So right now, there’s a lot of attention getting heaped on the upcoming Joker movie with Joaquin Phoenix, and rightfully so, director Todd Phillips looking to do something a little edgy with the already disturbed character. But, let’s not forget where such an idea got its start. When Christopher Nolan rebooted the flailing Batman franchise in 2005 with the appropriately named Batman Begins, he turned the superhero genre upside down (admittedly taking what Sam Raimi had planted the seeds for in his excellent Spider-Man 2 film).
By the time Nolan got to the second part of his epic trilogy, fans – like us – were already frantic for anything Batman, and with the release of The Dark Knight, we got even more than we bargained for with a chilling, (posthumous) Oscar-winning performance and a story that was ripe with emotion and morality. It shook the foundations of the superhero movie to its core and while Marvel went a different direction with its highly-successful franchise, this movie has had immeasurable influence on every film in the genre since. Still haven’t seen it? Here’s 5 reasons why it’s time you finally watched.
5 Bank Robbery
This is where it all begins, in an extended opening sequence that features a gang of thieves in various clown masks pulling off an elaborate heist of a major Gotham bank, stealing money where mob bosses keep their cash. It’s a fascinating run of events as two henchmen start on top of a building and zipline in while a looming image of a hunched figure waiting on a street corner (ominously holding his mask rather than wearing it) sets a larger-than-life tone. What makes the whole thing unique though is what the thieves do to each other, prompted by their leader, Joker (Heath Ledger), each learning something rather startling once their part in the job is done. Lots of movies start with an action set piece to kickstart the plot, but what Nolan does here is not only give a very cool twist on a standard movie moment, but allows its main villain to emerge as a kind of spectre, grounded in an troubling reality. This is how to start a story.
4 Attempted Assassination
The plot of The Dark Knight centers on Batman (Christian Bale) coming to terms with who he is as in combination with his alter-ego and believing that it’s maybe time he can retire, mostly since a new district attorney named Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) has taken over and is working to clean up the streets. However, things don’t go as planned, which in light of how much trouble Batman has caused criminals in town, is not that surprising. The Joker wants the Caped Crusader dead, and tells the city, he will start murdering innocent people unless Batman turns himself in, making his point by killing two important people in cold blood. He then takes aim at the mayor (Andy Garcia) in a breathless moment on the streets of Gotham where nothing is as it seems. While dozens of police make their presence known, the mayor gives a speech with Police Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) standing beside him, But evil is afoot and a deadly plan is about to bring a reign of chaos. With Nolan’s tension-soaked direction and composer Hans Zimmer‘s stirring Shepard tone-filled score leading the way, this is a brief but sensational moment that perfectly punctuated what Nolan’s vision is all about.
3 Interrogation
Much has been made of the meeting between Batman and the Joker once the latter is caught and held in custody, what follows definitively defines the film as a kind of crime noir story masked in superhero garb. There is palpable tension between the two and what is essentially an action movie momentary evolves into something altogether different, a smart, dialogue driven verbal jousting that has you nearly forgetting that one of the people in the room is dressed like a bat. This is an experently directed and paced scene with two actors at the top of their form going at in a confined space, elevating the whole movie in the process. Seriously, this is a milestone moment in the genre, worth rewinding over and over to see how complex and raw it really is as secrets unfold and true menace finds its footing.
2 The Joker Has An Answer
Look, enough already has been written by what Heath Ledger did with the Joker, his work simply on a whole other level, elevating the entire film to its now iconic status, made more so by his untimely death before he could discover just how much of an impact he made. In the film, he has one scene after another that are jarring, his take on the bad guy something no one had ever seen before – and where Phoenix is taking it next (not discounting what Jared Leto tried to do). However, in an early moment when the Joker interrupts a secret gangland meeting and offers up a plan to rid Gotham and then demands payment for it, he gets called ‘crazy,’ which we naturally figure is inherent in the character, but what the Joker says in response, and more so what Ledger does with his face while doing so is exactly the right thing. This is precisely the moment when you realize – if you’re paying attention – that his Joker is entirely different, and is about to reset all the expectations, forcing you wonder if indeed he is just a very intelligent figure with a genuine plan to upset the balance or just a madman. It’s brilliant.
1 All Roads Lead to Rachel Dawes
If you’ve seen or know anything about the first film, you’ll know that Rachel Dawes, the love interest for Bruce Wayne, was played by Katie Holmes, who did well enough in her own right, but passed on reprising the role for the second film. When it came to recasting the crucial part, it was the tremendously talented Maggie Gyllenhaal who was cast. A good call, the actress bringing something entirely different to the challenging character. While the plot, as is so often, finds the girl in need of saving, Gyllenhaal is not without some power and turns Dawes into a real pillar of strength. She’s overshadowed a bit by Ledger of course, and even Bale, who despite some unnecessary criticism for his vocal choices, is dynamic and inspiring, but if you watch her carefully – as you should – is essentially why the story is so impactful. Her face-to-face with Joker at a rooftop dinner party is the stuff of legend and her fate is absolutely heartbreaking. Gyllenhaal gives the woman, who is torn between two lovers, a reserved dignity, astonishing sex appeal, and great intelligence. You can’t take your eyes off her.