Knight Rises.
