Batman Returns: Scene by Scene

[Homer J. Fong]

23. Dressing Up; Auto Disrepair

(Running time: 1:13:03 – 1:17:52)

The Rundown
After Batman is linked to the capture of the Ice Princess, Bruce and Selina take their very different approaches to getting into character and racing to GothamPlaza; Batman tries to free the Ice Princess, but is intercepted by Catwoman, while some of The Penguin’s henchman tinker with the Batmobile.

The Review
I guess I tend to forget about how much light comedy there is in Batman Returns. I love The Penguin presenting Max with Fred’s old severed hand, I love Penguin biting Josh’s nose off, and all the other instances of morbid humor, but there’s a lot of lighter comedy too, and it’s successful. This scene begins with out-and-out farce: Bruce and Selina hurrying out but trying to make sure it doesn’t look like they’re hurrying out, each counting on Alfred to provide the other with a good excuse, and then the contrast of Bruce meticulously putting on the Batsuit while Selina messily sorts out her Catsuit. The way Bruce selects just the right suit from the rack of identical versions, the way he oh-so-neatly picks up his boots, the way he walks out in uniform and poses for the camera – yeah, it’s silly, but it’s played up for the comic, contrast effect. I said that it’s not a clean superhero/secret identity kind of divide for either Bruce or Selina, but he has a bit more psychological control than she does; that’s not to say that he doesn’t have any more trouble reconciling those “two truths,” but he at least has a routine, where Selina is an utter mess.

These Gotham Plaza scenes – the next 10+ minutes of screentime – do a very good job of constantly pulling the rug out from the viewer, starting you on one path and then swerving onto another, saying, “Hey, catch up, we’re going this way now.” The Batmobile’s shields go up – here are the goons to mess with it. Batman unties the Ice Princess – here’s Catwoman to take her away. Batman tries to save the Princess – The Penguin hurls a “lawn dart.” Batman’s shot and knocked down – there’s Catwoman to pin him down. Penguin and Catwoman toast their victory – Penguin decides he doesn’t like her anymore and sends her flying. There’s actually some terrific serial-style adventure within these scenes alone.

The Rest
-Gotham and its ineffectual Mayors. We generally don’t want to see a full-blown corrupt Mayor, because the story already has its crime boss villain or its supervillain or both. And we generally don’t want to see a fine, upstanding leader, because that makes Batman, Gordon, or any sidekicks that may be involved less necessary. What we generally want to see in a Batman story is a Gotham Mayor who can talk the talk, but really has no clue how to walk the walk. If Superman is about saying, “You can be better, the world can be better,” Batman is about saying, “Maybe the world can be better, but it is a war just to keep things as they are now.” Whatever Michael Murphy’s Mayor says, yes, GothamCity is beleaguered, and that’s not changing anytime soon.

-“Eat floor. High fiber.” I’m cringing just typing it.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

24. Fall from Grace

(Running time: 1:17:53 – 1:20:35)

The Rundown
The Penguin sends the Ice Princess falling to her death, but being as she was surrounded by bats, it looks rather like Batman is the guilty one; Catwoman pins Batman down and toys with her catnip a little before he escapes.

The Review
What a pleasure it is to see the characters in a movie of this type and scale behaving intelligently. Sure, their best laid plans go awry (as best laid plans tend to do), but Penguin and Catwoman hatch a rather smart scheme and execute it with care, skill, and precision. Catwoman leaves the Ice Princess on the ledge…so that Penguin can walk up and hurl his umbrella; Penguin is up above while his men are rejiggering the Batmobile; and so on. I’m opening myself up for the scrutiny of someone coming in and saying, “Here’s why the villains in this movie AREN’T so smart,” by saying this, and hey, go right ahead, but I think the plotting in this film, and these scenes in particular, is pretty strong; plotting from the villains and plotting from the screenwriter(s).

Batman: Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.

Catwoman: But a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it.

^That is an odd, haunting, and powerful exchange. It has a rhythm and feeling about it that stays with you and lingers in the memory in this striking way. I don’t know who came up with that line, but I applaud them, because I could certainly never come up with it. This brief rooftop encounter with Batman & Catwoman is alluring and sort of unsettling, sensual and sinister; every minute the two share onscreen leaves you wanting more – a lot more. She really does treat him like catnip, and in this case, he pretty much submits; he could walk up and rebuff her before she mounts him, but no, he lingers there and lets her keep him to the ground. He still doesn’t quite know how to deal with her, but you can’t blame the guy for letting his attraction get in the way a couple of times.

The Rest
Love the way Batman licks his lips after Catwoman licks him.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

25. “Don’t Like You Anymore”

(Running time: 1:20:36 – 1:22:22)

The Rundown
The torrid affair of The Penguin and Catwoman comes to a swift end.

The Review
And so it ends, as soon as it began. Catwoman worked on this frame-up along with Penguin, but of course, she was only trying to make a point. She only wanted to scare the Ice Princess, not kill her. In a really successful interpretation of the Catwoman character, the good/bad dividing line is really blurred (if it’s even there at all). Whose side is she on? Her side. Even that is murky in Batman Returns, but dark and disturbed ‘though she is, she’s not a killer, and she knows that. Penguin – and, by this point, the pretense of “Oswald” is basically shot, no more than a public façade for posters and such – doesn’t care; he’s made his point and then some. This isn’t the cause of their split, though; the cause of their split is Catwoman’s total dismissal of even the thought of the two…pairing up (“I wouldn’t touch you to scratch you”). In a really successful interpretation of the Penguin character, he should be all about trying to make more for himself, trying to create a place where he can really dominate and be someone important and respected. A scenario where beauty and beast, Mayor and his feline Mrs., reign over Gotham and endlessly toast their defeat of the Bat, is immediately and coldly brushed aside. The Penguin doesn’t react well to being tossed off, literally or figuratively, as Catwoman learns when she finds herself falling into that arboretum (is that what it is?) and losing another life. She’s a hell of a screamer, though.[FONT=&quot]

Bo Welch’s Gotham City has always been criticized for being too claustrophobic, too obviously studio-bound. That’s fair enough, but I wouldn’t say too claustrophobic – (1) because I do think this Gotham is open enough (I’m thinking of the wide shots with Catwoman trying to escape the clutch of that umbrella, which convey a certain scale even though they don’t show that much of the cityscape), and (2) because I have to believe it was intended to have a level of claustrophobia. The Gotham in BR is always a physical reflection of what is going on inside the hearts and minds of our three main characters, so of course it should feel like their environment is, increasingly, closing in on them. (I know that’s awfully vague. I’m sure a lot has been/could be said about the production design and how it works as characterization; I just don’t quite know how to say it.)[/FONT]

 

[Ponyboy]

[FONT=&quot]
Bo Welch’s Gotham City has always been criticized for being too claustrophobic, too obviously studio-bound. That’s fair enough, but I wouldn’t say too claustrophobic – (1) because I do think this Gotham is open enough (I’m thinking of the wide shots with Catwoman trying to escape the clutch of that umbrella, which convey a certain scale even though they don’t show that much of the cityscape), and (2) because I have to believe it was intended to have a level of claustrophobia. The Gotham in BR is always a physical reflection of what is going on inside the hearts and minds of our three main characters, so of course it should feel like their environment is, increasingly, closing in on them. (I know that’s awfully vague. I’m sure a lot has been/could be said about the production design and how it works as characterization; I just don’t quite know how to say it.)[/FONT]

I think what you've said it well written and well intended but that you're really doing is just making an excuse for it.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

I think what you've said it well written and well intended but that you're really doing is just making an excuse for it.

Yes. I do sometimes reach a little, but still, I do think some claustrophobia was meant. The sets look like sets, for sure, it's just that that doesn't bother me, and I can justify it.

 

[Ponyboy]

haha, hey i'm likely to do the same thing. I love the film and always have.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

26. Driving School

(Running time: 1:22:23 – 1:26:36)

The Rundown
Batman is put through a crash course in the Oswald Cobblepot School of Driving.

The Review
What this scene lacks in character development or psychological heft it makes up for in enthusiastic carnage…I suppose. There are no points of discussion to this one; it’s just a very well-executed, highly entertaining chase scene – an atypical chase scene, because one of the participants isn’t actually chasing the other. When you absolutely know (as you do in a superhero movie) that the hero is going to survive every trap and survive it well, it’s hard to create true suspense, but you’re on the edge of your seat as Batman desperately tries to take back control of the Batmobile and stop The Penguin. Returns isn’t the Batman movie you turn to for a lot of full-on thrills, but this scene has a lot of tension.[FONT=&quot]

The rest of the fun comes from De Vito. Keaton is, of course, solid and relatable in his reactions, but De Vito is giving it everything he has. He’s not going to be buried under the makeup at all, no sir; he is going to make sure you know he’s there. No slight expressions or small gestures to show his building anger and frustration, no, no. When the Oswald Cobblepot School of Driving doesn’t work out, De Vito goes BIG, even for this performance, which is saying something. I’m sure this was also Danny De Vito the actor letting loose any pent-up energy he had or frustrations he had with the suit or the makeup. De Vito leaves no scenery in his wake, he’s devoured it all, and he’s obviously having a great time.[/FONT]

 

[The Navigator]

26. Driving School

(Running time: 1:22:23 – 1:26:36)

The Rundown
Batman is put through a crash course in the Oswald Cobblepot School of Driving.

The Review
What this scene lacks in character development or psychological heft it makes up for in enthusiastic carnage…I suppose. There are no points of discussion to this one; it’s just a very well-executed, highly entertaining chase scene – an atypical chase scene, because one of the participants isn’t actually chasing the other. When you absolutely know (as you do in a superhero movie) that the hero is going to survive every trap and survive it well, it’s hard to create true suspense, but you’re on the edge of your seat as Batman desperately tries to take back control of the Batmobile and stop The Penguin. Returns isn’t the Batman movie you turn to for a lot of full-on thrills, but this scene has a lot of tension.[FONT=&quot]

The rest of the fun comes from De Vito. Keaton is, of course, solid and relatable in his reactions, but De Vito is giving it everything he has. He’s not going to be buried under the makeup at all, no sir; he is going to make sure you know he’s there. No slight expressions or small gestures to show his building anger and frustration, no, no. When the Oswald Cobblepot School of Driving doesn’t work out, De Vito goes BIG, even for this performance, which is saying something. I’m sure this was also Danny De Vito the actor letting loose any pent-up energy he had or frustrations he had with the suit or the makeup. De Vito leaves no scenery in his wake, he’s devoured it all, and he’s obviously having a great time.[/FONT]

I've always loved Devito's performance in this scene. "Helpless old lady, twelve o'clock!" And that look that Batman and said old lady share is priceless.

And how did Batman explain it to Gordon later?
[YT]NjeCMD-ZaGk[/YT]

 

[Homer J. Fong]

27. The Candidate Speaks

(Running time: 1:26:37 – 1:31:37)

The Rundown
Bruce and Alfred sabotage Oswald’s latest campaign speech.

The Review
There are plenty of scenes that provide enough points of discussion – or notable things to rave about – for a thread like this. But then there are those scenes where I say to myself, “Boy, is this pointless!” – scenes that are just there, that work just fine in the flow of the film but don’t offer much to say unto themselves. This one, for example. What stands out are the sillier or more clichéd moments – the funky record scratch (which has had a staying power in how much it bothers a lot of people, which it doesn’t deserve, ‘cause it’s so damn minor), the crowd suddenly unleashing a flurry of food items that they’ve brought with them just in case Gotham’s golden boy said anything they didn’t like (“Why is there always someone who brings eggs and tomatoes to a speech?&#8221. Those little things might stick out more, but they don’t ruin it. What’s worth paying attention to are the totally detailed performances from DeVito, Pfeiffer, and Walken – the expression of surprise and panic on “Oswald” as the track of his “squealing, wretched pinhead puppets of Gotham” rant starts to play, the callous “oh well” shrug from Max as he takes off, because he has a future, he can and will be protected, Selina lingering off in the back, unseen, and unsure. These are actors who always bring something good to the table, but when they have a great part that offers it, they’re captivating every second. Batman Returns isn’t the kind of movie where you’re supposed to leave it talking about the acting, but I do, because I have no desire to put those walls and dismiss the dimension of a performance like Michael Keaton’s Batman or Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman.

One of the key images in Returns is the shot of “Oswald” – what’s left of him – running through the snow heading for his true home in the sewers. He’s jumping in this time, but Oswald will always be the boy being tossed into the waters and down into the lower depths of GothamCity, just as Bruce will always be the suddenly lost and lonely boy standing shocked over the dead bodies of his parents. We all have tragedies in our lives, but most of us “get over” them; whatever that means, we find a way to deal with our grief and move on with our lives, not lingering or focusing on the pain. For Bruce and Oswald, those early wounds (REALLY early in Oswald’s case) never healed, and those names came to mean nothing; “Bruce” and “Oswald,” who are they? Through Batman, Bruce found a way to, if not move on, turn his pain into something valuable. The Penguin tries to find Oswald, but it’s too late; he’s too much the monster to make himself a man. Any struggle that we’ve seen is over now – as he soon says, “I am not a human being, I am an animal!”

Overall, I prefer the portrayal of Gotham in the Tim Burton films over the portrayal of Gotham in the Chris Nolan films; Gotham is more of a character, more of a physical parallel to the inner lives, the psyches and feelings, of the central characters. That’s the city, though, not the people who inhabit it. Nolan has the up on Burton in giving us a look at the people of Gotham beyond the major participants (Batman, the villains in question, Alfred, Gordon). The Gotham citizenry that Burton’s movies show have a predictable and cartoonish mob mentality; they forgot everything The Joker’s done when he makes it rain from his parade float, they swoon and “ooh and aah” over the surprisingly-lovable Penguin, then hurl fruits and vegetables at him here, they gasp in unison when he crashes the “Maxquerade.” This is forgivable because the Tim Burton Batman stories don’t aim for the same level of authenticity that the Nolan ones do, but I still wish all this were a bit less silly.

The Rest
-Alfred: There’s security to consider. It’s not as though we can take it to any old “Joe’s Body Shop,” is it, sir?

Bruce: Security? Who let Vicki Vale into the Batcave? I’m sitting there working, and I turn around, there she is: “Oh, hi, Vick, come on in.”

It’s fan service, for sure: Burton saying, “Yeah, yeah, I know it was ridiculous, but if it helps, I know it was ridiculous.” It works, though, because it’s delivered naturally and timed well.

28. “I Am an Animal!”

(Running time: 1:31:38 – 1:33:39)

The Rundown
His Mayoral prospects destroyed, Oswald flees into the sewers and sheds his humanity once and for all.

The Review
There is a part of The Penguin that yearns to be human, yearns to be accepted, we’ve seen the indications of that (particularly in the scene at his parents’ grave site). Now that “Oswald” has apparently been permanently rejected, The Penguin is feeling liberated; he knows there’s nothing up there for him, but he has an ace in the hole. There isn’t the same level of identity crisis going on with this character that there is with Selina: there is one, but what’s more important is that you, the viewer, constantly wonder where you sympathy is and how you should feel about this person…creature. The cruelty of Mr. and Mrs. Cobblepot, and later Max Shreck, will soon be repaid in a big way.

The Rest
-“I mean, killing kids? Isn’t that a little…?

Oh, Fat Clown, haven’t you ever seen a James Bond movie? There’s always a henchman who needs to die just ‘cause, and this time it is you.

29. Tired of Wearing Masks

(Running time: 1:33:40 – 1:38:05)

The Rundown
At the Maxquerade ball, Bruce and Selina dance under the mistletoe and learn the truth about each other’s fractured personalities.

The Review
I love this film from head to toe, but this is the best scene in it. For all of the fantastical trappings – the extravagant sets, special effects, stylish costumes, and anything else that goes into creating a wondrous fictional world like GothamCity – the strongest parts of this particular film are the ones that simply see Bruce and Selina interacting in a way that is compelling and real. The development of their relationship actually doesn’t get all that much screentime – it goes from flirtation to love rather quickly – because the movie has so many other elements to attend to; it probably takes on more than it should. Luckily, Keaton has a chemistry with Pfeiffer that he didn’t manage with Kim Basinger, so their electricity makes every moment between them so very meaningful. We don’t need scene after scene after scene to very gradually explain to us why these two people understand one another and fall in love; we’re not children and we don’t need information like that delivered to us as if we were. Eyes are the window to the soul, so it’s said, and Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer have four of the most striking and expressive eyes I’ve seen on any actor. There have always been and will always be people complaining that Batman didn’t have enough screentime in these movies, that they were all about the villains, but it’s primarily because of Keaton’s subtle expressiveness in this role, the great depth that he does bring to it, that I don’t feel like we’ve missed out on anything. I do know this man; I see and feel the hurt behind those eyes, the confusion and uncertainty that remains when he knows that Batman is the only he can survive and deal with his torment, but man, would it be nice to escape into something like a normal life with the woman he loves. Pfeiffer’s Selina expresses that same kind of confusion, but even more because she hasn’t lived with it as long. She needs to lash out and destroy Shreck, show him that he can’t get away with arrogance, viciousness, and tyranny, but she also is aware of what she could turn into in the process of taking him down. It’s very simple to type that / that divides “Selina Kyle” and “Catwoman,” but it’s hell to live that struggle. She’s a criminal, but with a cause. She’s psychotic, but she can be saved…Right? The Selina who reveals a gun that she plans on using on Max at the ball doesn’t look like she can be pulled back from the precipice – and the maniacal laughter doesn’t look too good either. She says it very plainly when Bruce asks, “Who do you think you are?” – “I don’t know anymore.” There’s a tenderness and genuine affection that we see between them here, it’s not merely the, “Can falling in love with Vicki save Bruce and make him sane?” kind of thing from the first movie.

And then that inevitable moment comes, when the bizarre, “Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat/A kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it” exchange is repeated and Bruce and Selina realize they actually are wearing their masks. Pfeiffer delivers, “Does this mean we have to start fighting?” just perfectly; it’s my favorite line in the picture (timed perfectly too – it’s great that it’s the first thing said after they look at each other with this revelation). Every moment the pair share is memorable and emotional. You can’t take your eyes off them, and you sort of want to see a whole movie about just them. This scene is beautiful, sexy, funny, and sad. Terrific all around.

The Rest
-I love that Rick James’ “Super Freak” is playing at the beginning of the party scene.

-“Face to Face” plays when Bruce and Selina meet, but I’ll say something about that song later.

30. Party Crasher

(Running time: 1:38:06 – 1:40:30)

The Rundown
The Penguin crashes the Maxquerade, going after Chip Shreck, but leaving with Daddy Warbucks Max.

The Review
Here’s where I cut the pseudo-analytical crap about childhood torment and identity crises and just toss out exclamations. Emotional response is important, though; I don’t consider this an intellectual exercise as much as an excuse to express how I feel about these movies. And from this point on, Batman Returns raises its level of spectacularly absurd pleasure. There’s some cheesiness – or camp – to be found in this brief scene, with Penguin arriving in his duck boat, and the obvious wirework, and the gasping crowds who don’t at all sound like they’re actually in that room. That’s okay: the Burton Batman movies hit the right flavor of absurdity (which is a big compliment, by the way, because that’s really tough to do), having fun but not mocking the character, the world, or the kind of movie they were doing. This is a short scene, it’s just about plot, but it’s great fun.

The Rest
-“…the ones you left defenseless at home so you can dress up like jerks, get juiced, and dance badly” There’s something I find hilarious about the way he emphasizes badly.

-“In the duck!” is another little thing that makes me laugh every time. I can’t explain it other than to say that it’s just so ridiculous.

 

[OutRiddled]

24. Fall from Grace

(Running time: 1:17:53 – 1:20:35)

After she kisses Batman, I'm not sure but it seems like she stabs him again with her claws at which point Batman knocks her down.

Great scene, the sexiest in comic book history.

Also, DeVito's Penguin is my favourite version of the character, with Arkham City a close second.

 

[El Payaso]

After she kisses Batman, I'm not sure but it seems like she stabs him again with her claws at which point Batman knocks her down.

Yes, in fact Batman takes the metal nail out of his chest.

Also, DeVito's Penguin is my favourite version of the character, with Arkham City a close second.

Same here about DeVito's take. I haven't played the game but the pics I've seen look terrific.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

31. Pied Penguin Action

(Running time: 1:40:31 – 1:42:35)

The Rundown
The Penguin begins his attempt to kidnap all of Gotham’s first-born sons, but Batman intercepts.

The Review
You could argue that this is either the most or least interesting section of this film. I said that Penguin feels liberated by giving up on trying to be “Oswald,” and the movie feels extra-liberated now too; no more machinations with Shreck trying to control the city by making Penguin Mayor, it’s time to let loose and indulge in some monstrous mad malevolence from your new favorite sewer-dwelling supervillain. Neither of the Burton Batmans are masterpieces of screenwriting construction, they do work best scene-to-scene, and the evil schemes are changing so swiftly now it’s clear that plot isn’t the most important thing here. For “most interesting section of the movie” I’d say that everything that happens after the party scene shows Batman Returns at its very most operatic and grand-scale gothic melodrama. For “least interesting” I’d make the obvious but true point that The Penguin’s not as compelling a figure when he’s just the raving villain. Fun, but not as compelling.

The Rest
-The image – and it’s not the clearest, but it’s good enough – above is one of the great ones in a Batman film: beautifully photographed, beautifully lit, beautifully composed. As a moment, it’s frightening and exciting – you’ll cheer for Batman and not blame the organ grinder one bit for being scared ****less. Such is the balance that a truly successful version of this character strikes.

-Holy personalized stationery, Batman! That’s the kind of campy touch that would be more in place in the Schumacher era.





32. Addressing the Troops

(Running time: 1:42:36 – 1:44:00)

The Rundown
His “kill the first-borns” plot blown, The Penguin simply attaches rockets to his actual penguins to blow up Gotham. Yeah, we’re at that point now.

33. The Batskiboat

(Running time: 1:44:01 – 1:48:34)

The Rundown
MERCHANDISE! Batman pursues the chaos and rocket-launching penguins in his shiny and elegantly-named Batskiboat.

The Review
General Patton he’s not, but The Penguin certainly has a way of rallying his soldiers. Something about those penguins – they don’t come off like simple servants or henchmen, but friends and family, far more than the circus gang (even though the circus members are the ones who technically raised him). He treats them with flippant cruelty here (“It’s okay to be scared; many of you won’t be coming back”), but soon he’ll refer to them as “my babies,” and he means it.

When I went to see Batman Begins the first time, I ran into a friend from work, who was looking forward to the movie too and made a remark like, “Once the penguins came out with rockets, it was all over.” I resented that at the time, because Batman Returns is my favorite Batman movie, it’s a movie close to my heart, even if I’ve never thought it was the best one (for a while, that was Mask of The Phantasm, now it’s The Dark Knight). I get it, though; it’s a lot to take, and it’s the kind of thing that you either go with or not. That’s true of the whole movie, really. This is a high, unabashed level of absurdity, but it’s not quite camp; there isn’t the same, “This is awful, but isn’t it great?” quality of, oh, for example, 1966’s Batman. There is a gleeful, enthusiastic embrace of the stranger possibilities of a movie like this, and I love it. I mean, come on…rocket-launching penguins!

As an action sequence, scene 33 is actually very well crafted. It’s not enough to reverse gears and say that Burton was an action director of reservoirs of untapped potential, but a good little chase scene.





34. Duel of Freaks

(Running time: 1:48:35 – 1:50:36)

The Rundown
Batman throws a hissy fit because he’s jealous that Penguin is a genuine freak while he has to wear a mask.

The Review
The Penguin lunges at Batman and cries, “You’re just jealous because I’m a genuine freak and you have to wear a mask!” Batman replies, “You might be right.” That response of, “You might be right,” is what really interests me here; does that mean anything, or is it just there because he has to say something back to Penguin? It’s probably the latter, but I can’t help wanting to look for something in that. It’s a very flip exchange, meant to make you laugh more than think, but is there something in Bruce/Batman that doesn’t want to have to dress up to be that “creature of the night?” Of course, there is a part that wants to be a normal person, but what about the other direction? Either way, he’d have more peace of mind and soul than he currently does. Alfred suggests something similar when he asks, “Must you be the only lonely man-beast in town?” There’s definitely a theme or competition or jealousy here, both between Batman and The Penguin and Bruce and Oswald; if Oswald is envious of the privilege that Bruce Wayne had, Batman just might be envious of the liberation that Penguin has. All of this reading would have to be done between the lines, because, even more in than in ‘89’s Batman, the title character in Batman Returns is just about impenetrable, very difficult to read. That would seem to be the opposite of my saying that Keaton’s characterization is “subtly expressive,” but I guess what I meant by that is sometimes he’s emotionally clear and other times a total mystery, and, at times, both at once.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

[FONT=&quot]35. “A Die for a Die”[/FONT]

(Running time: 1:50:37 – 1:53:47)

The Rundown
Catwoman appears in Penguin’s lair with her sights set on drawing Max’s blood.

[FONT=&quot]36. Kissing Anti-Claus[/FONT]

(Running time: 1:53:48 – 1:55:37)

The Rundown
Bruce tries to dissuade Selina from killing Max and persuade her to leave with him, where they could live happily ever after, but it’s too late: She kills Max with a rather deadly combination of kiss + a few too many volts.

The Review
We’ve come to the grand finale, and it is grand, with Bruce & Selina enacting the final chapter in this particular story of psychological torment as their world explodes around them.

I’m not claiming Batman Returns to be a profoundly complex psychodrama, but it is unusual for being a smartly done character study more than anything (think about it: it’s not much of an action movie, it’s not really a crime story, what grabs you are the characters and their demented natures). This time, the physical look at the character’s inner life is the way Catwoman’s costume is now coming undone, just like her psyche. That’s effective enough. Selina’s a broken woman by this point, while Catwoman is more focused than ever on killing Max. It’s amazing to watch Pfeiffer inhabiting this character’s descent and gradual, spectacular unraveling.

The theme of Selina going too far down a dark abyss as Catwoman that she may not be able to pull back from – and Batman seeing in that way where he could go wrong if he loses himself in his own monster completely – is one that I have mixed feelings about. It’s definitely present, but it’s pretty subtle. That’s a good thing – like I’ve said, I love that BR doesn’t treat its audience like idiots. But it’s probably too subtle, to the point of barely being there. Her journey is clear enough, but the contrast between the two isn’t portrayed as well as it could/should be. She proclaims that, “The law doesn’t apply to people like him, or us,” to which he replies, “Wrong on both counts.” We know from the character’s history that Batman respects the law, but is willing to bend it when he needs to – his very existence does that – but this Batman isn’t too far from Catwoman in how he treats that law. They’re more alike than he realizes in that way, and that gets me thinking about how I wish it were important in this film that Catwoman offers Batman a look at what he could go, the violent path that he could go down. As it is, you have to do some reading between the proverbial lines.

Still, the Bruce/Selina story is the greatest strength of Batman Returns. I’d submit it as one of the great tragic love stories in the movies. There’s not much I can think to say about this final scene between them (and Max); it speaks for itself so clearly and so well. Batman ripping off his mask is kind of a controversial moment, but it does add to the moment; he’s reaching out to her, and the moment is much more meaningful if he does it as Bruce than as Batman. As right as he is when he says, “We’re the same: split, right down the center,” there is no happy ending waiting for them. This story has to end in death (and “death”), destruction, and despair. This is a fairy tale, but a fractured one, and there won’t be any “Happily ever after” any time soon.





37. Farewell Escort

(Running time: 1:55:38 – 1:58:12)

The Rundown
The Penguin draws his last breath, and his body is carried off into the water by some of his most valued (remaining) penguins.

The Review
Here is one of the scenes that best shows off the brilliance of Tim Burton as a visual director, and here too is one of the greatest collaborations between Burton and Danny Elfman. This is a tone poem, an ode to classic monster movie deaths that leave you feeling surprisingly sad at the treatment and demise of the supposed villain. We know that The Penguin was a vile creature, a menace with limitless bile and destructive rage…but that doesn’t stop his death and subsequent burial in the waters from being strangely moving. Elfman is to be given a lot of the credit for this, with his mournful, elegiac score. Turn your speakers off, however, and, as if frequently the case with a Tim Burton film, you’ll still feel all the emotional heft of the moment. It is visual poetry in a place where you wouldn’t expect to find it.

38. Good Will Toward All

(Running time: 1:58:13 – 2:00:41)

The Rundown
Bruce thinks he catches a quick glimpse of Catwoman’s silhouette, but it’s just an actual cat. He and Alfred drive off, but when the Batsignal shines, we see something they don’t down there: Catwoman is alive!?

The Review
When we think about Batman Returns, we don’t tend to think about the emotional toll that it takes on us, but if you’re not feeling the sadness of the one-two punch of Penguin’s death and Bruce catching Catwoman’s silhouette and then just missing her, then the movie hasn’t really worked for you. No matter how much fun you might have had with it, if the movie isn’t an emotional journey, it doesn’t truly work. Obviously, it works enormously for me. This is a beautiful coda, in which the weight of everything that we’ve seen and that our characters have been through is deeply felt. GothamCity is a cruel, lonely place, Hell on Earth covered in a blanket of snow. Bruce won’t find his peace, he won’t get his normal life, and if he finds love, it will be destroyed in one way or another. Even the monsters have their own tragedies, and some people (or penguins) will mourn even them. This is ultimately kind of a devastating story: It’s not dour or overly somber, but it’s an effective emotional ride. This is a really bleak way for a summer superhero blockbuster to go out, but nothing about this picture is safe, really.

39. End Credits

(Running time: 2:00:42 – 2:06:20)

I like the Prince songs from the first movie, or at least I like two of them, “Partyman” and “Trust,” the two that were used effectively in scenes. I like the way those scored the “party animal” side of The Joker; they were fun anthems in that way. But the inclusion of Prince songs in the movie wasn’t a matter of creative choice; they were there because Warner Records also represented Prince, so they were going to do a conceptual tie-in record. It was corporate synergy that Burton successfully worked around to make it look a little less blatant. “Face to Face” is a different story. Elfman co-wrote it, it’s used in one of the most important scenes in the film, it was thematically relevant and stylistically fitting from the beginning. It’s the perfect song for this movie, an offshoot of Elfman’s score – with those high, shrieking strings and all – and more than that. It’s funky, a bit menacing, sexy, hypnotic, goth, and surprisingly weird. I’ve seen a montage of BR clips on YouTube set to “Kiss from a Rose,” and it’s just wrong. That’s not a nice song, but BR isn’t a nice movie. Now, “Face to Face,” that is the right song. Good one, Siouxsie Sioux. It’s a hell of a way to go out. (There’s something I like about one of the last lines we hear being, “I hate to stay, but then I hate to leave,” this being Burton’s farewell to the character.)

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I've still never heard that song outside of the movie.

 

[Smalley]

Yay!!!!

 

[OutRiddled]

They shouldn't have added Catwoman looking at the batsignal, as originally intended. Makes it much darker and more ambiguous.

I like how Bruce Wayne still has the scratches on his face from Catwoman. Nice little realistic detail, there.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

It's now 2012, and that means Batman Returns was let loose into the world 20 years ago this year. Every time I go back to Batman Returns, I'm heartened to see that it really is as weird as I remembered it. Look, this isn't avant garde cinema, this isn't experimental, groundbreaking cinema. Tim Burton isn't David Lynch-weird, he's studio system-weird (he's probably not even that anymore...we'll see what happens next year; fingers crossed for Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie). That said, he didn't make the safe sequel with BR; he didn't make a predictable action movie with each beat clearly telegraphed so that no one watching had to any pesky thinking or feeling. He didn't embrace the "happily ever after" in the ending of the first film. He didn't make a superhero movie in a traditional sense at all. Sure, there are sequences in which we root for our hero Batman to stop the bad guys and save the day once again, but our hero Batman has as many problems as those bad guys, and he's also a vicious bastard a lot of the time. BR is a subversive surprise by being a somber yet exciting, sinister yet sexy, highly theatrical yet highly cinematic tragic Gothic fairy tale.

I'm impressed in hindsight - although it could only be in hindsight, because I was 3 when the movie opened - with how accurately the trailers depict the film being advertised. The parents who were so horrified - and it was parents, not the kids, I'm sure (I was one of those little kids, and I loved it) - by all the horror they were seeing onscreen (cue the Helen Lovejoy, "Won't someone please think of the children?!" line) didn't get the idea that this was a brisk romp for the kiddies from the trailers or posters or material from the actual film, or its predecessor even; they got it from the McDonald's Happy Meal toys and all the other usual tie-ins. Well, those tie-ins were going to happen, it was a big superhero movie, there was no getting around that. But the ad campaign in general did not promise a movie skewing to the same age range as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

If there hadn't been this mini-controversy, Burton still would have been nudged out the door by the WB powers that be, though. He made a remarkable movie - whatever you think of it personally, it is remarkable, if just for the fact that is such an intensely personal, uncompromised vision of a hugely popular, hugely protected character that the studio had a great deal of investment in, but that studio didn't really bother him during the making of this thing! I think it's silly to say "it's not a Batman movie, it's a Tim Burton movie," because the definition of "a Batman movie" is more flexible than that, and this is a Batman movie...and it certainly is a Tim Burton movie, also. Good lord, if this is what his Batman 2 looks like, what would he do with 3? It will remain one of the great geek-movie questions, What would Tim Burton's "Batman 3" have been? Did he have villains in mind already? If so, who were they? I don't mean rumors, rumors are rumors, and I've heard them too. Well, we'll never know. What's for sure is that Tim Burton made two marvelous, idiosyncratic Batman movies, movies that revitalized the character's appeal in the general public consciousness, movies that showed more intelligence and complexity than we'd seen in superhero movies to that point, movies that brought a specific vision to a Comic Book Movie Franchise...something that we wouldn't see again until Bryan Singer kick-started the X-Men movie series.