The Dark Knight Why Nolan Should have quit BATMAN

[VenomVsSpidey]

Last week, Inception broke the $500m worldwide gross milestone. A big success story, to be sure, but after The Dark Knight’s $1bn+ number, it perhaps isn’t really a major surprise. It was even less of a surprise when it was revealed that Nolan would be at the helm for Batman 3 once Inception was done and dusted, but as the Inception train begins slowing to a halt, i can’t help but ask myself, was Batman 3 the right decision for Nolan’s career?
Nolan made his name with clever, twisting drama, and it is only his last couple of movies that have led to his being considered an action movie director. Films like Memento and The Prestige used human interest and intricate plotting to make an impact, and there is a risk that with his new action movie sensibilities, he could begin to lose what made him great as a filmmaker in the first place. This is one major reason why i feel it would have been wise to step away from the Batman franchise, but there are several more…

A) It’s a no-win situation.
As i said at the outset, The Dark Knight made over $1b worldwide. This makes it one of the highest grossing films of all time, leaving any attempt to top it financially virtually impossible. There will be much expectation, however, from both fans and studio. If it makes considerably less than the Nolan’s second Batman movie, it could be considered a failure.
The Dark Knight is also considered by many to be one of the best movies ever made, currently holding 11th place in the IMDb250 list. Again, this leaves expectation impossibly high, and it is highly unlikely Nolan can match it with the third film. This, again, could result in the movie being considered a failure. The Dark Knight’s plot was very well constructed, and complemented by some fine acting performances. A lot of elements came together perfectly, and the chances of Nolan experiencing the same fortune again are slim.
On the other hand, if he does top The Dark Knight financially and critically, he could be pressurized into considering staying on once again for a Batman 4. Whilst he has made it fairly clear that he doesn’t want to make more than a trilogy of films, if Warner Bros lean on him, and the fans scream out for another one, it will put the director into a very difficult situation. He could well find himself accused of turning his back on the franchise that brought him to the masses if he has to publicly turn down another Batman movie.

B) The actor playing the villain will be compared to Heath Ledger.

It’s unfair, and it’s inevitable. Heath Ledger carved out one of the greatest villain performances in cinematic history, and his presence, and the circumstances around it, were a big part of The Dark Knight’s success. The pressure will be on for whoever plays the principal villain in Batman 3, whoever it turns out to be, and whichever character they play. The fact that Ledger would have most likely reprised the Joker role in Batman 3 if he hadn’t tragically died will only make the scrutiny that bit more intense. With that shadow looming, it will be an almost impossible part to write and cast.
We have already seen the speculation around the next Batman villain undermine the build-up to Inception’s release. Whilst on the promotional trail for his latest film, Nolan was subjected to just as many questions regarding casting rumours for Batman 3 as he was to Inception based ones. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt and other Inception cast members inevitably linked to the follow-up to The Dark Knight in recent months, it is clear that there is somewhat of an obsession with which foes Batman will face next time around, and who will be responsible for bringing them to life.

C) He’d reached a good stopping point.
At the end of Batman Begins, it was made clear that there would be more. When Gordon revealed the Joker card that was being left at crime scenes, it was a message to the audience that there was to be a continuation to the story. At the end of The Dark Knight, there was no such nod to a sequel. Whilst you could argue that there were plot strands left hanging, like Mr Reese’s knowledge of Batman’s real identity, and The Joker’s incarceration but not death, the final scenes, with Batman riding off into the night, did not beg a follow up.
Batman knew that the people of Gotham would never truly accept him as their hero, no matter how much good he did, and that he was destined to live life as an outcast. This could easily be left as the conclusion of his journey, doomed to protect Gotham from behind the anonymity of his mask, a figure of mistrust and fear. A third film just isn’t necessary.
The biggest problem with following on from a film with so few loose ends is that any attempts to extend the plot strands seem tenuous, and if you start with a whole new story there is a danger of shifting the film’s tone from the previous one, leaving it feeling disjointed from the series. This actually happened to an extent between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, with Gotham looking almost completely different the second time around, which means that in this case it may not prove so much of a problem.

D) The franchise is too restrictive.
With Inception, Nolan has been able to craft a story completely from scratch, making up his own world, characters and technology. Whilst he has been able to make his Batman series unique to his own sensibilities, he is very much constrained by the logic and history of the comic series.
I have no doubts Nolan and his writing team can put together another compelling Batman story, but it will always be within a range of restrictions, which must be quite draining, and even frustrating at times. By casting off the shackles of Batman’s world, the talented filmmaker would be free to create original stories, exploring the themes and ideas he really wants to without having to keep grounded to a particular set of rules.
Inception was almost pure sci-fi, and Nolan set out his Batman stall by grounding it as much as possible in reality. This makes it difficult to be too inventive with the plot, and makes any science fiction based cheat such as the one seen in The Prestige much harder to get away with. Incidentally, this also makes a lot of the comic book characters difficult to realise on screen in the Batman world that Nolan has created.

E) He won’t improve on his weakest areas as a filmmaker.
The biggest criticism levelled at all of Nolan’s work is an inability to put genuine emotion up on screen. All of the characters that lead Nolan’s work are motivated by the same thing. Obsession. It is clearly a reflection of his own obsession with filmmaking, but the problem is that this type of character is not conducive to telling emotional, human interest stories.
This is made worse by the restrictions of the Batman character. Even Inception, despite a story revolving around a father trying to be reunited with his children, and the casting of one of the finest actors plying their trade today, did not have the emotional depth that truly great filmmaking requires.
The problem with the action movies that Nolan is now making is that they leave little time for personal drama, three-dimensional characterisation and exploration of character motivations. In order to improve his ability to work with this side of film, i think Nolan needs to concentrate on lower budget, character-led storytelling. Until he can give us perfectly crafted human drama, i think he needs to stay away from big budget blockbusters that demand great thrills and high action to draw in an audience and recoup their budget.
I understand that the reason Nolan was able to get a green light for Inception, his passion project, was his commitment to the Batman series, and its continuing success. I’m sure that by making Batman 3 he is once again ensuring that he’ll get to make the movie he wants to make once it is finished with. However, Nolan is one of very few directors that i can genuinely say i like every one of his films. My fear is that if he leans more and more towards the thrill-heavy action genre, he may well lose his filmmaking identity.
It would be a great shame if the director of great movies like Memento and The Prestige started making big movies that fell more towards the Transformers 2 end of the scale. This probably won’t happen, but there is a risk of getting carried away with a genre, and by making sequels to successful blockbusters, there is always great pressure to top the last installment by going bigger. We don’t want this from Nolan. He has given us one of the best, and most original movies of the Summer, and that is what we want more of, not franchise based popcorn fodder. I’m looking forward to Batman 3, and i will probably love it, but for the next couple of years i’ll find myself wondering what might have been, if Christopher Nolan had chosen to detach himself from Batman and make another original masterpiece.

What an idiot.

http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2010/08/18/why-nolan-should-have-quit-batman/

 

[General Vulcun]

Original or adapted, a masterpiece is a masterpiece. If Nolan produces a great film out of Batman 3 then it shouldn't matter if it's not an original idea.

 

[Mace Dolex]

Of course Nolan will be pressured into topping TDK's box office but I feel confident that he can deliver a solid Batman film.

 

[KalMart]

F) Stay at home and don't watch the movie, it'll leave more popcorn for the rest of us.

 

[Mister H.]

I think the author has some valid points, as far as perception of his next Bat-film. I don't care whether it "tops" TDK or not, as I feel BB was the better film anyway, but I do understand what a phenomenon TDK was and it is virtually impossible to recreate that.

The Joker was in the film AND the actor playing the Joker died before TDK's release. That's a tough act to follow.

I think Nolan actually could craft a better Batman story but no matter how solid it is it will always be compared to TDK, as that was much more than a movie. That film was a dark reflection, on so many levels, of this country post 9/11, as well as a kind of eulogy, if you will, for a genius actor in Ledger. Because of its perfect timing and the drama surrounding it, it was destined to be perceived as a better film than it actually is.

 

[The Joker]

The third movie doesn't have to top TDK, as it is a near impossible act to follow anyway. It's where so many part 3 movies fail anyway. Just make a movie better than Batman Begins, and nearly as good as TDK.

I have faith in Nolan. He knows what he's doing. He wouldn't do a third Batman movie if he didn't feel there was a solid story to be done.

 

[I<3WonderWoman]

Dudes the next batman movie will def be wayyyy better. TDK was horrible as a film in general and as a comic book adaption. The only redeeming quality was Heath Ledger's acting.

 

[The Joker]

TDK was horrible as a film in general and as a comic book adaption. The only redeeming quality was Heath Ledger's acting.

Disagree.

 

[Mister H.]

Dudes the next batman movie will def be wayyyy better. TDK was horrible as a film in general and as a comic book adaption. The only redeeming quality was Heath Ledger's acting.

Go talk Wonder Woman.

 

[General Vulcun]

Dudes the next batman movie will def be wayyyy better. TDK was horrible as a film in general and as a comic book adaption. The only redeeming quality was Heath Ledger's acting.

lol, whatever you say

 

[Brother Jack]

All Nolan really has to do is make the best movie he can. Topping TDK shouldn't even be a concern for him, except for maintaining the integrity and depth of the storytelling.

 

[CConn]

Let's take 'im out.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

Dudes the next batman movie will def be wayyyy better. TDK was horrible as a film in general and as a comic book adaption. The only redeeming quality was Heath Ledger's acting.

This guy over here...


anyways, I don't want Nolan trying to top TDK. Even though I enjoyed it, that's what brought down Spider-Man 3. Even X-3. Way too ambitious. If we get a movie that's par with Begins, but not better than TDK, then I'm happy as can be.

 

[Agent Orange]

Whaaaa? Of course Nolan should take another crack at Batman. I mean, obviously he made a ton of unforgivable mistakes and making a third film will give him a chance to rectify it. I<3WonderWoman and the millions of anti-TDK heads across the internetz would agree, right I<3WonderWoman?

Spoiler

Sarcasm... you know, just in case you couldn't tell.

Nolan does have a pretty daunting task ahead of him here no matter how Batman 3 turns out. I'm curious to see if he can win over detractors of his approach to Batman or if they... just keep bringing the hate because Nolan isn't providing them with the Batman that they want. It's the internet so I'm betting money on them bringing the hate no matter what.

 

[The Englishman]

Dudes the next batman movie will def be wayyyy better. TDK was horrible as a film in general and as a comic book adaption. The only redeeming quality was Heath Ledger's acting.

LAME.....

 

[Two-Face]

I saw this article yesterday and didn't think this author deserved a thread.


Anyway Nolan needs to finish what he started I don't want another director trying to top BB & TDK. Look Tim Burton's Bat movies they were great until Joel Schumacher took over with Batman Forever this was Burton's baby and he killed it so like I said don;t want same mistake happening again.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

What an idiot.

http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2010/08/18/why-nolan-should-have-quit-batman/

I really don't think it's fair to call him an idiot. While I have my reasons to disagree that Nolan doing Batman 3 was a bad idea, they did present an intelligent arguement that I think deserves a respectful amount of consideration.

1) Yes, it will be hard to top. But I honestly don't think anyone is expecting it too. There is no such thing as a great third film in a franchise. It just so rarely happens, that really, everyone is expecting Batman 3 to be a dissapointment. It can't possibly be anywhere near as good as TDK, and it can't possibly make more money.

So I think any success it does make (which i'm sure it will because i have faith that he will do a good job), will really cement him as a man who does what most directors can't do.

2) I think it's important to move away for Heath Ledger, or that is all anyone is ever going to remember. It really bugs me when that happens. Like with Kick Ass, when all anyone had to say was 'Hit-girl is so cool', sometimes I feel like the Joker gets too much of a spotlight.

There is no doubt that Heath Ledger's Joker was incredible. Truly truly incredible. But you have to remember that the people who wrote his lines where also incredible. The people who came up with the entire storyline where incredible. And the man directing everyone was also truly incredible.

So, by making this third Batman, without the Joker, Nolan has a chance to prove that it wasn't just Heath Ledger that made TDK a success. That it's the great team of people they have, and the vision they had for Batman.

3) I don't feel at all like the end of TDK was a stopping point. If it was, i'd be severely dissapointed. Not having seen Wayne Manor fixed. Not having seen Batman's horrible fate as the hunted come to some sort of end. Not having seen Bruce find some kind of feeling of having won, of having actually acheived what he set out to acheive with Batman in the first place (like Harvey Dent was the beginning)

There is so much more of the story that needs to be told, and only Nolan should be the one doing it.

4) The idea he shouldn't make a third Batman film because having restrictions is too hard is just madness. What was TDK? A Fluke. I think he most definitely proved that it is NOT too restrictive, and that he as a film maker, can take a ton of comics and material, mix them all together, add his own flair, ground them in the real world and make an AMAZING result.

Why would it be too restrictive to do it again?

5) It is exactly the lack of emotion in Bale's Batman and Chris Nolan's directing that brought the character alive for me. THAT is something I can understand. A guy who is so truly messed up that he doesn't know how to convey emotion. He tries to build relationships with people, but he's kind of deficiant in that area and so they fail miserably.

I don't think it's that Nolan can't build emotional characters. In The Prestige, every character was emotional except Bale's. Hugh Jackman's character portrayed a great range of emotion, as did the women. I think he just enjoys being able to portray these interesting, enitrely messed up blokes through Bale, because he is quite good at it.

FINALLY, I just want to say, that Nolan has said that he had an idea for Batman and how to tell the story, and that story is 3 movies. Why stop in the middle of that vision?

 

[RustyCage]

I think we should all stop worrying about how successful it's gonna be and what other movies it's gonna top, and focus on 'Hey, we have another BRILLIANT Batman story on the way, period!'

 

[Tacit Ronin]

I like how the author thinks everything he says is a fact.

 

[Alex Logan]

What an idiot.

http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2010/08/18/why-nolan-should-have-quit-batman/

I wouldn't say that he's an idiot, but I would say that he's a very short-sighted person.

How can he say that Nolan has started to lose his edge? That's just hogwash!

 

[Alex Logan]

Dudes the next batman movie will def be wayyyy better. TDK was horrible as a film in general and as a comic book adaption. The only redeeming quality was Heath Ledger's acting.

Dude, you don't know what you're talkig about.

 

[RustyCage]

How can he say that Nolan has started to lose his edge? That's just hogwash!

The polar opposite has been on display.

 

[General Vulcun]

Did it ever occur to this guy that A) maybe Nolan enjoys making movies like TDK and Inception that are on a larger scale & include action, and B) that just because the movies are large scale and have action doesn't mean Nolan is sacrificing his potential & creativity, instead he's applying it to ideas & characters that work much better in larger worlds.

Just because Nolan made some great movies on smaller scales doesn't mean he has to stay there if he doesn't want to. It's kind of funny that people like this worry about Nolan making 'this' type of film instead of 'that' type of film, when the reality is that Nolan is making films like the Batmans and Inception because that's what he wants to do. This is a guy who grew up loving James Bond, Star Wars and the Donner Superman, it wouldn't surprise me if Nolan desires to make more blockbusters after Batman.

 

[Mister H.]

^ Agreed. I have a buddy that hated Inception, and made it clear the moment we walked out of the cinema, but I needed a few days to digest the film and figure out if I really liked it or not. However, my friend was convinced the movie was crap and said something to the effect of "Hollywood has ruined Nolan", so I asked him what he meant, and he replied "Nolan is always cramming action into his films". When I offered up the idea that maybe Nolan likes making action/crime dramas he was stumped, as if the thought that Nolan wasn't kidnapped by WB execs and forced at gunpoint to shred his artistic license had never even taken form in his mind.

That was longwinded, but my point is that Nolan has always (at the very least) dabbled in gunfights and chase sequences and has been trying epic action set pieces for some time. It's clearly what he's interested in right now.

He's the kind of director that will slow things down and do something smaller and more intimate when the time is right. But while he's full of this youthful energy and thirst for putting out high concept pop cinema he should continue down that path as long as he wants. While he may not be an auteur, he does make blockbusters for the thinking man, and that's something we need more of, not less of.

 

[Alex Logan]

The polar opposite has been on display.

Yes, I've seen it twice now. t:

Did it ever occur to this guy that A) maybe Nolan enjoys making movies like TDK and Inception that are on a larger scale & include action, and B) that just because the movies are large scale and have action doesn't mean Nolan is sacrificing his potential & creativity, instead he's applying it to ideas & characters that work much better in larger worlds.

Just because Nolan made some great movies on smaller scales doesn't mean he has to stay there if he doesn't want to. It's kind of funny that people like this worry about Nolan making 'this' type of film instead of 'that' type of film, when the reality is that Nolan is making films like the Batmans and Inception because that's what he wants to do. This is a guy who grew up loving James Bond, Star Wars and the Donner Superman, it wouldn't surprise me if Nolan desires to make more blockbusters after Batman.

Yes, all this and more thing to consider... If Nolan wants to make more blockbusters and he's good at it, then why not do it? There's sure as hell more money to be made for those types of films then the smaller ones he started out on.