• Their main strength is to attack the hero’s weakness: the more powerful the antagonist, the more difficult it is for the protagonist. Batman’s power comes from his ability to intimidate people, as well his physical strength,  which is reflected in the sharp lines and dark colours of his costume. The Joker is able to create situations where he renders his powers useless, such as when he captured Rachel and Harvey Dent. Also, the fact that The Joker doesn’t fear death means that Batman’s power to intimidate cannot be used against him. Batman refuses to kill people, even criminals, and the only way to stop The Joker would be to kill him; this is the ultimate dilemma.
• Forcing the protagonist to make difficult choices: the more difficult choices the protagonist has to make, the truer the choice is to reflect that character. The Joker pressures Batman into making difficult decisions throughout the film, which get more and more serious as more people keep dying. This is clearly seen where Batman has to choose between Harvey Dent and Rachel.
• The Joker makes Batman wiser to his nature. At the beginning of the film, Batman expresses how he believes that all villains must have a desire for something, however by the end of the film he understands how The Joker only wishes to cause chaos and destruction.

9/11, President Bush Context:

 

Batman, Dark Knight- Dark Ideas

• Batman is considered ‘a symbol of vigilantism,justice, vengeance and even fascism’
• It is heavily emphasised that Batman is a ‘force’ for good, who fights crime under his own rules whilst hiding his identity with a mask. Therefore, he pushes aside any restrictions that laws or the government can have on his perception of justice. He cannot be punished or hunted by enemies as his identity is unknown to the public, which gives him the freedom to go to any lengths to bring down the evil in the city of Gotham.
• Although it is stressed that Batman is willing to go to (almost) any lengths to bring justice and order, even if that means becoming the villain himself, it is also made very clear that he refuses to kill, even if the person is an evil villain. This is a great dilemma for his duty to bring justice, as The Joker cannot be intimidated and does not fear death. This causes the story to be very captivating as the only way to stop The Joker would be to kill him, therefore Batman must make the choice to either go against his morals or allow him to keep terrorising the city.
• Wealthy vigilante- considered very right wing. Reflects the nature of capitalism as he is only able to be Batman because he is rich. This therefore supports capitalism as a social structure as it suggests that good and justice can come from wealthy individuals instead of government powers.
• The Joker’s nature of lack of fear of death is very similar to that of the suicide bombers involved in 9/11, which was a new concept to the world after the attack on New York. This unpredictable nature creates a new sense of fear and vulnerability, as the general public can do nothing to prepare or protect themselves from their random violent attacks.

 

References:

• Turner, P., 2013. Dark Knight, Dark Ideas. The ideology of Nolan’s Batman trilogy, 37-41.
• CrashCourse. (2014). Terrorism, War, and Bush 43: Crash Course US History #46. [Online Video]. 30 January 2014. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlsnnhn3VWE&feature=emb_logo. [Accessed: 9 December 2019].