The Dark Knight Eckhart Speaks! (Again)

[Two-Face]

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1553188/20070225/story.jhtml

Sorry, it won't let me copy and paste, but it's great stuff!

EDIT: He let slip something quite big - Harvey does stay Harvey for TDK. Yes, I know what Goyer said way back when but recently there's been a *lot* of rumour that Two-Face would show up towards the end.

So, that settles that.

EDITED AGAIN: Here's the text of the interview, courtesy of Anjow on the BOF forums:

Spoiler

What I'm worried about is Two-Face dying in third Batman movie as Eckhart said, I hope Two-Face would not die.

 

[itsthebatman]

Spoiler

What I'm worried about is Two-Face dying in third Batman movie as Eckhart said, I hope Two-Face would not die.

Eckhart said HE'D be killed if he let slip exactly what was going to happen. I don't read the interview as saying Two-Face is going to die. Go back and read the last part again, I think it'll put your mind at rest.

 

[Two-Face]

Eckhart said HE'D be killed if he let slip exactly what was going to happen. I don't read the interview as saying Two-Face is going to die. Go back and read the last part again, I think it'll put your mind at rest.

I got it wrong, I read where he means he'll be killed for saying too much.
That's what happens if I read something too much.

 

[fabman]

Yep

 

[The Guard]

Hey, I've seen actors say MUCH more in depth things about their characters even earlier in the process of a film. I'm just saying I'm not going to celebrate when he gives a "stock answer".

He also could have meant that, with Batman, it's all about bringing order to chaos. Whether it be with the death of his parents, his own struggles with that, Gotham, whatever. With Two-Face, it's much of the same; bringing order to chaos. Yet Two-Face's methods in bringing "order" is completely different, and, ironically, often chaotic.

Right. But there's much, much more to Harvey Dent than that as a character. An actor saying that his villain is the opposite of the hero (aren't almost all villains?) doesn't tell me anything about him actually getting the character's motivations and specifics.

 

[DigificWriter]

I wanted to jump in on this discussion with some comments in regards to whether or not Eckhart will only be playing Harvey Dent in this film. A lot of you guys have taken what he said about 'I'm Harvey Dent and then I'm Harvey Two-Face' to mean that he might be playing the Two-Face (disfiguration and all) we're all familiar with at some point in TDK. I, however, have a different take: he could simply be using the moniker 'Harvey Two-Face' to refer to the split personality that is at the heart of the Two-Face character and not the character itself. Anybody familiar with Batman: TAS should recall that Harvey's split personality was there even BEFORE he was disfigured. Eckhart's assertion that he plays both 'Harvey Dent' and 'Harvey Two-Face', suggests, to me, that the TDK script could be handling the Harvey Dent/Two-Face character in a similar manner, with Eckhart playing the character in a Dr. Jekkyl/Mr. Hyde fashion, which would be great since Two-Face is the definitive Batman equivalent of Robert Lewis Stevensen's iconic character.

 

[Damiean Dark]

Or maybe Eckhart doesnt know squat about the character but as an actor has accepted a role in a sure fire hit movie.

 

[Two-Face]

Or maybe Eckhart doesnt know squat about the character but as an actor has accepted a role in a sure fire hit movie.

Well I'm sure Nolan & Co will give him some Batman comics that features Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

It seems you're quick to jump against Eckhart without even seen him in the character.

 

[StorminNorman]

I wanted to jump in on this discussion with some comments in regards to whether or not Eckhart will only be playing Harvey Dent in this film. A lot of you guys have taken what he said about 'I'm Harvey Dent and then I'm Harvey Two-Face' to mean that he might be playing the Two-Face (disfiguration and all) we're all familiar with at some point in TDK. I, however, have a different take: he could simply be using the moniker 'Harvey Two-Face' to refer to the split personality that is at the heart of the Two-Face character and not the character itself. Anybody familiar with Batman: TAS should recall that Harvey's split personality was there even BEFORE he was disfigured. Eckhart's assertion that he plays both 'Harvey Dent' and 'Harvey Two-Face', suggests, to me, that the TDK script could be handling the Harvey Dent/Two-Face character in a similar manner, with Eckhart playing the character in a Dr. Jekkyl/Mr. Hyde fashion, which would be great since Two-Face is the definitive Batman equivalent of Robert Lewis Stevensen's iconic character.

I sure hope thats not the case.

I despise B:TAS Harvey Dent with a passion. It is their worst contribution to the Batman mythos and one that I truly feel hurts the character.

 

[itsthebatman]

I wanted to jump in on this discussion with some comments in regards to whether or not Eckhart will only be playing Harvey Dent in this film. A lot of you guys have taken what he said about 'I'm Harvey Dent and then I'm Harvey Two-Face' to mean that he might be playing the Two-Face (disfiguration and all) we're all familiar with at some point in TDK. I, however, have a different take: he could simply be using the moniker 'Harvey Two-Face' to refer to the split personality that is at the heart of the Two-Face character and not the character itself. Anybody familiar with Batman: TAS should recall that Harvey's split personality was there even BEFORE he was disfigured. Eckhart's assertion that he plays both 'Harvey Dent' and 'Harvey Two-Face', suggests, to me, that the TDK script could be handling the Harvey Dent/Two-Face character in a similar manner, with Eckhart playing the character in a Dr. Jekkyl/Mr. Hyde fashion, which would be great since Two-Face is the definitive Batman equivalent of Robert Lewis Stevensen's iconic character.

Absolutely, You could be onto something here. However, the problem is thatsome people on these boards don't want the suggestion of a split peronality before Harvey is scarred, they want an overnight change in hischaracter. The TAS depiction of Harvey is one of the few aspects of TAS that has a lot of detractors. From, my point of view, I think it better from a charcter point of view to illustrate Harvey as a good, yet fundamentally flawed individual, before the scarring. That makes the acid attack the catalyst in his change, not the sole cause. but I've expressed this view before, so I'm probably boring you all.t:

 

[itsthebatman]

Well I'm sure Nolan & Co will give him some Batman comics that features Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

It seems you're quick to jump against Eckhart without even seen him in the character.

I suspect Aaron Eckhart stole Dameian's lunch money once.

Dameian? It's a joke. But you are awful down on him.

 

[Crooklyn]

I sure hope thats not the case.

I despise B:TAS Harvey Dent with a passion. It is their worst contribution to the Batman mythos and one that I truly feel hurts the character.

Christ...one would think the BTAS interpretation is an absolute rape of the character reading these type of comments.

 

[Stringer]

Right. But there's much, much more to Harvey Dent than that as a character. An actor saying that his villain is the opposite of the hero (aren't almost all villains?) doesn't tell me anything about him actually getting the character's motivations and specifics.

Well he also commented(not in this interview but in another one) that Two-Face doesnt see himself as a villain, if that means anything to you.

 

[StorminNorman]

Christ...one would think the BTAS interpretation is an absolute rape of the character reading these type of comments.

Not rape, just unwanted sexual fondling.

 

[itsthebatman]

Christ...one would think the BTAS interpretation is an absolute rape of the character reading these type of comments.

Norman's said this before though. Loves TLH and Dark Victory, hates TAS (Two-Face that is, obviously). I don't think it's the best depiction of Harvey, but I've read worse.

 

[DigificWriter]

Absolutely, You could be onto something here. However, the problem is thatsome people on these boards don't want the suggestion of a split peronality before Harvey is scarred, they want an overnight change in hischaracter. The TAS depiction of Harvey is one of the few aspects of TAS that has a lot of detractors. From, my point of view, I think it better from a charcter point of view to illustrate Harvey as a good, yet fundamentally flawed individual, before the scarring. That makes the acid attack the catalyst in his change, not the sole cause. but I've expressed this view before, so I'm probably boring you all.t:

Hmm. The TAS portrayal of Dent is, IMO, the one that best captures the Dr. Jekkyl/Mr. Hyde aspects of the character, and the one that would fit the best in the realistic universe that Nolan and Co. have established with the 'Begins' franchise.

I also personally don't see how Dent having a dual/split personality is at odds with the idea that he's a good, yet fundamentally flawed, individual.

 

[The Guard]

Well he also commented(not in this interview but in another one) that Two-Face doesnt see himself as a villain, if that means anything to you.

Nope. Most villains don't see themselves as villains. That's not deep, nor is it getting the character to the level he needs to be gotted. .

 

[Crooklyn]

Norman's said this before though. Loves TLH and Dark Victory, hates TAS (Two-Face that is, obviously). I don't think it's the best depiction of Harvey, but I've read worse.

I wouldn't mind if parts of both were incorporated into TDK. The scarring scene MUST be in the courtroom, but I can see some BTAS elements seeping their way into the script.

Fact is, I don't think TLH delved into Harvey's descent into madness enough. It was subtly hinted all throughout the story, but I definitely did feel there was a certain gap that wasn't filled from the transformation into Two-Face. This is where I think some BTAS plot points would work well.

The audience has to see some sort of stress getting to Harvey, maybe not in the same way or detail depicted in the cartoon, but something. Just enough so that when the scarring scene finally shows up, we can go, "ah, that's the ticket. he's been an explosion waiting to happen and that is what set him over".

 

[StorminNorman]

I wouldn't mind if parts of both were incorporated into TDK. The scarring scene MUST be in the courtroom, but I can see some BTAS elements seeping their way into the script.

Fact is, I don't think TLH delved into Harvey's descent into madness enough. It was subtly hinted all throughout the story, but I definitely did feel there was a certain gap that wasn't filled from the transformation into Two-Face. This is where I think some BTAS plot points would work well.

The audience has to see some sort of stress getting to Harvey, maybe not in the same way or detail depicted in the cartoon, but something. Just enough so that when the scarring scene finally shows up, we can go, "ah, that's the ticket. he's been an explosion waiting to happen and that is what set him over".

But see, that pressure should come from frustration and ineptness of the Justice System - and not simply some suppressed dark side. That is what TLH captured very well and what B:TAS completely forgot.

 

[DigificWriter]

^ Who says the two ideas have to be mutually exclusive?

 

[Miranda Fox]

I suspect Aaron Eckhart stole Dameian's lunch money once.

Dameian? It's a joke. But you are awful down on him.

He's the same about Heath. Maybe he ran over his kitten back in 1998. t:

 

[Crooklyn]

^ Who says the two ideas have to be mutually exclusive?

Precisely.

Those 2 could be merged with no problems at all. I know there are many people under the justice system that suffer from the urge to bend the rules a bit, or disregard the laws in order to obtain a greater good.

Being a D.A. who Gotham looks up to as the "Golden Boy", I'm sure that's the type of stress that would wreck anyone.

 

[StorminNorman]

^ Who says the two ideas have to be mutually exclusive?

Because I want Harvey Dent to start out as the perpetual Golden Boy - and truly be Golden. In a city where everyone has dark secrets, Harvey was above all that. But as Harvey gets more and more involved with the true side of Gotham, even Apollo is corrupted.

THAT is the transformation of Harvey Dent. Two Face shouldn't be a repressed part of Harvey's psyche, but the product of Gotham and its darkness.

 

[itsthebatman]

He's the same about Heath. Maybe he ran over his kitten back in 1998. t:

I doubt if Dameian was born then.

 

[Miranda Fox]

I doubt if Dameian was born then.

LMAO!