Terminology

• Ideology = A system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.
• Socio-Political Context = Sociopolitical context refers to contemporary ideologies, regulations, policies, conditions, laws, practices, traditions, and events that define America’s education. These ideologies, practices, laws, and policies cause the current structural inequality in the education sector.
• Vigilante = A member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.
• Dominant Hegemony = Leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others.
• Authoritarianism = The enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.
• Dichotomy = A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
  

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Key arguments in the article

1. Comparisons between the films’ events and their contemporary socio-political context – “Nolan stated in a Rolling Stone interview that ‘the films genuinely aren’t intended to be political’ but many have argued otherwise, enforcing their own interpretations on the ideas of the trilogy. Douthat (2012) even goes so far as to argue that Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is notable for being much more explicitly right-wing than almost any Hollywood blockbuster of recent memory”
2. Vigilantism, justice and vengeance – “The Dark Knight trilogy has led to continued debates that have long existed about Batman as a symbol of vigilantism, justice, vengeance and even fascism.”            “He then joins what some critics have called a ‘terrorist training camp’ in the mountains, where he is trained to fight his enemies when he returns home. Some see Wayne’s Batman as a terrorist who trains with a shadowy league, only to spurn their harsher methods before they finally show up on his doorstep for a ‘blowback’ that many have seen as reflecting America’s involvement with the Taliban before.” “Others have argued that: just as The Dark Knight was a touching tribute to an embattled George W. Bush, who chose to be seen as a villain in order to be the hero, Rises is a love letter to an imperfect America that in the end always does the right thing. Nolte, 2012″
3. Dominant hegemony – Batman needs disorder, chaos and enemies to attack. He serves the status quo, protecting the dominant hegemony of his society. Superheroes, particularly Bruce Wayne with his abundant wealth, benefit from maintaining social structures as they are, or as Meggs (2009, p.4) argues of superheroes: protecting the status quo gives them countless opportunities to defend it from attack.
4. By any means necessary – the tactics of Batman – “Bruce Wayne became the terrorist and Batman became both torturer and operator of a mass surveillance system; it was exactly the point that in fighting the villain, he became the villain. Some read this as an attack on the behaviour of America while others, Marcotte (2012) included, argued that The Dark Knight ‘ended with a seeming endorsement of authoritarianism’

My notes on 9/11 & The War on Terror – Context in The Dark Knight

In order to understand the meaning or symbolism behind character’s actions and dialogue, different types of context research can be carried out. For example researching the historical context of the Spanish Civil War gives us an understanding of what Del Toro based the film upon and what he used to shape his themes around. In addition it aids our understanding of Vidal and his rebel actions. Not only does context help us understand the characters, it also helps us understand Del Toro’s choices for setting and props.