By Sam Watermeier
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The dilemma with the Batman franchise does not lie within the films, but with the inconsistent desires of filmmakers and audiences. Since the comic books have gone through so many evolutions in tone, people can’t seem to decide whether they want Batman movies to be gothic and otherworldly (“Batman,” “Batman Returns”) or flashy and fun (“Batman Forever,” “Batman and Robin”). Director Christopher Nolan (”Memento,” “Batman Begins”) solves that dilemma by not treating “The Dark Knight” like a comic book movie but a mature, credible crime drama in the vein of Michael Mann’s “Heat” and David Fincher’s “Seven.” He gives Batman a universal appeal that transcends the comic book genre. The character portrayals are still accurate to the comic books yet their quirkiness surprisingly does not interrupt the film’s verisimilitude. The film still shows that violence is real, evil is real, and the world is not a pretty picture. “The Dark Knight” does not take away from the greatness of Tim Burton’s “Batman” and “Batman Returns” but works on a different, more realistic level. With a naturalistic screenplay and performances, it is, regardless of genre, one of the very best films in recent years.

The gritty look of this film hits close to home, taking the audience out of the comic book world and giving them no safety net. Unlike the other Batman movies, Gotham City looks like a real city in this film. In fact, “The Dark Knight” was shot in Chicago whose striking skyline actually evokes fear in the audience. The fear also comes from the more realistic nature of the crimes. Instead of strapping missiles to penguins, the villains rob banks and blow up buildings. The previous Batman films desensitized the audience to violence by stylizing it whereas this film shows criminals coldly shooting people. These crimes make Batman a more accessible character as well because he is dealing with issues that real city cops face.

The iconic characters in this film take on the qualities of the comic book yet they are still able to exist in the realistic setting and evoke empathy. Although I have a special place in my heart for Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s approach to the character, Nolan and Bale’s interpretation of Batman is more accurate to the comic books. Bruce Wayne and Batman always shared the same demeanor in Burton’s films. Both were mysterious and overtly sad. What Nolan and Bale get right is the idea that only Batman is real and Wayne is his “mask,” not vice versa. They are two completely different people. In “The Dark Knight,” Wayne acts arrogantly in public, showing off his wealth and girlfriends to hide the fact that he is a conflicted man and battered warrior. Nolan and Bale also progress from Burton’s overriding moral of revenge. Now, Wayne’s crime fighting is less about revenge and more about responsibility. The audience really gets the sense that Batman carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He struggles with being a role model for Gotham because people fear that his vigilance will only lead to more crime. Like father-figure Alfred (Michael Caine) says to him, “You crossed the line before the criminals. You hammered them. And in their desperation they turned to a man they didn’t fully understand.” That man they turn to is the Joker (Heath Ledger), a horribly disfigured, makeup wearing madman bent on destroying the sense of order in Gotham City. In the role, the late Ledger created a screen villain for the ages. He is simply, sadly, brilliant.

Ledger captures the sadomasochism of the Joker from the comic books. He joyously laughs when Batman punches him repeatedly in an interrogation room. Throughout the entire film, he genuinely wants Batman to try to kill him. The eerie factor of the Joker is the fact that he never fears the Dark Knight. When Batman speeds toward him on a motorcycle, the Joker is not fearful, but excited and happy to see him. (“Come on, hit me!” he says.) Ledger delivers a stunning, unique performance. It is full of distinct quirks. For example, his voice is in a constant state of flux. It will start as high pitched and funny and progress to being deep and menacing. He is a seductive, charismatic villain. He is very funny, almost teasing the audience with his wit and then scaring it out of them with his sinister behavior. I would believe that this character existed in the real world. Is he so different from John Wayne Gacy, the famous killer that dressed up as a clown to lure and kill children? Some may say that this Joker is too dark and violent. It’s pointless to compare Ledger’s performance to Jack Nicholson’s Joker. Nicholson’s performance fit the tone of the original film but “The Dark Knight” calls for a completely different, darker tone. I must say that Ledger, with his range (”A Knight’s Tale,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “I’m Not There,” etc.), gravitas, fearlessness and unfortunately brief career, is the James Dean of this generation.

There is another performance worth noting by Aaron Eckhart. Eckhart evokes as much sympathy as Batman with his portrayal of District Attorney Harvey Dent. Like Batman, the audience roots for him to strive under pressure because he has as much responsibility to clean up Gotham being its “White Knight.” Eckhart also creates sympathy when he transforms into Two Face. His approach is unique in that he does not make Two Face the crazed villain he is in the comic book, but rather a truly tragic figure. It’s a great performance by an underrated film actor.

“The Dark Knight” is rich, complex, and Oscar-worthy. It is not your typical summer action movie. It has a sophistication and intensity that makes it far more than simply “another Batman movie.” So, I’m not going to compare its quality to the other films in the franchise. However, I will compare it to the quality of this year’s films: It is the best so far- by far.