the dark knight post

8/7/2019 the dark knight post

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BATTLE FOR GOTHAMS SOUL:

Analyzing The Dark Knight

DISCLAIMER: This post may come across as a somewhat fetishistic admiration for the man behind the

film Christopher Nolan. So I will use this chance to say: good. It should come across as that. The man is

a genius. Not only did he write, produce, and direct this mountain of impossible expectations, but hes

succeeded in doing what so many before him in the superhero film genre have failed doing. That is, he

has ignited an entire franchise by creating a wholly epic drama by grafting its super-heroic story in a

real-world setting. In turn, this gritty and tangible take on the story peels past the superficial layers of a

hero and examining the genuine human conditions of greed, guilt, duty, and sacrifice mixed with an

element of fantasy and not the other way around. And in a time when most summer films beat the

audience senseless with overused CGI, bland dialogue, mindless premises, and terrible clichés, The Dark

Knight breathes a breath of fresh air into the sails of not just the superhero genre, but modern

filmmaking altogether.

The City at Stake

Similar to the opening mass of swarming bats in Batman Begins, the film starts with the iconic Batman

symbol. But unlike the predecessor, this time the insignia is wreathed in black flames, barely shining

through for a split second, and then just as quickly, engulfed by the chaos that overtakes the bat. Overt

metaphor? Sure. Talk about setting the right tone for the film within the first 10 seconds.

Gotham City is falling prey to a rising criminal mastermind. After a meticulously planned and equally

well executed bank heist reminiscent of Michael Manns crime epic Heat , some lunatic wearing a

demented clown mask is on the verge of single-handedly running away with the mobs funds. But the

bank manager has a few choice words for this fun-loving thief before he runs away:

Criminals in this town used to believe in things honor, respect look at you. What do you

believe in huh? What do you believe in?!



Well Mr. Bank Man, you neednt ask this man twice.

After ditching the clown mask and revealing an equally sardonic and unnervingly sick grin underneath,

this Clown Prince of Crime is officially introduced to the silver screen once again after an absence of

nearly two decades:

I believe that whatever doesnt kill you simply makes you stranger.

Translation? Ladies and gentlemen, the Joker has landed and this aint no campy 1989 version. Please

fasten your seatbelt, youre in for one hell of a ride.

With the little issue of introducing one of pop cultures most iconic villains taken care of, we catch up

with The Batman himself. Except now, the citys overrun with Batman copycats, regular citizens taking

the law into their hands, masquerading as the caped crusader. When Bruce Batman Wayne began this

crazy campaign against crime, he didnt foresee that his presence in Gotham may inspire other regular

citizens to follow in his path.

This serves to set up an interesting dividing line between Batman and Gothams citizens. More

importantly, these copycats reveal how regular citizens view this masked vigilante and how their

perception of this hero changes as the film progresses. More on this motif of perception later.

Batman then investigates the remains of the heisted bank vault, now depleted of the mobs money.

Lieutenant Gordon asks Batman to look into the Joker again.

One man or the entire mob? He can wait.

Oh poor Batman. How naïve you can be sometimes. But with the mobs savings dwindling and the cops

tracking the dirty money, this gives Batman and the cops the opportunity to take down the citys

criminal underworld once and for all. Yay. And there was much rejoicing.

The White Knight

Similar to the ascension/descension theme throughoutBatman Begins, The Dark Knight also toys with

the idea of rising to your potential vs. falling into chaos and the metaphorical highs and lows of a



character. The first visual clue? The location of the new Bat-cave. With Wayne manor still under

construction after Ducards manic grudge-holding-turned-arson in the previous film, Alfred descends

underground into the new base of operations. Alfred offers some sound words of warning:

Know your limits, Master Wayne.

Batman has no limits.

But you do, sir.

Its interesting to note that Bruce now sees his true identity as Batman, as previously observed by his

love interest, Rachel Dawes, at the conclusion of Batman Begins. It takes the fatherly words of Alfred to

even distinguish the difference between Batman and the man behind the mask. Its also important to

note that Bruce views himself as omnipotent, above the citys laws and constraints.

Speaking of Ms. Dawes, it turns out shes been dating the new district attorney in town, Mr. Harvey Dent

AKA Gothams White Knight. Charismatic. Enthusiastic. Charming. Eager. And volatile. Rampaging to

save the city from the monsters, Dent hears news of the mobs emptying pockets and weakening hold

on the city. Hell help Gordon take down the mob, but first, he wants to meet the Batman.

Out at dinner one night, Rachel and Harvey run into, who would have guessed it? Mr. Bruce Wayne and

his blonde ballerina friend. What comes next is arguably the central theme upon which the entire film

builds.

You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Well said, Mr. White Knight, well said. You obviously realize that the city views The Batman differently

than Bruce views him. You obviously understand that Im trying to examine the motif of the perception

of a hero throughout the film. And you obviously know that I will expand on your overly-eloquent motto

later on.

Seeing someone who could finally one day take up his mantle and allow him to hang up his cape and

cowl (and finally bed his childhood sweetheart), Bruce decides to help the charismatic young D.A. fulfill

his goal of saving Gotham. Its interesting to note that Bruce first approves of Dent here at dinner. Then

later on, when he meets Dent and Gordon on the roof of the police department, Batman echoes Bruces

approval of and support for Dent. They agree to bend the rules (just this once) to take down the mob

once and for all an early hint at what will be a growing motif of lies throughout the movie. But

nevertheless, a triumvirate of good is formed. Once again everyone, with feeling this time: Yay! And

there was much rejoicing.



The Jokers Deal

With the mobs funds crumbling, corrupt accountant Mr. Lau calls together the heads of Gothams mob

bosses over hors doeuvres and afternoon tea to discuss the growing problem. He vows that in order to

save what remains of the mobs money, he must hide it and flee to Hong Kong. Laughs ensue. Well not

real laughs

Ha ha ha hoo he ha and I thought my jokes were bad.

The Joker strolls into the mob boss tea party and offers an alternate plan kill the Batman. And his fee?

Half the mobs savings. Laughs ensue. Real laughs this time. But the Joker doesnt find it quite as funny.

(Note to self: do not laugh if a man dressed as a clown with live grenades in his coat doesnt laugh first.)

After being shunned by the mob, Mr. J takes matters into his own hands by taking down everyone who

bad mouths him at tea parties and recruiting for his own demented Clown Cult of Chaos (The CCC

could catch on dont you think?). Sorry Mr. Gamble, you shouldnt have yelled at Mr. J or called him

crazy, he doesnt like that. Not one bit.

But before dispatching of said bad-mouther, Mr. J recounts how he first got his iconic smile - a grand

story of an abusive father scarring his own son. A grand story indeed, Joker man. But contrasted to the

story he later tells Rachel at knifepoint, we can only assume the mans lying. This again illustrates one of

the most intriguing and prevalent themes throughout the film the motives for lying and deceiving

others. While The Jokers reasons for lying, it would seem, are pretty much out of pure enjoyment the

way an executioner may torture its victim before taking its life other characters later on lie for more

compelling reasons. More on this when we get there (Im not lying, promise).



The New Man in Town

After Batman leaves Gotham City for a somewhat long but undeniably efficient extraction of Mr. Lau

from a Hong Kong skyscraper, the corrupt accountant finally gives up his sources and incriminates every

criminal who invested in the funds (Thank you RICO case). What ensues is Judge Surrillo sentencing

more than 500 criminals in one hearing. Not too shabby Judge, not bad at all. And there was much

rejoicing once again.

But the Mayor doesnt seem too eager to pat D.A. Harvey Dent on the back and light his celebratory

cigar just yet. He warns Dent that with this newfound success, the bulls-eye is on Dents back now. And

if Dent were to fall, all 500 men would be back on the streets (No pressure or anything Dent you only

have the entire citys hopes, dreams, and safety in your hands. Seriously, even Peyton Manning has to

crumble at some point eh?).

The Mayors long-winded warning comes to an abrupt halt when the dead body of a Batman copycat

drops down the side of the Mayors office. Newscasters swarm to the body on which a calling card is

pinned:

Will the real Batman please stand up?

Paging a Mr. Batman. Mr. Batman, you have a visitor in town. He wears pasty clown makeup, a purple

three-piece suit, and wields a demented grin. Please dial 9 for assistance.

The subsequent news coverage on TV catches Bruces attention as he prepares for Dents fund raiser.Bruce stops and finally lays eyes on his new arch-enemy. Stars twinkle, clouds part, and time slows

down. Its not quite love at first sight, but its close enough for these two chips off the same block. Mr. J,

this is Batman. Batman, this is Mr. J. You will now arguably become the greatest enemies in all of pop

culture. Hold on to your seats folks, this ride is just taking off and we expect some major turbulence.

The new man in town wastes no time in entering the pissing contest for reigns of the city and makes a

few demands of Batman some serious demands indeed.



You want order in Gotham? Batman must take off his mask and turn himself in. Everyday he

doesnt, people will die. Starting tonight. Im a man of my word.

Cue tension. Cue impending doom and dread. Cue decisions decision decisions for Batman. More on this

theme of action vs. passivity later on.

Batman refuses to reveal his identity, as expected. But once again Bruce, you underestimate this Joker

fellow. He said he was a man of his word and this time, he aint lying. That evening, Mr. J and his goons

manage to kill the Police Commissioner and Judge Surrillo via my two favorite methods of murder car

explosion and acidic alcohol. Nice. The death of the Commissioner and the Judge leaves the Gotham City

Police Department in shambles and frees every criminal sentenced by Surrillo. Chaos ensues throughout

Gotham City. The Jokers last target of the night? Why, none other than The White Knight himself, Mr.

Dent.

So Mr. J deems it fitting to crash Dents fund raiser party. After enjoying a delectable shrimp on a skewer

and a sip of champagne, The Joker gets down to terrorizing helpless old men and attractive girlfriends.

But Mr. J didnt expect Batman to crash his clown party before he could cut up sweet Rachels face. This

forces the Joker to take a rain-check on his killing spree. I think its safe to say there was probably not so

much rejoicing that night.

The Seams Unravel

With the city reeling in fear of this new terrorist who has just added the Mayor to his hit-list Bruce

has no choice but to track The Joker in broad daylight. After some nifty investigating involving lifting a

single fingerprint off a shattered bullet (even James Bond couldnt do that), Bruce determines that his

lead will try to kill the Mayor at the citys memorial parade for Commissioner Loeb. However, Bruce is

helpless to stop anyone as the Joker and his goons kill Lieutenant Gordon. Complete and utter chaos,

you may now take over the streets of Gotham. Blood, you may now stain the hands of Batman once

again.



Reminiscent of the death of his parents, Bruce is again unable to take the action necessary to protect

those he cares about. He makes the choice to ignore the Jokers threats and instead, is left (partially)

responsible for the deaths of the police Commissioner, Judge Surrillo, and now Lieutenant Gordon.

One could even argue Bruce fears revealing his secret to the city and its this fear of being perceived no

longer as a hero, but as an ordinary man, that leads to the death of innocent people. To Bruce, havingthe citizens of Gotham see him as their hero was more important than actually saving innocent lives.

Sound familiar Bruce? Your fear leads to blood on your hands? How did your parents die again?

Coincidence or Nolans writing at its (near) best? (Not to answer my own rhetorical question or anything

but I believe Nolans writing is at its best later on youll know when I get to it.)

In the aftermath of the assassination, Dent hijacks a car and interrogates one of the Jokers goons in a

dark alley. He pulls out a gun and threatens to kill him unless he squeals on the Joker. He pulls out his

lucky coin and decides to leave the mans life to chance.

No I wont [kill you] thats why Im not gonna leave it up to me. Heads - you get to keep your

head. Tails - not so lucky.

Without consequences, what lengths would a man go to in order to save those he loves? Would he kill

one man to save a woman? Mr. Harvey Dent, sir, your armor all of a sudden doesnt shine as brightly as

the public perceives

But Batman doesnt kill. Thats his one rule. As discussed in my previous Batman Begins post, Batman

draws a fine line between actively killing someone and passively allowing someone to die, a unique

shade to the action vs. passivity theme throughout both movies. But even he cant have any more

deaths on his conscience. He stops Dent before he kills the goon, ruins his career, and shatters the citys

hopes. He then tells Dent to hold a press conference. Batman will reveal himself and turn himself in.Translation? Batman gives in. The Joker wins.

The Lies



When Bruce returns to his penthouse, Rachel is there waiting for him. He asks her if he gave up being

Batman, could they be together?

Bruce dont make me your one hope for a normal life.

But she cant resist the playboy charm or rather, the Bruce Wayne charm or is it the Batman charm?

Ah so many perceptions of Bruce Wayne eh? Nevertheless, she kisses him. She says she would wait for

him. This could either be seen as a whorish move for Rachel (which I dont think) or a more well-

intentioned lie in her attempt to love two men, each representing an important aspect of her character.

Ladies and gentlemen, in the red corner, weighing in at a hefty 210lbs, wearing the black tights and

holding the Bat-a-rang, Rachels childhood love and masked hero, Bruce Wayne! And in the blue corner,

weighing in at 190lbs, wearing the striped tie and holding his fathers lucky coin, Rachels hopes for a

better city and brighter tomorrow, Harvey Dent! Let the two ideals clash for the heart of the lady!

The most obvious lie comes next at the press conference. Bruce is about to step forward and reveal his

identity to the world but Harvey Dent beats him to the punch (way to steal his limelight Dent). With thepublic believing Dent is Batman, he is cuffed and prepped to be sent to the county prison. This lie mainly

serves to quell the public fears about the Joker attacks. In this case, Dent lies for the betterment of the

city and to assuage growing unrest. A lie but is it an acceptable lie? Ah damn it shades of gray ethics!

A more intriguing lie then comes when Harvey says goodbye to Rachel as hes being sent away. He gives

her his fathers lucky coin the same coin that won him his first date with her and the same coin he

used when threatening to kill the Jokers henchman. Rachel inspects the coin and flips it over a two-

headed coin two faces. Seems that Mr. Dent wasnt the most truthful when it came to leaving things

up to chance eh? So much for 50/50. So what is a lie worth? A date with a pretty girl? A threat to kill a

man? A mans ethics? Morals? We shall see Mr. Dent we shall see.

After the ensuing obligatory car chase one in which the Batmobile not only crushes a garbage truck but

also takes a rocket to its butt and still manage to poop out the Bat-Pod another lie is revealed. With

Batman seemingly at the mercy of the Clown Prince of Crime, the driver transporting Dent comes to the

rescue. And he is revealed to be none other than the dead man himself Lieutenant Gordon. In order to

protect his wife and kids from the Joker killings, Gordon faked his death and waited for his turn to strike.

In this case, Gordons lie to both the public and his family works out well as he and Batman finally

capture the J-Man. People hug, stars shine, flowers bloom, rainbows appear, and the world is happy. Or

rather, chaos, danger, deceit, death, and more lies ensue and threaten to derail every character from

the equilibriums of their lives. That just makes for a better movie, me thinks.



The Jokes On You

With The Joker sitting in a jail cell, Lieutenant Gordon personally gets promoted to Commissioner by the

Mayor. Yay. And there was much rejoicing. Im serious this time. Even Mr. J himself congratulates

Gordon on his success. Clap. Clap. But there wont be much more rejoicing from here on out sorry.

The subsequent kidnapping of Mr. Dent troubles everyone. In fact, its so troubling that Gordon begins

to fall prey to the likes of The Joker. Essentially, The Joker represents both the vulnerable temptations

and widespread corruptibility of Gotham City. He first plays into the mobs greed and convinces (rather,

forces) them to hire him. Then he tried to persuade (is that the right word?) Batman into revealing his

identity by killing innocent people and leaving their deaths at his doorstep. Now it seems The Joker has

gotten to Gordon by kidnapping and threatening to kill the citys sole hope for a better tomorrow

Dent. So what does Gordon do? He falls prey to Jokers games and instead of using the law, relies on

Batman to pulp the bloody pulp out of The Joker. You Mr. J, sir, are quite the puppeteer Im not even

mad. Just impressed.

What follows is perhaps the greatest dialogue ever written between Batman and Joker, ever. Period.

(Incidentally, I think its ironic that Microsoft Word is telling me that Period. is a fragment.) It could

even be one of the best scenes in any recent movie. The interrogation scene epitomizes the views of

two opposite forces, centers it at the most pivotal point in the film, encloses the characters in an

inescapable room, and lets the fireworks fly. Tensions build, philosophies are explored, smirks are

given, even a few laugh-out-loud moments occur, and then punches are landed, glass is shattered, and

more laugh-out-loud moments are had. Nevertheless, The Joker, once again, manages to crawl underBatmans skin. He plays into Batmans self-proclaimed view of self-righteousness, into Batmans

misconstrued view of being a hero, being the savior above everyone else in the city.

Dont talk like one of them, youre not! Even if youd like to be. To them, youre just a freak, like

me! They need you right now but when they dont, theyll cast you out theyre only as good

as the world allows them to be



Oh Mr. J where to even begin? Is it obvious that your views not only play into the themes of

ascension/descension but also action vs. passivity? You see the world as your own personal playground,

a place in which you want to test the human condition by proving that everyone is weak, ugly, and

corruptible. And most of all, that a city such as Gotham (and a self-proclaimed hero such as Batman)

can and will be corrupted and sunk to a new low. Anything and anyone that claims to be incorruptible

to be above the chaos is well plainly put a joke. You, sir, are on a mission to spread chaos

throughout the city and grant the citizens of Gotham the opportunity to show their true, dark colors.

And The Batman. You obviously believe in the ideals of justice, balance, growth, and truth. But you dont

realize how the city views you, how the criminals view you, how the cops view you, and how you even

view yourself? How many personalities do you have again Mr. Batman/Bruce/Playboy? Wasnt it a while

back when everyone adored you, dressed up like you and masqueraded around pretending to be you?

Because recently, the entire city seems to have turned on you and called for your head on a stake for

letting innocent people die. Hmm mid-life crisis wouldnt even begin to do your problems justice

sir

So no wonder Batman loses his cool. Hes probably tired. His sweet car got blown up. He just wants to

make out with his girl behind Dents back. He could probably go for a bite to eat or a nice nap. But hes

got to sit in a dingy cell and listen to some sadistic clown nag him about his flaws. Then the crazy guy

drops the bomb that Bruces lady friend is also missing. Oh Mr. J, you can say whatever you want about

Batman but once you bring the girl into it, watch out. You, sir, crossed the line.

So what does Batman do? The only thing men in his position know how to do when a girl is involved

beat the living pulp out of the other guy. So Batman punches him. But the Joker laughs. So Batman

punches him again. The Joker laughs harder (maybe you should try saying please Bruce). To The

Joker, this is all a sick futile joke.

You have nothing to threaten me with nothing to do with all your strength.

But The Joker obliges. Happily. Rachels at one address. Dents at another. Simple enough. But oh before

you go Bats, you should know you only have time to save one of them. Choose wisely.

On one hand, you can save the girl your childhood love who wants to be with you if youd just quit this

ridiculously extended personal Halloween party but leave Dent to die the one light of hope in

Gotham upon whose shoulders the fate of the entire city balances. If Dent dies, you would be forever

doomed to be Batman, the city might crumble into chaos, and you would never be with the girl you so

desperately want to be with.

On the other hand, you can save Dent and protect the city and everything youve worked so hard to

build but leave your one true love to burn. In that case, even if the city was saved and Batman was no

longer needed, who would you have in your life?

Either way you play it, sir, you must take action to save one person and passively kill the other. Damnit

action vs. passivity theme, thou art everywhere! And soon enough, the motif of lying will rear its head



again too! As will the theme of a heros perception of himself vs. the publics perception of him! And the

theme of ascension/descension! How do you do it Nolan?! How?!! Tell me your secrets of amazing

screenwriting!!! Tell me!!! (In case you havent noticed by now, I think this series of events beginning

with the interrogation scene and ending with Rachels Dear John letter is the best writing Nolans

ever done. By a long shot. In fact, I believe its the best sequence of screenwriting anyones written in

several years. I know I know, fetishistic admiration for Nolan indeed you dont have to remind me.)

So who does Batman choose to save? The girl, of course. Always choose the girl. So Batman races off to

save Rachel, leaving the cops to go to Dents location. They both race against time. They both head into

the underworld, falling hard for The Jokers plans. Simultaneously, The Joker, locked up nice and tight in

the interrogation room, begins his ascension out of prison and towards freedom.

Oh how slippery the notion of the truth can be, eh Batman? Turns out lying is a common thing in

Gotham City. And turns out The Joker just pulled a real good one. Batman gets to the address Mr. J gave,

expecting to find Rachel. Only he walks in the door to gaze at a D.A. half-soaked in gasoline, pleading for

Batman to go help Rachel.

Whyd you come for me?!

Oh Batman, how youve fallen for The Jokers ploys and boy have you fallen hard. Its interesting to

note here that before Batman arrives, Dent lies to Rachel and reassures her that everything will be ok,

that Batman will save her. At the time, Im sure Dent meant every word he said. But with Batmans

arrival, guess who looks like a liar now?

Batman manages to save Dent but only half. Which half was saved you might ask? We shall see soon

enough young grasshopper, soon enough. And to add insult to injury, Batman or should I say Bruce

leaves Rachel to burn. So in the aftermath of Rachels bombing, Batman stands amidst the rubble of death, a lone hero left to retrieve the only remain of his lost love Dents lucky coin (The film has

obvious political undercurrents, ranging from terrorist attacks in a post 9/11 world to the analysis of

terrorism itself, citizenship rights, perceptions and need for heroism, unauthorized spying, and lying to

the public. I will not get into politics here but suffice it to say that this image of Batman standing among

the rubble of a bombed building echoes the images of 9/11 as does the later bombing of the Gotham

hospital). So as Batman sinks into the lowest and darkest corners of his heart, The Joker sticks his head

out the window of the car like a sick dog, breathing the fresh air, rising above the constraints of prison,

society, and Batman.

But the catch to The Jokers lie is this: To the public, Batman keeps his image alive. He is the hero who

saves the D.A. and instills hope for a better tomorrow. He is the hero who chose to sacrifice his own true

love for the betterment of the city. But in his mind, Batman knows hes been tricked. He chose the

selfish choice and paid the ultimate price of not only losing the girl, but also having to live with the

knowledge that hed been setup, played, and corrupted by The Joker.

Bravo Nolan, bravo.



The Two Sides of the Same Coin

In the aftermath of Rachels death and Dents hospitalization, The Joker is once again, running wild in

the city. Batman is dejected and lost. Alfred deems it necessary to open the letter Rachel had left for

Bruce, entrusted to Alfred to give to Bruce at his time of most dire need.

Dear Bruce,

I need to be honest and clear. Im going to marry Harvey Dent. I love him and I want to spend

the rest of my life with him

Oh Rachel dont be honest with Bruce he needs to hear that you love him, even if its a l ie. Just as

Dent lied to you before you were blown to bits by The Joker, a man sometimes just needs to say or

hear that everything will be ok. Because sometimes, the truth just isnt good enough. Bruce is still

under the impression that youll be waiting for him, that youll be willing to leave Dent if Bruce gives up

Batman. And yet here comes Alfred, committing his own lie of omission. Sensing Bruces dejection,

Alfred doesnt give him Rachels letter and in fact, proceeds to burn it, destroying it and allowing Bruce

to believe Rachel died loving him forever. In this act, Alfreds lie arguably saves Bruce from tumbling

down a road from which he cannot return. By lying to Bruce, Alfred keeps a flicker of hope alive in

Batman.

In contrast, Dent wakes in the hospital bed to the sight of his coin the same lucky coin he last left with

Rachel before her death, the same lucky coin that is now charred black on one side, but pristine on the

other. Dent snaps. In this case, a lie may have served the man well. But alas, no one was there to tell

Dent that everything would turn out ok. This lack of a comforting lie in Dents fragile state sends him

down the road Bruce so easily could have entered if it wasnt for Alfreds lie of omission. And so begins

Dents downfall.

He grows to believe that Gordon and Batman failed to take the necessary action to save Rachel. He

believes that if Gordon had never worked with a vigilante such as Batman, Rachel would still be alive. He



believes the law and society as a whole failed him, corrupted by the citys dealings with the bat-devil.

In his manic depression and delusion, Harvey Dent becomes a man torn between justice and revenge,

love and hate, right and wrong Two Face.

With his newfound freedom, what does The Joker do? He gathers his payment of course half the

mobs savings. He stockpiles it in the hull of container freight and in front of the mobs very eyes, burnsit down like a mountain of firewood.

All you care about is money. This town deserves a better class of criminal. And Im gonna give it

to em! Its not about money, its about sending a message...

And what message would you like to send Mr. J? That you won the pissing contest? You now hold the

key to the city? You strolled into town and single-handedly annihilated the police, judges, lawyers,

accountants, and even Batman? Well theres only one more thing to do of course. Unleash chaos.

Unleash anarchy. In times of dire need, the people of the city will show their true colors right? Theyll

prove just how easily corruptible human nature is how weak the citizens of Gotham City are and how

easily a genius puppeteer such as yourself can control the masses. Let the experimentation begin.

The Social Experiment

With the Wayne Enterprises accountant on the verge of revealing Batmans true identity and turning the

entire city against Bruce, The Joker interrupts the anticipated news by spicing up the fun-factor in town.

Why should I have all the fun? Lets give someone else a chance. If Coleman Reese isnt dead in60 minutes, then I blow up a hospital.

Utilitarian ethics, youre up to bat (to pun intended). Is one mans life worth the lives of an entire

hospital of innocent people? Would the public be corrupted enough by The Jokers mad game to break

the law, throw morals into the wind, and try to kill an innocent man? Ah shades of gray ethics how you

rear your intriguing head once again.



The great irony here is that Bruce the very man whose life is about to be ruined by Coleman Reeses

confession is also the only man capable of saving him from Gotham Citys citizens. So what does the

self-proclaimed hero do? Why, he sacrifices his Lamborghini Murcielago (Italian for bat for those of

you who dont speak los language de lamour) to save Reese. Its important to note that Bruce Wayne

saves Reese, not Batman. In this capacity, Batman gets no credit the public and Reese dont see

Batman as the hero of the day. They see the billionaire playboy, too ignorant to care about what just

happened, who just so happened to accidently save someones life as the hero AKA Bruce isnt in it for

the credit or the perception of heroics. Once again, Bruce toys with the perception of how Gotham City

views him a motif that will come full circle soon enough.

With The Jokers failure to prompt Gothams citizens to play his sadistic game and kill Reese, what does

Mr. J decide to do? Dress up like a nurse, of course. (What? Do regular people not cross-dress when

trying to make a point? What have I been wasting my time on then?) Clad in a nurse outfit, The Joker

decides to pay a personal visit to the one and only White Knight who he had tried to kill just days ago.

Ah The Joker the wild card, the X-factor, the self-proclaimed agent of chaos. So Mr. Wild Card does

what he had previously done so easily with the mob, the cops, and even Batman he plays into Dentsmost nagging doubt and fear, his most vulnerable temptation, and exploits it. He holds Dents hand (not

the best hand-shake to start off a relationship but itll suffice) and tells him that Rachels death wasnt

his fault. He tells Dent that he didnt rig those charges that blew Rachel to bits. He tells Dent that he

doesnt have a plan for how this whole thing will turn out he just does things. But most importantly, he

tells Dent that the cops and Batman failed to do what they promised they would protect the innocent.

Hello! Does this sound familiar? Oh Joker Man, if I ever get caught playing a game of B.S. with you sir I

will just throw my cards on the table and leave. Seriously.

So why does The Joker lie? While other characters previously lied generally for the betterment of

something or someone else, The Joker isnt quite as noble. He lies probably for the sheer fun of it all.Probably because in his mind he knows, If I get Dent, then I get the city. Or probably just to get back at

Batman for punching him in the face (honestly, that probably hurt but The Joker wouldnt admit it

then). But in all seriousness, Dent proves to be the filet mignon of pawns for The Joker. Sure Mr. J can

convince mob thugs and even the cops to do bad things. He can even get under Batmans skin pretty

good. But if he reels in the big fish himself, the White Knight of Gotham, and sinks this beaming symbol

of hope into the cesspool of infectious corruption and demented violence, then simply put The Joker

wins. And Gotham City falls. So The Joker wastes no time in turning Dents fragile mind into mush,

emptying it of all logic and truth, and refilling the thing up with anarchy and a handgun. So you may be

wondering, how long did it take for The Joker to unleash his master plan, push the entire city to the

brink of destruction, and still catch a school bus home? Hmm Id guess around 60 minutes. Boom goesthe hospital. A man of your word indeed Joker.



The Morality Play

In the bowels of Wayne Enterprises, Batman breaks into the R&D department. Bat-gadget expert and

resident CEO, Lucius Fox, goes to investigate and comes upon a wall of screen displays, each visualizing

seismic response times emitted from the cell phones of Gotham City citizens a city-wide sonar system.

Batman needs Foxs help to track down The Joker but Fox isnt so eager to help.

Beautiful, unethical, dangerous this is wrong but Ill help you this one time, but consider this

my resignation. As long as this machine is at Wayne Enterprises, I wont be.

Fox should serve as the audiences moral compass in the movie. But no matter how ethical he may be, a

mans gotta draw the line somewhere. How much are your ethics worth? How about the death of a

police commissioner? Or a judge? Or a friend? Or the entire citys safety from a terrorists threats? What

would you give up to disregard ethics just this once? (This is the same exact bond Dent, Gordon, and

Batman made when promising to take down the mob mind you) Indeed, Fox serves as a moral compass

a compass that tries its hardest to point north, but inevitably gives in, forsakes morals, and agrees to

illegally spy on 30 million people in order to find one just this once.

With The Jokers impending threat to turn the entire city into a carnival of demented clowns by nightfall,

the Gotham City ferries begin to extract citizens from the city. One ferry carries the criminals and rapists

and murderers who Dent had previously incarcerated. And with Dent running lose in the city, Dents

criminals are deemed dangerous and must be separated from the general public. Another ferry carries a

group of ordinary Gotham citizens, a mixture of the public ranging from young to old, men and women.

But the exodus out of Gotham is not as easy as one may suspect. The ferries stall. Explosives are found

in the engine rooms. Detonators are given to each ship. And a particularly sadistic voice screeches over

the P.A. system, introducing a new game he would like to play with Gothams citizens.



Blow up the other boat. At midnight, I blow you all up. If however, one of you presses the

button, Ill let that boat live. So whos it gonna be? Harvey Dents most wanted scumbag

collection? Or the sweet and innocent civilians? You choose.

Quite the prisoners dilemma nest-ce pas? If neither of you take action, you all die. If you both take

action, you all die. If one of you takes action, you get to live with blood on your hands. But Id like topoint out another possibility here: what if The Jokers lying? With the mans track record, how could you

believe the detonator in your hand actually triggers the blast on the opposite ferry? But alas, therein lies

the rub. If you decide to destroy the other boat and push the button, perhaps the detonator, in

actuality, blows up your own boat. And in the end, thats the real price you pay for being so easily

corrupted, isnt it? In the end, if you have it in your heart to kill others, perhaps you deserve death

yourself.

But I guess well never the answer to that question. The criminals ferry (to my surprise) forfeit the

chance to commit any more murder. But the citizens ferry on the other hand, not only contemplate

killing in cold blood, but also try to rationalize their reasons for murder.

Those men on that boat, they made their choices. They chose to murder and steal. Doesnt

make any sense for us to have to die too.

Ah gray shades of ethics once again. In this light, the incarcerated are more good and just than the

citizens who seriously considered killing people, regardless of whether they were guilty or innocent. But

alas, with everything hanging in the balance The Joker on the verge of proving his point, Batman on

the verge of being carved up, Gotham City on the verge of blowing up into the night the innocent

citizens of the city finally do show their true colors. And they prove that theyd rather die than take

anothers life. Bravo Gotham City, bravo for north-pointing moral compasses.

With Foxs help, Batman tracks down the Joker. But before he can sweet-talk his arch-enemy out of

blowing up innocent people, Batman must forcibly take down the cops who have mistakenly identified

hostages as The Jokers henchmen.

So in one aspect, the cops wrongfully perceive the innocent as guilty. But in times of dire need when

the chips are down, so to speak they decide to shoot these men without regard to logic or ethics

sounds strangely like The Jokers prediction of human nature doesnt it?

In another aspect, Batman must beat up cops in order to save the innocent people of Gotham. Yet to the

outside observer, Batman would be the anti-hero, pummeling the very cops who are entrusted to

protect the public wasnt it The Joker who also warned that Gotham would see Batman as a freakregardless of what he did? Hmm interesting.

And in one last aspect, this is the only point in the film Batman utilizes his sonar-vision. Aside from

granting him an omnipotent view of the building, the vision also serves to highlight Batmans perception

of the innocent and guilty. His entire vision is recoded to waves of light and dark (no shades of gray mind

you), disregarding age, race, gender, etc. In this sense, Batman perceives both the cops and the



henchmen as targets and objectives neutrally. One could argue Batman transcends his need to view

himself as the hero or concern over how the city views him. Translation? In the citys most desperate

time of need, Batman disregards his need to be seen as a hero and fully embraces his duty as a hero,

whatever it may entail. Hmm interesting distinction between the perception of self vs. others

perception I would say this will come full circle soon enough.

By the time Batman finally takes down The Joker, both ferries await their inevitable demise or so they

think. But once again, Batman saves the day without the public knowing. Hes done the heroic deed

without getting the heros credit. Translation? The people of Gotham win. The Joker loses. And soon,

Batman will make the most difficult choice of all.

The Second Chance

Rampaging through the city to rid its monsters a goal D.A. Dent set out to accomplish in the beginning

of his illustrious career Harvey Two-Face Dent ends up hunting down the corrupt cops he deems

responsible for Rachels death. The last person on his agenda? None other than Commissioner Gordon.

And to wreak poetic justice (or is it vengeance) on Gordon, Two Face demands Gordon go to the exact

location where Rachel died, the exact location where Two Face now holds Gordons sons life in the

palm of his hand, literally.

The only morality in a cruel world is chance. Unbiased. Unprejudiced. Fair. His sons got the

same chance she did 50/50.

Batman shows up, completing the triumvirate of good these three heroes had completed early on in

their quest to save Gotham City. (Trust me, this is not the time for rejoicing.)

But it serves to highlight the contrast between these heroes journey from light to dark, from high to

low. Before, Gordon was incorruptible. But he began bending the rules in order to bring down the mob

just this once. In essence, he sunk down a slippery slope and fell to the mobs level. He even lied when



he faked his death and hid it from his family. So what does Two Face urge Gordon to do before pledging

to murder his son?

Lie. Like I lied.

Batman was similarly incorruptible when the truce was first formed, the reigning hero in Gothams eyes.

Mr. Inspirational, compelling ordinary citizens to stand up, dress up in their favorite flying rodent

costume, and go masquerading and fighting bad guys in the night. But Batmans inability to take action

has left the city pointing the finger for the deaths of innocent civilians at him. Whats the difference

between a hero and a villain in the publics eye again Batman? Please enlighten me.

And lastly, Dent. The White Knight, upon who the city had placed all hope, fell to The Jokers ploys. It

should come as no surprise then that Dent completes his downfall by falling into the darkness,

descending to the only other place he can go - death. And it should similarly be noted that Batman

resists falling, albeit only for an instance to save Gordons son, but then inevitably also falls into the

darkness with Dent.

Its interesting to note here that Batman actively kills Dent. One may argue Batman tackles both Dent

and Gordons son off the building to save the son, without the purpose of killing Dent. But in doing so,

Batman is still actively responsible for Dents fall. This distinction, once again, between action vs.

passivity, sets up Batmans impending choice.

With the death of Harvey Dent squarely placed at Batmans feet (literally), Batman ends up breaking his

one rule a tease The Joker previously predicted. This explains why Batman feels the necessity to cover

for Dents death by taking the blame for Dents actions. Arguably, Batman assumes Dents identity

once the hero of the city, but now the crazed vigilante. And in doing so, Batman (and Gordon) create the

ultimate lie to tell the city. Ah central theme of the film, you may now be reprised. Dent will be foreverremembered as a courageous hero and casualty in the citys war on crime, dying a hero. And the caped

crusader the Dark Knight will live long enough to see himself become the villain in the eyes of the

very city he protects. Not because he wants to be the villain, but because the city needs a villain. Not

because he needs to be seen as the hero in the eyes of the public, but because he needs to be the hero

in his own eyes.

-a.wei

the dark knight post

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