The Dark Knight

[Chris Knipp]

The wiretapping issue in the fim and possible reference to the Bush administration were something interesting in the Dave Kehr discussion that had eluded me. Maybe some of those contributors read too much into the film, though. I agree with the contributors to that discussion who said a film like this grabs all it can from the zeitgeist without necessarily having a single coherent thesis to put across. There is something there for everybody. Notice some thought it was right wing, some thought it was left wing, some thought it was anarchist, some thought it was fascist. I don't think the filmmakers were thinking about a political thesis. They were trying to put together a movie that worked and was a new take on the Batman themse.

You're right about The Joker as a role. Armond White said Ledger's performance was more simplistic and one-note than Jack Nicholson's. I don't agree with that; it's a great performance. It is definitely scary. However I think that despite Heath's subsequent death and problems at the time, he was basically having fun with the role and it is not to be taken over-seriously. This is first and foremost a great big show. But for sure Nolan goes over the top in making it DARK. THE DARK KNIGHT, get it folks?

Don't take young kids to this, despite the rating. But don't forget it's entertainment, either. Fires and explosions and chases and tumbling trucks. For fun.

Still there is more horror movie in this than in the other ones, or am I wrong?