The Dark Knight-A Step Beyond Comic BookDirector, Christopher Nolan uses the comic book character Batman as a basis for his film The Dark Knight. This soul wrenching film, however, reaches far beyond the genre of the comic book superhero. It touches on a dark and evil atmosphere that will rip out the very core of your being and sit you at the edge of your seat, while at the same time tempt you to want to hide under your seat. The film is rated PG13, but some critics feel that it earns a rating of R. This film emphasizes and pays homage to the idea of violence more so than the justice exacted against violence. In the comic book genre, thee hero always remains on the side of law and order, but in The Dark Knight—Batman (Christian Bale) steps outside the realm of justice into the dark corridors of revenge. His revenge is carried out because of the death of his childhood friend for whom he still has a romantic interest in. She dies at the hands of the villain. Yet another element of this film that carries it beyond the comic book is the role of The Joker (Heath Ledger). Other actors who portrayed The Joker in earlier films were unscrupulous, yet somewhat comical role—this Joker has a more serious role. This actor secluded himself for an entire month in a room at a hotel. There he eats, sleeps, breathes, and becomes The Joker. He actually goes inside the mind of the character and “feels” him from within. If ever an actor took a character role so seriously—this is the one. His indulgence into the tone of The Dark Knight film enhances the drama and steals the captivation of the viewer. Reviews about this production are controversial—some contending that the film is too violent. Chicago Tribune critic, Michael Phillips gave this movie a 4 star rating. Mic LaSalle, a Chronical Movie critic refers to the motion picture as “disgusting and disturbing”. The character, The Joker, is outright nasty looking. It was stated that you could almost smell the stench of the character from just seeing him. He appears as though he is decayed and festered in particular scenes of the film—how gross! All in all, the intense plot, the ability of the characters to reach out and grab you, and the evil in the atmosphere take The Dark Knight to a level beyond the world of the comic book hero. To find reviews as well s a listing of the 4,366 theaters it has been released to, go online—assuredly, it will be shown at a theater in your area.
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