The Dark Knight in 3 Words

Complexity. Intensity. (the) Joker.

photo property of Warner Brothers

Complexity
The Dark Knight is complex on two levels. The first level is the complexity of the story and characters. Numerous characters are introduced and play pivotal roles in the development of the constantly twisting plot, making it easy to be confused in this tangled web of characters. Certain scenes are too drawn out and could have been shortened to improve the conciseness of the movie, not to mention the length. Even with the most die-hard Batman fans at the midnight showing, I noticed some people start to get anxious towards the end of the 152 minute ride.

The second level of complexity is deeper and more subtle. I would be bold to call The Dark Knight a satire on the American paranoia of terrorism; however, director Chris Nolan left no modern-day taboo untouched. Scenes featured ransom videos, lying to public, random acts of terror, relentless killing, wiretapping, the role of the media, and psychological limits being challenged. The constant struggle of Batman’s personal ambitions, the strength in Harvey Dent, and the insanity and unpredictability of The Joker all revolve around the theme of terrorism. Additionally, Nolan also highlights the dualism between good and evil when The Joker screams, “YOU NEED ME!” to Batman. This movie will make you think long after the credits are finished.

Intensity
If you dislike watching people explode, implode, impaled, shot, punched, kicked, crushed, sliced, poisoned, burnt, or disfigured, I would not recommend this movie. The Dark Knight lives up to its title of being dark. You rarely have time to catch your breath during this movie. In fact, you may grow nervous and fear the next twisted or horrifying situation the characters face. Psychologically, you will not know how to process all of the ruthless killing and insanity. A warning should be presented before the movie begins: this film may give you nightmares. There was a point in the movie where I thought to myself, I cannot handle this heinousness. This chaos was rooted in, without question, the strongest aspect of the film…

The Joker
Insane? Psychotic? Malicious? Hilarious? Soulless? Mastermind? Disturbed? Only one word can accurately describe The Dark Knight’s Joker: incredible. The combination of Heath Ledger’s menacing performance, the disheveled make-up, the uncanny wardrobe, and the sadistic (yet witty) dialogue, The Joker stole every scene and the entire movie. If you are not completely terrified by Batman’s sinister archnemesis, you will love this character. Everything down to his yellow crooked teeth was evil but, at the same time, so much fun to watch. You are captivated by his “magic” trick. You have been asking friends and family, “Why so serious?” Perhaps, you were even secretly rooting for The Joker to reign victorious.

The brilliance in the character transcends behind the performance and into the secret genius of The Joker. Ledger* delivers some great lines, confessing his inner-disarray and psychic nature. One of my favorite lines of the movie was when The Joker described himself as a dog chasing after a car, but not knowing what to do when he finally reaches the car. The Joker was such a powerful force that he psychologically challenged the lives, and sanity, of every character in the movie, include the bat himself. He brought out evil in some characters and tempted others to the breaking point. All of his scenes were outstanding, but the interrogation scene was my favorite, and, perhaps, the best in the movie.

*For clarification: this character was NOT Heath Ledger. This character was NOT Heath Ledger as The Joker. This character WAS The Joker. It was that good.

Does The Dark Hype live up to its unreal expectations? No, this movie is not perfect, but it comes extremely close. It is an excellent film, one of the best summer movies in a long time, and a movie that I will definitely see again on the big screen.