Review: The Dark Knight

"You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself bceome the villain." Such is the theme of The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's sequel to Batman Begins, which pits Batman (Christian Bale) against his arch rival, The Joker (Heath Ledger).

In the original stories, The Joker is the only antagonist that seems to understand enough about the Batman identity to dissect it. He is a villain whose own trauma in life has essentially made him the spiritual opposite of Gotham's hero, resulting in a tumultuous love affair that is almost as endearing as it is wicked. Nolan rises to the opportunities presented by this relationship in his second film, something the earlier movies never did. Tim Burton's Batman was a stylized endeavor that put to great use the assets of Jack Nicholson, but it also side-skirted the essence of The Joker's being, abolishing him of his true menace in favor a more sardonic and wisecracking approach. Where Nicholson's The Joker was gripping and entertaining, Ledger absolutely takes you in and legitimately frightens you because of the way he attacks the humanity of his victims. While Nicholson was willing to kill indiscriminately in his bid for control of Gotham's streets, Ledger is much more precise, even surgical, in his efforts to inspire not only fear but chaos in those streets. The Joker's victims aren't those he physically kills as much as those left behind, forced to choose between abandoning previously vaunted morals, values, and relations and the expediency of survival.

While I have long held Darth Vader to be the greatest movie villain (having not seen Hannibal Lecter, though just having a vague understanding of the character make him my number two), The Joker moves past him easily. While a lack of empathy seems to be the trademark of many great villains, The Joker is all the more frightening since he seeks to force Gotham's citizens to betray their own feelings of empathy. Best. Movie. Villain. Ever.

Rating: conflicted. I thought it was very well done, though it's not a movie I would necessarily recommend. Neesha would rather not see it again.