CINEMA: The Dark Knight, Part 2

A new century has seen the birth of a new type of superhero. Gone are the days when Superman was shiny and bright, Captain America was wholesome and squeaky clean, and Batman had a sidekick called Robin. Now our heroes have troubled backgrounds, they struggle to make sense of a world where good and evil are no longer uncompromisingly black and white but infinite shades of grey, and where the public can turn nasty overnight.

It is in this murkily corrupt world that director Christopher Nolan places billionaire Bruce Wayne, aka Batman (Christian Bale), a man compelled to face his own demons in order to confront the likes of The Joker (Heath Ledger), a morally bankrupt anarchist who murders just for the hell of it. But Batman has a new ally in Gotham, District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), whose belief in law and order could well herald a new beginning for the crime-ridden city. Dent is keen on a zero-tolerance policy where Police Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) puts every criminal behind bars. However, the low-lives and gangsters aren’t prepared to go down without a fight, and so the scene is set for stunning battles, breathtaking special effects, and better gizmos than Bond has ever had (including the mega Batpod/car/bike which manages to outcool Bruce Wayne’s Lamborghini).

Tense and intense, dark and brooding, The Dark Knight will rattle your bones and send shivers through your very soul. Yes, Heath Ledger really is that good, his Joker is appalling and demonic and shocking. But the rest of the ensemble cast (even Maggie Gyllenhaal, given nothing to do as the would-be love interest) are equally as good, just much more low-key and understated. At two-and-a-half hours this is a film that certainly gives you your money’s worth with at least three spectacular set pieces, although the last half hour becomes a little uncomfortable and could easily have been compressed.

And what about The Bat I hear you cry? The most iconic image in the whole film is of Batman standing atop a towering skyscraper, his dark figure silhouetted against the night sky. As Bruce Wayne learns to his cost, becoming Batman is one thing, but leaving him behind is something else entirely.      Dee Pilgrim