The Dark Knight updated

 

Seen again 21 August 2020

 

The Dark Knight 2008

• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Films seen by this director: Dunkirk, Interstellar, Inception, Batman Begins, The Prestige, Insomnia
• Based on Book: No
• Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Monique Gabriela Curnen
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• Christian Bale –Public Enemies, I’m Not There, Terminator Salvation, Batman Begins, The Prestige, Equilibrium, American Psycho, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Velvet Goldmine, Little Women, Prince of Jutland, Swing Kids, Henry V
• Michael Caine: Interstellar, Inception, Harry Brown, Flawless, Batman Begins, The Prestige, Children of Men, The Weatherman, Last Orders, Get Carter, The Cider House Rules, Little Voice, Mona Lisa, Educating Rita, Sleuth (both versions), Alfie
• Heath Ledger – The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, I’m Not There, Brokeback Mountain, The Brothers Grimm, Ned Kelly. The Monster’s Ball, A Knight’s Tale, 10 Things I Hate about You
• Gary Oldman: The Space Between Us, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Harry Potter, The Book of Eli, Batman Begins, Friends, The Fifth Element, Immortal Beloved, Léon, Romeo is Bleeding, True Romance, Dracula, JFK, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Prick Up Your Ears, Sid and Nancy, Meantime
• Aaron Eckhart - The Rum Diary, Rabbit Hole, Conversations with Other Women, The Pledge, Erin Brockovich
• Maggie Gyllenhaal -  Stranger than Fiction, Paris je t’aime, Sherrybaby, Mona Lisa’s Smile, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Adaption, Riding in Cars with Boys, Donnie Darko, Waterland
• Monique Gabriela Curnen – Contagion, Half Nelson
• Morgan Freeman - Transcendence, Oblivion, Invictus, Gone Baby Gone, The Contract, Million Dollar Baby, Bruce the Almighty, Levity, Along Came a Spider, Nurse Betty, Amistad, Kiss the Girls, Moll Flanders, Seven, The Shawshank Redemption, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Glory, Driving Miss Daisy
•  Why: Christian Bale. Good film.
• Seen: Once before. Now 10 July 2015. And now 21 August 2020 

A gang of wannabe Batmans. A hot-shot new DA romancing Batman’s sweetheart Rachel. The Joker, a really creepy Joker. Lots and lots of technical gadgets.

And generally a heavy story. This is not a feel-good Batman. Our hero has heavy ethical decisions to make and they don’t turn out well. Being a vigilante hero isn’t as much fun as Bruce Wayne might have thought.

As before the cast is excellent. Heath Ledger is especially strong and Maggie Gyllenhaal is more grown-up as Rachel than Katie Holmes (although I liked her too).

It’s a long and sometimes confusing journey and the moral dilemmas continue right to the ending. Which is strong enough to lift it to

 

4 * of 5

 

PS There’s no reason to change this review or rating.