The Official Batman (1989) Thread - Part 3

[Ponyboy]

That could mean he did snap and lost his mind at the sight of his disfigurement. That what he looked like before (his idea of perfect) was destroyed and he did try to cope by doing what he did. His mind could have coped by convincing himself that what he's looking at as 'perfection'.

That's right, the film used his "disfigurement" to trigger his already underlying psychopathic nature. Once he realized Grissom had set him up (combined with getting dunked in the acid) his "unleashed" reign of terror in Gotham had begun.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

Ever noticed that in "The Killing Joke" the Joker doesn't even see his new face and yet he goes nuts?

 

[AnneFan]

Ever noticed that in "The Killing Joke" the Joker doesn't even see his new face and yet he goes nuts?

He sees his face in the reflection of a puddle:

Spoiler

 

[Viper81]

I watched this again tonight. I forgot how fun this movie was. The imagery is so awesome, Keaton is great, and the soundtrack is great. I used to be a huge fan of nicholosons joker, but I wasn't as impressed now, because after heaths performance, it really eclipses all other interpretations.

Still, I realize now that you can't compare nolans movies with burtons. Burton had a fun batman with very comicesque imagery, whereas I love nolans more realistic take and his closeness to the source material.

 

[Ponyboy]

Still, I realize now that you can't compare nolans movies with burtons. Burton had a fun batman with very comicesque imagery, whereas I love nolans more realistic take and his closeness to the source material.

One might even argue that Burton's Batman, despite it's deviations, was in it's own way also close to the source material simply because it feels more like a comic book.

 

[Rodrigo90]

He sees his face in the reflection of a puddle:

Spoiler

That Joker went insane because seeing himself was the final straw in his already crumbling sanity.

Jack's Joker went mad after he saw his once 'perfect' face, be reduced to **** lol
So he embraced his new face, seeing it as 'art', and becoming a new form of perfection, in his warped mind.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

He sees his face in the reflection of a puddle:

Spoiler

But would the puddle reflect his new "colors"? I don't think so. I think the whole chain of events in "The Killing Joke" is wrong. His wife should be dead when he comes home after this and then he looks into the mirror and turns insane. Not the "My wife's dead but I have to help the criminals regardless". That is silly.

 

[AnneFan]

But would the puddle reflect his new "colors"? I don't think so.

You said he doesn't even see his face. He does. Whether or not he gets in every single detail, the comic shows he sees something and that's enough for him to lose it and laugh uncontrollably. You can think it's silly, but that's what's in the comic.

 

[GothamAlleys]

Ever noticed that in "The Killing Joke" the Joker doesn't even see his new face and yet he goes nuts?

No, actually as in every other origins stories, he goes nuts AFTER seeing his face, like in the movie

 

[The Joker]

Exactly. His physical dis-figuration is what pushes him over the edge into insanity.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

But a puddle isn't an accurate mirror. You can barely see anything. Especially not colors. Like so many things in "The Killing Joke" this isn't really thought out.

 

[Travesty]

You're talking about a comic with a crazy clown and a man dressed as a bat that needs to be real world accurate?

He saw his face in the puddle. I don't see how that's "not thought out"? It's shown to us pretty clearly.

 

[BH/HHH]

I still think my favourite live-action Batman scene is the one where Keaton hangs the crook off the roof, "I Want you to tell all your friends about me" "what are you?" "I'm Batman!". - absolute classic

 

[kewlmatto]

I still think my favourite live-action Batman scene is the one where Keaton hangs the crook off the roof, "I Want you to tell all your friends about me" "what are you?" "I'm Batman!". - absolute classic

Still the best superhero-declaration-of-own-name-scene in existence. And there are many out there.

 

[BH/HHH]

Still the best superhero-declaration-of-own-name-scene in existence. And there are many out there.

Totally agree

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

But a puddle isn't an accurate mirror. You can barely see anything. Especially not colors. Like so many things in "The Killing Joke" this isn't really thought out.

Maybe Bolland didn't want to spoil the big reveal in a murky puddle.

 

[CapedCrusader14]

Still the best superhero-declaration-of-own-name-scene in existence. And there are many out there.

It's a pretty damn good one. Although when Keaton actually says "I'm Batman", it always sounded kind of off to me.

 

[CConn]

Why?

 

[CConn]

Maybe Bolland didn't want to spoil the big reveal in a murky puddle.

Yeah, it was obviously done for a thematic affect for the audience.

By making the puddle murky for the reader, it saves Joker's actual reveal for the bottom panel of the page. Naratively, it's pretty obvious Joker saw himself in the mirror; that's why he's laughing hysterically.

 

[Travesty]

Maybe Bolland didn't want to spoil the big reveal in a murky puddle.

That's exactly what it's there for...at least why I thought it was there.

 

[The Joker]

It was. This was the big reveal panel:

They were not going to spoil that on a puddle reflection.

 

[Ponyboy]

It's a pretty damn good one. Although when Keaton actually says "I'm Batman", it always sounded kind of off to me.

 

[CapedCrusader14]

I know I seem crazy, it's just how I feel about it it seems like the pitch of his voice goes up a bit when he says "Batman". Might just be me though.

 

[Ponyboy]

Maybe it sounds "higher" to you because the previous line where he says I want you to tell all your friends about me is a bit growly and then he says I'm Batman in a more breathy (almost whispering) way..?

 

[CapedCrusader14]

Might be yeah. His voice when he has that growl would've been perfect IMO.