FILM REVIEW: THE DARK KNIGHT (*SPOILERS AHEAD*)

And behold the dawn has come!

Gooood evening ladies and gentle...men…nope this not the Joker….it’s Sonyaa and I’m back with a review of the much eagerly and enthusiastically awaited film this summer: The Dark Knight .... are you ready for it??

Generally, I make it a point to update my site on Sundays, but you’ll have to excuse me this time, I had to watch The Dark Knight if you wanted me have it to be reviewed for you. ;) Apologies…any way start your day with a cuppa coffee and the review of the film. Hence forward I shall be updating my blog on Mondays…watch out for it!!

Well, I won’t deny, but I must admit that I have been pining to watch this film all the more after the tragic and untimely death of Heath Ledger. But, I was all the more curious when I first read reports of him playing the Joker…and my reaction was….O my God?? Ledger as the Joker!! How is he going to do it??

And thanks to the media which spares no one, they didn’t give this man a chance to showcase his performance, then followed his death and now The Dark Knight is breaking all time records and critics are going gaga over his performance and so much more that they want a posthumous Oscar nomination! Now what more can I say!! I think the media must give people especially public figures the time and space!! (Well I better not get into this…before the essence of my review is lost)

I kept my biases aside reminding myself that am going to watch this film like anyone else (though am sure somewhere in the corner of my heart I was still thinking of Ledger and eagerly waiting to see his character explode on screen!) and set out to watch the film with a gang of friends. Though one of my friends didn’t really know who Ledger was…at the end of it I had to tell them that the freaky character of the Joker you see…yes that’s Ledger!

Well, looking at the Joker anyone would have thought that the man playing the Joker was a man in his 40’s and the wrinkles due to ageing was an added boon bringing in more maturity to his character particularly once he had the grease paint on. But, No that was not true…we knew the youngster behind the Joker.

Once the movie was over...while strolling around the multiplex, we just walked into a music store and I happened to find the film Casanova right in front of me (which I think is just 3-4 years old). I picked it up and pointed out to the man on the cover and said…do you see this young and handsome fellow….. he’s Heath Ledger…yes the immortalized Joker you just saw a while ago…and he exclaimed “Was he!!”

You have always remembered and will continue to remember Jack as the Joker in the 1989 Batman flick but in The Dark Knight here you’re going to take home the menacing Joker who may give you sleepless nights hereafter!! That’s a finesse performance!

Now, that’s the point I’m coming to, it’s the actor vs. character…that’s the difference between Nicholson and Ledger.

His eyes, his look, his hair, his costumes (especially that nurse uniform of his!), that slight hunch-back, his deep voice – the frequent one-liners and his frequent squeals of laughter which runs down your spine, the ease with which – he brandishes knives, schemes bombings with his remote control ala his mobile phone and unhooks bombs from people’s mouth….Amazing!!

And that’s where Ledger has succeeded in his performance to the extent that in the years to come people may forget (I hope they don’t) the man behind the Joker – Heath Ledger

Of course two more characters that deserve mention and praiseworthy is that of Batman and Harvey Dent/ Two Face man played by Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart respectively.

Batman, Bruce Wayne in is social sphere, in his private space – three dimensions to one character and all played with so much conviction, is another character I loved the most. And Christian Bale has done full justice to his character…even if it means he turns anti-hero at the end of it! Again another thing running in common is like Heath Ledger’s Joker, he is the youngest Batman in this series.

Aaron Eckhart was also a surprise package of sorts especially with the turn his character took from being the District Attorney (the second hero after Batman) vowed to fight and punish criminals to becoming a hell raiser (the second villain after the Joker) at the manipulation of the Joker…aptly referred to as the “Two Face man”. It is interesting how Nolan managed to create a ‘parallel in parallel role’ – on one hand you have the Batman and the Joker and you have a Harvey Dent, who is integral to the plot. And Harvey Dent has yet another parallel character to contend – which is ‘himself’ (as the ‘Two Faced man’). Brilliant!

And of course the other characters worthy of mention are Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman; they truly played their parts exceedingly well.Maggie Gyllenhal did not have much of a role, but was impressive in her last few scenes.

Thanks to Christopher Nolan the film scores on all departments – fine performances, good dialogues (the one liners especially!), the music score which gives us a feel that something is going to happen or the signature tune which marks the arrival of the Batman, the special effects and the action sequences which look so real that you can never doubt or even differentiate for a moment that there was excessive use of CG and of course the huge canvas and the gizmos used by Batman – Amazing!!

The Nolan brothers are a terrific duo….Christopher Nolan’s perception of the film has been aptly translated on-screen by bro screen writer Jonathan Nolan.

My rating: 9/10

Love, 
Sonyaa

Read the concluding part of the film review next week...