Batman Begins – A film by Christopher Nolan
The life of Bruce Wayne has fascinated many writers in the world of comic books. Several renditions have given such portraits as “Year One,” a step forward in the Batman enterprise, now owned by Time Warner, but originally a DC comic enjoyed by yours truly in my youth. That transition from 1960’s camp to “Year One” of Batman yielded the Tim Burton version, a darker, more serious Batman presented in 1989.
Even then however, Warner Brothers didn’t want to take too many chances. They cast, of all people, Jack Nicholson to play the joker. It must have been a difficult chore for Burton to control Nicholson, a prankster on and off the set. The result was a “gothic” Batman (especially due to Danny Elfman’s score) with a bit of camp brought by Jack’s antics. The joker was murderous, but fun loving as he delivered his lines with more farce than drama. The franchise went downhill from there, getting further and further from “Year One” and slipping back toward Adam West.
Along comes “Memento” director/editor/writer Christopher Nolan. As has been mentioned already on numerous sites, Nolan has resurrected the Batman franchise with this new look at the old story, in ways that are surprisingly unpredictable.
******SPOILERS*******
For anyone who follows Batman, the story remains the same. Little Bruce Wayne is traumatized by the death of his parents. He accidentally falls into a cave and becomes afraid of Bats. There the similarity with other versions ends. Bruce Wayne then begins a journey into fear and vengeance, a journey that takes him far from Gothom City to the orient. There he is taken under the wing of Ra Al Ghul (in the comics, Al Ghul is several hundred years old, a bit of a pirate with an empire that stretches across several continents). After confronting his teacher in a duel to the death (or so we think), Wayne returns to Gothom City as a changed man wanting to become a crime fighter. Ultimately, he gains trust in others (such as his manservant, Alfred; his childhood friend, Rachael; and Wayne Industries specialist, Lucius Fox). The film’s climax is a typical battle between good and evil, and we know the rest. However, this film is presented in a way that is so fresh and so different from any other Batman, it must be considered on its own merits, thanks to one man, Christopher Nolan.
There are many fans of Christopher Nolan in the film world and on this site. His “Memento” and follow up film, “Insomnia” gathered fans around the writer, director, producer. Now he tackles a summer blockbuster based around an established franchise. Why? The truth may lie in why Burton also wished to tackle such a project. Nolan may have wanted the large purse. Or he may have wanted the notoriety to help his career. However his script, along with story and script contributions by David Goyer (the “Blade” series) have created a complex and brooding film that examines what fear does to a person. Fear is at the core of the “Star Wars” films as well. (“I sense much fear in you… fear leads to the dark side.”) This examination of fear by filmmakers leads one down a path that borders on horror. What is it that makes us afraid, and how can we learn to understand and face our fears? That challenge is put before Bruce Wayne and becomes his motivation for becoming Batman. Not only has Chris Nolan delivered on a much needed fresh script, but he has gathered a great collection of film actors to give the film credibility.
Next, let us look at this stellar cast… Michael Caine (two time Oscar winner); Liam Neeson (nominated for Oscar); Gary Oldman (numerous awards); Tom Wilkinson (AA nominated); Rutger Hauer (numerous); Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai); Morgan Freeman (Oscar winner); even a great cameo by Rade Serbedzija (the Russian villain in The Saint). Every one of those actors performs his part to perfection, adding to the overall experience of the film. Every single scene in the film has “moments” that build to a climax worthy of the best in the superhero genre.
Finally, the star Christian Bale was able to pull off being the spoiled little rich kid turned crime fighter quite subtly and admirably (considering he had to do the latex suit, again!). There are several scenes where Bale’s performance shines through. Only a versatile actor can show two different sides to a coin in a way that is convincing. Bale took a delicate edge and walked it to the end. The film’s denouement is a reaffirmation that Batman Begins is only the beginning. If Nolan can be persuaded, along with a majority of the supporting cast, then a sequel is definitely in order and would be welcome by this writer.
Bookmarks