‘The Dark Knight’ vs ‘The Superhero Genre’

The Dark Knight truck flip: behind-the-scenes of Batman's best stunt - Polygon

 

A brief comparison between the established generic conventions (see previous post) of the ‘Superhero’ genre and Christopher Nolan’s 2008 thriller/action film ‘The Dark Knight’.

  1. Just like the classic comic book superhero, Nolan’s Batman adopts a suit which features an iconic emblem, most noticeably the bat ears. However, Nolan’s Batman’s suit is far less glamorous and ‘shiny’ than the typical superhero costume, and secondly it is not a ‘costume’, but a high-grade military suit made of durable and textured materials.
  2. This difference in the suits highlights perhaps the most significant historic difference between Batman and other superheroes: Batman has no superpowers. Nolan’s Batman is given a real-world setting and is a plausible character, hence the importance of the role which ‘Batman Begins’ played in establishing his origins. Although, as with any superhero film, Batman is given ‘narrative immortality’, raising the importance of developing the characters surrounding him, as these are the people at risk. Although, in this film, Nolan almost exposes this trope and uses it against itself; the Joker does not attack Batman (Batman is far stronger physical force) but instead picks off the people around him whilst declaring that the Batman is responsible because he has not given up his identity. Batman, who is almost aware of his inability to die, undergoes immense internal conflict, as he sits back in his position of power, whilst the normal humans are being massacred all around.
  3. Whilst this film does undeniably deliver some of the best moments of ‘theme-park cinema’, what ultimately separates it from other films of the superhero genre is that it is directed by Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan is arguably the most intelligent filmmaker of all time, and is a lover of pure cinema. Hence beneath the surface, this film is perhaps the most intellectually dense of all time, with mythology, religion, philosophy and mental health all playing major roles, and the added portrayal of extremely relevant contemporary themes on the largest possible scale. It is this authenticity which draws in elite actors such as Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman, and allows for the blooming of undiscovered talents, most notably Heath Ledger.  Even the ‘popcorn thrills’ are delivered artistically, and with a respect towards the history of cinema, with this film featuring one of the greatest practical stunts of all time: an eighteen-wheeler truck being flipped fifty-four feet in the air, shot on Imax film.

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