The Dark Knight is something that happens once in a life time, if you ask me. 10 years ago, i saw this film at the midnight premiere and it was quite simply the best theater experience I've ever had. Going into the film, I think we were all expecting a damn good film, but not something as incredible and overwhelming as we got. The film exceeded my expectations in every way, and is my fave film of all time for so many reasons. Christopher Nolans beautiful work on Batman Begins instilled so much hype for me that I know the follow up would be just as good, but not only was it better, I also found it to be better than all the movies of that decade (I'm serious). Chris Nolan managed to craft a story that pays homage to some of the best batman stories (The Long Halloween, The killing joke, etc), combining that with a real world feel inspired by great films such as Heat and making his own thing all at the same time. The result? Something that will more than likely never likely be topped in the comic book genre. From Heath Ledgers perfect and bone chilling portrayal as the Joker, to christian Bales haunted continuation as Bruce Wayne/Batman, to gary oldmans Fantastic return as well, we got something that is now the film which all other comic book movies live up to. We don't see many films (or trilogies for that matter) like The Dark Knight trilogy, and this film in particular. for a movie ( a comic book film no less) to touch on real life issues, while still retaining what makes the characters so special in the comics is something only a handful of good directors can do.
One moment in particular i remember sitting in the theater experiencing was the Joker Hostage footage you can see in my avatar. After that scene, my theater was in dead silence and in complete shock. We knew this was something special and different, and when people gave the film a standing ovation, that was just more evident. I think one of my fave things about this film is the relationship between Batman and the joker, which is very similar to the comics. The fact that Joker realizes that batman is just one bad day away from being him is evident, and the Joker almost succeeds in bringing batman down to his level, which he successfully did with Harvey Dent. This is a perfect example of how Nolan paid a beautiful tribute to the comics, stayed true to who these characters are while also making his own thing. One of my fave scenes in the film (aside from that beautiful interrogation scene, the truck chase, the bank robbery, the final confrontation between bats and the joker, etc) is when alfred is talking to bruce about the bandit in the forest. The speech alfred gives bruce perfectly represents the perfect opposite of batman, and it's what makes their relationship so damn interesting. They are different but alike! I applaud nolan for being able to bring that aspect of their relationship to life, which no other film director has done. Or they just S*** on that aspect all together (i'm looking at you, zack snyder!)
The rest of the cast and story elements are absolutely perfect as well. Harvey Dents downfall is so tragic, that by the end of the film, you can't help but to feel bad that the Joker succeeded and turning gothams white knight into something that is on equal footing as the joker. Aaron Eckharts portrayal is also one of my faves in any comic book movie, and I don't think he gets enough credit for the brilliant job he did. More than 1 actor deserved an oscar nomination for this movie, and to this day I also believe this film was robbed of a best picture nomination. Speaking of, when in any other comic book film has an actor been nominated for an oscar?? Heath Ledgers portrayal redefined what an actor can do in a comic book film and the fact that he gave us one of the best performances in the history of cinema, standing alongside darth vader, hannibal lector, and a bunch others as an icon of cinema. I feel like I've rambled on and on haha, but it's because this is a rare case where i can call a movie perfect, and that's what this film is. I haven't even touched upon how brilliant the score and cinematography are!
All in all, I'll end it on this. The Dark Knight is a masterpiece of a film, and one that most likely will never be topped in the comic book genre, and easily one of the greatest films ever made in my opinion (my fave of all time, like i said). This was lightning in a bottle, and there's a reason 10 years after it's release, we still are haunted by iconic imagery from film. It's impact on pop culture, fandom, comic books, and film cannot be overstated. Thank you, Christopher Nolan!
10/10
