In ‘The Dark Knight’, Nolan presents Batman as a darker hero for a darker time, a figure that walks the line between saviour and criminal; ultimately, he is ‘whatever Gotham needs (him) to be. The notion of a ‘darker hero’ stems from the era of crisis following the 9/11 attacks of 2001, which led to heightened patriotism, anti-Muslim aggression and an economic crash, and marks a significant departure from the previous cinematic interpretations of the character.
Below is a presentation exploring my initial ideas about the characterisation of Batman in the film: