The Dark Knight **
Christopher Nolan, 2008
US
@ Pacific Place
While there is nothing wrong with a 155-minute film (or a 455-minute film, for that matter), every one ought to be as long as it needs to be, and thus length seems a valid criticism here. Perhaps what both causes some people to complain about the runtime and others to shout "torture porn!" is the single fact that without a traditional narrative arc and conclusion the film seems to run well past what the logical conclusion of the most of what we discover in the first hour or so, into another story entirely. Thus every hostage scene in that second half feels gratuitous, but largely because the film feels distended in general. I eagerly await David Bordwell or Kristin Thompson's commentary on the dramatic structure, if one is forthcoming.
What disturbs me about this movie, or perhaps just leaves me cold, are the implications of the fact that the Joker is the only interesting thing here. He's brilliant, creative, and disarming, but we're supposed to root for the guy with high-tech firepower and no emotional range. That, rather than the bodycount or Sisyphean nature of Batman's crimefighting, seems to me the truly dark message communicated to the audience. Not that this calls to mind any direct political or social parallels, but it does strike me as unpleasant and maybe oddly Puritanical. It seems to me that dark and dull are easily confused when lots of explosions are occurring at the same time.
As the film is so long with relatively little important dialogue, I had a lot of time to ponder the interest in superheroes in general. They seem most vital when we have detached from society. That is, when we can't or won't solve our problems on a human scale by being humane to those around us, maybe we fantasize about superhuman figures or weaponry to patrol the streets and keep us safe. Backward, and kind of sad. Contrast this with the western, in which the hero was frequently the man imposing law and order (perhaps for the first time) on a frontier community. The superhero, on the other hand, supersedes the law and social conventions by instituting his own vigilante justice. Sort of like marshall law vs. martial law.
See also: IMDb | Metacritic | Hammer to Nail
Christopher Nolan, 2008
US
@ Pacific Place
While there is nothing wrong with a 155-minute film (or a 455-minute film, for that matter), every one ought to be as long as it needs to be, and thus length seems a valid criticism here. Perhaps what both causes some people to complain about the runtime and others to shout "torture porn!" is the single fact that without a traditional narrative arc and conclusion the film seems to run well past what the logical conclusion of the most of what we discover in the first hour or so, into another story entirely. Thus every hostage scene in that second half feels gratuitous, but largely because the film feels distended in general. I eagerly await David Bordwell or Kristin Thompson's commentary on the dramatic structure, if one is forthcoming.
What disturbs me about this movie, or perhaps just leaves me cold, are the implications of the fact that the Joker is the only interesting thing here. He's brilliant, creative, and disarming, but we're supposed to root for the guy with high-tech firepower and no emotional range. That, rather than the bodycount or Sisyphean nature of Batman's crimefighting, seems to me the truly dark message communicated to the audience. Not that this calls to mind any direct political or social parallels, but it does strike me as unpleasant and maybe oddly Puritanical. It seems to me that dark and dull are easily confused when lots of explosions are occurring at the same time.
As the film is so long with relatively little important dialogue, I had a lot of time to ponder the interest in superheroes in general. They seem most vital when we have detached from society. That is, when we can't or won't solve our problems on a human scale by being humane to those around us, maybe we fantasize about superhuman figures or weaponry to patrol the streets and keep us safe. Backward, and kind of sad. Contrast this with the western, in which the hero was frequently the man imposing law and order (perhaps for the first time) on a frontier community. The superhero, on the other hand, supersedes the law and social conventions by instituting his own vigilante justice. Sort of like marshall law vs. martial law.
See also: IMDb | Metacritic | Hammer to Nail
Labels: 2 Stars, 2008, Christopher Nolan, US
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