Batman Begins/Joseph Campbells Heros Journey
The pillar of any story Campbell argued was the
Hero, in this case, Bruce Wayne. A story, in the end, is about his journey from his
World of the Common Day through his
Special World back to the
World of the Common Day. In this process, the Hero, Wayne, encounters numerous allies, test, enemies, and trails.
The
World of the Common Day is the Heros ordinary world. In it, we are usually introduced to the themes of his journey. We see the Hero disgruntled, annoyed, or not fitting in with this world. Something just doesnt seem right. Now, the key to the heros journey is that he must ACT. He must make a decision and follow it through. The World of the Common Day is where we find the forces that are nagging at the Hero to make a decision towards something and it is the place where we see the hero deciding to decide whatever it is he decides. In screenplay terms, it is called Act I.
In Begins, we have Bruce literally lost within the World of the Common Day. Do not think of it as a place physically, but a place spiritually this World of Common Day. Bruce is restless, angry, bitter, and host of confused, conflicting, embittered emotions. He is attempting to channel them, trying to decide what to do with the power, money, and emotions that life has dealt him. It is a struggle that leads him into the arms of Ducard, who fulfills the archetype of the
Mentor. The
Mentor is usually a formally lost soul who has had his own journey and come out on the other end fully formed in his own image.
The role of the Mentor is to teach and arm the hero with the necessary knowledge to embark up on his journey out of the World of the Common Day (the requisite for anyone to become a hero is to leave his restless, ordinary Common Day World and journey into the dangerous
Special World). Ducard does this, showing Wayne how to channel his anger and will. Yet, there is also another
Mentor within Begins, Thomas Wayne. Wayne is the Young Bruces mentor, teaching him about reciprocation, responsibility, and legacy. And in a way, Alfred is a continuation of this same mentor, Thomas Wayne. Throughout the entire movie, Thomas Waynes ghost serves as a mentor to Wayne. However, sometimes archetypes wear two masks, as does Ducard. Ducard is what one can call a
Shapeshifter, or a
False Mentor. One who turns out not to be what was promised to Wayne. In the end, Wayne flees Ducard and returns to Gotham, having already made his decision in order to escape the internal restlessness of his Common Day World he is going to clean up Gotham.
When Bruce makes this decision, the decision to BLOW UP the monastery, he is crossing the
Threshold. It is the element of the Heros Journey where he will first experience some sort of internal/external conflict. In this case, he has the fight with Ras, Ducard, and the slide down the slope. This all prepares the hero now that he has left the
World of the Common Day and teeters on the brink of the
Special World, or in screenplay terms, Act II.
After contacting Alfred, Wayne leaves the World of the Common Day basically his own and his familys past which is what most of Act I represents thematically. It shows the beginning of his rage, his anger; it shows his drift from his fathers teachings and of his family legacy. Now, back in Gotham, our hero is in a new world, one which has new rules and new laws and new allies and foes to meet.
A key feature of the Heros journey into the Special World is the learning of new rules. This is a new world to our hero, and upon Waynes return, he sees that Gotham has changed considerably. Earle is in control of Wayne Industries, Falcone rules more powerful then ever before, and the Wayne Legacy, formerly so potent and altruistic in Gotham, is dying if not dead. Wayne spends the first half of Act II getting use to these rules, playing the game as he does with Earle and the board room, the rooftop Gotham. It is here as well that the
Hero meets his first
ally and obtains more rules, important rules, for this new rule. In this case, it is Jim Gordon. The scene in Gordons office is a true archetypal scene. Bruce comes asking knowledge concerning Falcone and who can take them down. From these rules the hero usually gleans a clearer vision of his mission.
Another
ally is Lucius Fox, and also, in a way, a
Mentor. The role of the mentor is usually to arm the hero with his various weapons and armor. No suitable a role can be found for that other than Lucius. An interesting thing of the Mentor figure is sometimes it is fragmented, like a Shaman (which in dreams is fragmented). Alfred represents Thomas Waynes and the Wayne legacys eternal soul while Lucius Fox represents Thomas intellect. Another ally, Rachel Dawson, represents both Bruces and Thomas anima, and the female instinct. Rachel represents the intuitive keen sense of justice that so many who fight evil have. She consistently lectures Bruce on justice, corruption, and his own father. She is the most emotional of all three allies, crying and telling Bruce that his father would have been ashamed of him. Not only must Bruce reconcile with his father, but he must reconcile with his female intuition, a natural instinct on justice and morality as represented by Rachel, and also through her, his father, Thomas Wayne. This one establishes the role of the
True Mentor, branched out through three allies in the form of heart (Rachel), mind (Lucius), and soul (Alfred, the enduring relic of the Wayne Legacy). Put these three together and you compose Thomas Wayne again, who in reality, through these
allies, is accompanying Bruce the entire way along his journey.
Now, Act II is also the
Approach to the Inmost Cave, which is the enemys territory. In this case, the first enemy, who is really just an extension of the
False Mentor Villain archetype, is Falcone. He represents the anti-thesis of Waynes father and the Wayne legacy. He does not inspire, he scares those into following him. This is Bruces first trail, to take out the corruptive antithesis force of Falcone.
As Batman, the hero confronts Falcone and fights him, winning the battle. As usual, on the way to the
Inmost Cave, the hero gains his allies in a firmer sense. Some of which were once his foe in this case, Gordon. Gordon at first chases after Bruce with a gun, now he has become his ally after he straps Falcone up. It is at this point that Gordon becomes part of Batmans mission. This is also the approach that leads to a
FINAL CRISIS, or the
SUPREME ORDEAL.
The
Supreme Ordeal is when the Hero comes face to face with the ultimate Villain, his foe or
Nemesis (which literally means the opposite of the hero). This is Ras. We also have Crane/the Scarecrow, but Crane is, in a sense, the opposite in particular of Thomas Wayne; the
doctor that makes you sick. Crane stands for the fear and power of madness, in other words of the mind over the body and the unconscious over the conscious
the fear that Thomas Wayne sought to deny: Dont be afraid, Bruce.
Ras is really the opposite of Bruce because while both are fed up with the worlds corruption, both have pursued it in totally different ways towards totally different ends. The first meeting with Crane is still Bruce approaching the
Inmost Cave, and with each ordeal, the approach becomes deadlier. One can also argue that Bruce has a symbolic death here, a quasi one at least. But it is not a full one. That comes later. Even the scene in Arkham is somewhat of the approach to the inmost cave. It is building towards a
Delayed Crisis, which occurs at the edge of Act II and Act III. With each confrontation with these secondary VILLAINS which represent aspects of Ras (Falcone his ruthless and merciless will to control and Crane his intention of using fear to do so), Bruce continues to approach the Inmost Cave the darkest moment of the
hero.
Bruce returns from Arkham and it is here that, ironically, he enters the Inmost Cave when he sees Ras the inmost cave is also called the Belly of the Whale (think Jonah and the Whale) or the
Supreme Ordeal, or the
Great Crisis. This is the most crucial part of the entire journey. Where Act I deals with the hero making his decision, and Act II deals with the hero following through on his/her decision, Act III deals with the consequences of that decision, and the Supreme Ordeal ushers that in. At this point, the Hero and his Allies are typically at their most weak and vulnerable. Also, the hero experiences a symbolic death from which he is reborn, revitalized, and has an
Atonement with the
Father.
In Begins, Bruce returns to Wayne Manor only to realize Ras is alive. Ras challenges Bruce and they fight. Simultaneously, Gordon and Rachel prepare to fight for their lives when things at Arkham go terribly wrong. Bruce is crushed by debris and Ras leaves. Bruce, at this point, has confronted the consequences of his decision (Ras returning and using hi fathers monorail and Wayne Industries machine as a weapon), his allies are pushed to their brink by both fear gas and riot, and lastly, he dies symbolically when he is crushed and defeated by Ras.
Now, typically, this is when roles are reversed and the
Allies assist the hero. It is the one time where the hero must rely on OTHERS, an element of humility, to survive. To his aid comes Alfred, who saves him and later, in the dumb waiter stairwell, gives him the encouragement he needs in his greatest moment of doubt and fear. Alfred, as stated before, represents the soul of Thomas Wayne. And it is no more fitting that Wayne himself should come to his sons aid and encourage him to continue his quest, invoking both the ancient legacy of the Waynes and their should to get him to do so. It is at this point, that Wayne sees the higher purpose of his vengeful quest, he no longer is just a pained victim wanting revenge, but an avenger who is now ensuring that a great tragedy befalls no one else. He is cleaning up Gotham. And realizes, at this moment of his break down, as he cries, that it wasnt about revenge, it was, like his father, about Gotham. The entire mansion scene, from Bruces you underestimate Gotham with Ras, the fight, death, and saving from Alfred (Thomas soul), is the Atonement with the Father. The most important part of the journey, it is where the hero has A MOMENT WITH THE FATHER and thus, becomes him. Bruce becomes the mentor, through the secondary mentor Alfred, in order to face the False Mentor. Bruce is resurrected with new knowledge and confidence, as the hero always is. The symmetry in this case, is wondrous.
After this, we have the
Flee back to the Normal World Bruces past. Bruce must face Gotham, must face Ras (the false mentor of his past and the epitome of Act I) and he must face him with the knowledge and clarity he has gained from his resurrection. In Begins, this is handled quite quickly and oddly, as it is in most modern movies. It usually involves some chase (i.e. the train) and the hero bringing some great knowledge to the community. This BOON, the ultimate prize, is the knowledge of his mission and the renewed vigor of his will as he faces Ras and goes to save Gotham, a true BOON for the entire community. Also notice that Bruce again integrates with his father. As he speaks with Rachel, he recites her words, showing yet another
Atonement with the
Father, a secondary one as he integrates his intuitive side into his being. He does this as he instinctually decides to take a deadly jump to a train and risk his life, sacrifice (or literally make holy), his life and his quest.
In the end, Bruce is complete. He returns to Wayne Manor and rebuilds it, and is going to. In fact, the end of this movie is the beginning of the next as Bruce has truly accomplished very little except RETROGRADE CLEANUP, the movie is more about his choices of the past. Next up, we will have the next journey. Which is always more difficult to make.
If you wish to see different takes with the use of archetypes in Batman Begins, I strongly recommend the blog Taking Carl to the Pictures:
http://takingcarltothepictures.blogspot.com/2006/10/batman-begins.html
http://takingcarltothepictures.blogspot.com/2006/10/batman-begins-2.html
People talk now in movies - it's why silent films don't really exist anymore. Might as well use everything you've got. But the balance of dialogue vs. plot imagery is up to personal taste, of course. And calling dog poo roses will always be wrong because dog poo and roses are categorically NOT the same. Saying that you think dog poo smells like roses...well, I can't really help you there, but it'd be a better analogy. 
Definitely fun reading about this stuff.
If someone wants to say that Transformers is their masterpiece, that's certainly their right to do so. Art is like that. It's all about perception.
And that is a very human trait, complex or not. Of course, the Joker is more on the side of archetypes than in the side of real psychology, but still, thats another layer added to the terrific interpretation made by Ledger and Nolan.
