My friend, now that you mention it, I could not agree with you more. It's similar for sure. In fact, I wouldn't doubt it that Nolan and Ledger might have taken hints from Brandon Lee's performance, and even the way the makeup is smeared. Particularly the body language and the stares. It really reminds me a lot of Brandon Lee, makes me sad too. And its creepy too because Brandon died at 28 too, and his last role was the one that immortalized him. Which is a shame, on both counts.
That said, I hate it that all eyes were on Ledger on a movie titled The Dark Knight. While I'm aware that he stole the show (he was the joker after all), they could have had more Batman scenes. But then again, even though Ledger stole the show and Bale was underused, Batman's presence resonates throughout the whole movie without him stealing the show, until the last act. Bale was as much underrated as he was underused. But the presence is there, his eyes communicate it. Frank Miller was right, he's barely in it. But he is also wrong since you have to view the film as whole with the first one and it will make sense why we don't 'see' much Batman in The Dark Knight. You see there's a reason why you get the title at the end of these movies. Batman really begins at the end of Batman Begins, since he's only starting to take down the mob. And now that Batman has begun or established himself, we arrive to the second one where he is just finishing rounding up the mob. And its important, because the minute he gets to the bank, he's already underestimating the Joker as a looney: "One man, or the entire mob? He can wait" <---That was his first mistake in The Dark Knight. That is why things got worse, because he took it lightly, he thought he could quit it after dismantling the mob. But he also likes it, its the only way he can express himself. Batman is Batman because of his own choice. So this is his fight, he fights the darkness within with denial. But that doesn't work, not for him, not for Bruce Wayne. Alfred and Rachel just remind him of this. This is why Rachel writes the letter and that is why Alfred burns it. With Rachel dead, there is no reason for him to know that she chose Harvey. And in the end, Dent is just as evil as the Joker, because of his own choosing. In the end, Batman is the best of all three. Gordon is the second one, and Harvey is the third best man by default. And I say by default because Harvey was given a choice, either cross the line and become another freak or die a hero. Well he lived long enough to see himself become the villain. But not Batman. Batman becomes The Dark Knight at the end of the film, he decides to go against the cops in the Prewitt Building, he decides to monitor the whole city like an omnipotent being and he decides to become the 'villain'. But Batman takes the fall, he doesn't let the Joker fall to his death even though he knows he should, he takes the fall for Harvey. He saves Gordon's son (in a beautiful homage to Year One) and he destroys the machine at R & D. He is the the hero they need. Gordon's funeral speech is a facade, for he is talking about The Dark Knight because there is no White Knight anymore. There's only Batman and they will have to settle for that.
And then of course, you have to view Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and the The Dark Knight Rises in the same context, as it will tie them all together. The story for all three movies was written in 2004. This movies were made to top to other by design, story-wise and theme-wise. You get Batman Begins, serious movie with action and a few campy one-liners. Then you get The Dark Knight, a much more serious movie, with very few one-liners. The third one will own for sure.
