“The Dark Knight” is a remarkable achievement
July 27, 2008I waited a week, until the crowds had thinned down, to go see the new Batman movie. Just got back from the 11 p.m. showing, and I had to write something down now because it was so amazing. If this weren’t a comic book movie, I have no doubt it would garner an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
Christopher Nolan (the director and co-writer) has crafted a dark, complex, moody, yet action-packed thriller. This definitely sets the bar for comic book movies. It’s not just great as a comic book movie, it’s really one of the best movies this year period.
And all those stories I’d been reading about Heath Ledger’s performance were absolutely correct. What an amazing character he created. Or rather inhabited — he was just so totally the Joker you completely forgot the actor.
Plus his Joker is so completely different from Jack Nicholson’s Joker, which is a huge relief. I was wondering how you create a new Joker when everybody is going to compare it to that over-the-top campy performance Nicholson turned in. But Ledger did it — his Joker is an amazing performance that makes you completely forget Nicholson’s version. What a tragedy to lose such a talented actor so young.