THE DARK KNIGHT

Movie Summary

The Dark Knight just came out last summer but it has already raced to the top of my list of preferred movies. The movie takes a steady look at good and evil and what it takes to stick to one’s guns when the cause is such a serious one. It looks at the sacrifices taken by some to ensure that others can be free. It also asks the subtle question of at what point does the wellbeing of the many out way that of the few. Also it offers a very interesting viewpoint on what it takes to make a city crumble. All around it’s a moral and intellectual movie that kicks ass.
The character of the joker is a premier reason why I love this movie so much. The joker is this psychotic genius that single handedly turns the city on its head. His strength is his ability to predict the actions of others and henceforth manipulate people around him. He preys on the weakness of others to achieve his goal. For example when the accountant offers to give up the batman; the joker says he will blow up a hospital unless someone kills him. He predicted the actions of almost an entire population of people when it came to wanting him dead. He calculated that even those that didn’t have loved ones in the hospital would certainly weigh out that his life was not worth that of all of the patients. Even his prediction of batman’s behavior was right on track. He knew that batman lacked the will to kill him, so he plays off that weakness (if you want to call it that) and rejects the concept of death at the hands of batman.
People fear the joker because they don’t understand him; however the joker has a unique understanding of them. The jokers understanding of people and their behavior is based off of a greedy and self serving basis of thought. While batman, in a hopeful optimism, looks for the good in people and the willingness to help one another. Batman’s optimism in people is reaffirmed during the stand off with the two ferryboats, forced to blow the other up. People on both boats do not have the courage to destroy the souls on the other boat; they do not succumb to greed like the joker wants.
So much of this movie is concentrated on the fragile nature of people. Even batman has a weak point centered around Rachel Dawson. To me at least, this movie outlines that no matter whom strong our outward appearance might seem, we all retain at least one weakness. The danger there in lies what we would do if we were ever threatened with this weakness. Harvey Dent breaks down when he loses Rachel and becomes the bad guy; his resolve to help others only went so far. While batman stuck in out, being effected by Rachel’s lose in the same way as Dent, Batman knew what was needed of him. When people give up in this movie they want only to watch the world burn.
I think this movie relay out lines that our greatest enemy comes from within. The joker played on the evil inhibitions of those around him to inflict misery. The city of Gotham effectively destroys its self with some help form the joker. Finally Dent is turn evil by his lust for revenge. Nothing right is ever easy; in life and in this movie.