Batman Begins Goyer: Ras based on Osama Bin Laden

[graveyardtramp]

A number of people have brought up the similarities between the League of Shadows and Al Queeda (spelling?), but this to my knowledge is the first I've heard David Goyer state that Ras Al Ghul in BEGINS was modelled directly on Osama Bin Laden (from CREATIVE SCREENWRITING magazine):

David S. Goyer, who co-wrote Batman Begins with director Christopher Nolan, says they wanted to broaden the parameters of the Batman mythology. "I think, of the Batman villains, Ra's Al Ghul is the most complex," he told Creative Screenwriting magazine. "We modelled him after Osama bin Laden. He's not crazy in the way that all the other Batman villains are. He's not bent on revenge; he's actually trying to heal the world. He's just doing it by very draconian means."

I found this on the website for Melbourne newspaper THE AGE, in an article titled IN DEFENSE OF BIG, EXPENSIVE FILMS. You can read the article here:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/defending-the-blockbuster/2005/07/14/1120934352863.html

 

[The Question]

Ra's was created when Bin Laden was in diapers. Goyer is acting like he though him up.

 

[Phaser]

Ra's was an international terrorist long before Bin Laden arrived on the scene.

 

[BatmanRules33]

Ra's was created when Bin Laden was in diapers. Goyer is acting like he though him up.

nah, hes just saying that he thought that idea would work in the film, he is the screenwriter after all.

 

[antmanx68]

What he means is "We chose Ra's to mirror Osama Bin Laden". Ra's in the comics has certain things in common with Osama, so they played that up in this script.

 

[AdmNelson]

Ra's was created when Bin Laden was in diapers. Goyer is acting like he though him up.

Uh... what?

Ra's al Ghul's first appearance was Batman #232, June 1971. Osama Bin Laden was born in July of 1957. He was hardly "in diapers" at age 14.

However, the character of Ra's was definitely established as "evil" at the time that Bin Laden was a callow teenage youth, running around on vacation in Switzerland with his extended (and rich) family.

-- Admiral Nelson

 

[Mr. Socko]

Thats a lie. If anything Bin Laden is acting like Ra's lol.

 

[The Kid]

Maybe he was inspired by him? uh oh...

 

[hey yo its sean]

Ra's was created when Bin Laden was in diapers. Goyer is acting like he though him up.

I'd like you to show me where in that passage Goyer even remotely implied that he had created the character.

 

[The Guard]

I have no idea how Ra's is remotely related to Bin Laden past the idea of him being a terrorist with a beard. A role which I've seen Sean Bean play in about ten movies.

 

[Retroman]

Interesting qoute. Thanks for the link.

 

[Motown Marvel]

uh...goyers remarks seem failry idiotic. the only similarity between ra's and bin laden are that they're both labeled terrorists....but, their intentions, methods, and beliefs are completely different. in no way does one mirror the other.

 

[Whack Arnolds]

They have similarities...and I think he meant the audience could relate the character of Ra's, to real life experiences and drama with a real international terrorists such as the terrorist kingpin aka Osama Bin Laden. I for one thought it made for great relevance to the times, with an international terrorist seeking to take down the "criminality and corruption" of Gotham/World...which relates to Bin Laden trying to take down the "infedels" and lead a "jihad" against all non muslim nations (to, in his mind, better the world).

There is many similarities, and to say they don't is idiotic.

 

[snazzy J]

uh...goyers remarks seem failry idiotic. the only similarity between ra's and bin laden are that they're both labeled terrorists....but, their intentions, methods, and beliefs are completely different. in no way does one mirror the other.

I wouldn't say their methods are so different. Both live out of secret hideouts in the middle of nowhere, they both have vast networks of subordinates, and, if we're thinking movie-wise, they both used their people to infiltrate American society in order to attack it. Their intentions may be different, but they operate in a similar way.

 

[batnkevlar]

Yeah, both had a million wives... oh wait, no that's Osama... Ra's just had a bunch of Asian men...

 

[The Bruce]

Thats a lie. If anything Bin Laden is acting like Ra's lol.

LOL! Yeah! Bin Laden is based on Ra's. Wonder how it fits into continuity?

 

[my0pic_spidey]

LolX! HaHa!!i wonder what would be osama's reaction when watching begins and he sees how Raz was so bent on the mass extermination of gotham.Like the Old Biff said,"this is so familiar... ......." HAHAHA!!

 

[Knightsaber Priss]

I'm just wondering if there are some people out there who still can't figure out that Liam Neeson is actually R'as Al Ghul.

 

[CConn]

I pray to God ToM Locust never sees this...

 

[regwec]

Wasn't Ra's originally adapted from the fictional oriental terrorist, Fu Manchu? Apart from Ra's having a loosely Arabic rather than Chinese identity, they share a great deal in common. I thought that the casting of an oriental actor in the role of Ra's mk.1 was a reference to this.

In any case, watch "The Face of Fu Manchu" (1965), and you will notice a number of close similarities to "Batman Begins", including a plot to use Tibetan flowers in a chemical, terrorist attack.

 

[paec_djinn]

I think he meant that the character Ra's he adapted into the movie was based on Osama and NOT the original Ra's. And like Godzilla said, you do realize that Ra's was made Caucasian in the form of Liam Neeson

 

[blind_fury]

Goyer proved he was a hack with Blade:Trinity.

He probably noticed Ras and Bin Laden were both terrorist masterminds and figured he discovered some ingenius metaphor. Dumbass.

 

[LastSunrise1981]

Goyer proved he was a hack with Blade:Trinity.

He probably noticed Ras and Bin Laden were both terrorist masterminds and figured he discovered some ingenius metaphor. Dumbass.

He's a hack as far as directing is concerned, but as a writer he's pretty good and has come up with interesting concepts.

Blade: Trinty would've been better with the right director.

 

[ultimatefan]

I see an interesting metaphor in BB´s twist... Ra´s initially appears to be your stereotypical foreign villain, the old image that America has made of its enemies. Then he turns out to actually be what we believe to be the pinnacle of the western caucasian man - tall, strong, good-looking, educated and wise.

 

[Robin91939]

I see an interesting metaphor in BB´s twist... Ra´s initially appears to be your stereotypical foreign villain, the old image that America has made of its enemies. Then he turns out to actually be what we believe to be the pinnacle of the western caucasian man - tall, strong, good-looking, educated and wise.

That is a good point UF.

-R