Final Entry for The Dark Knight
Bruce Wayne, still in most of the Batman costume continues an earlier conversation with Alfred if he caught the bandit and how. Alfred tells him that he had to burn the forest down. This alludes to what happens later when Batman uses the sonar Lucius Fox had used to find the corrupt Chinese businessman. They effectively locate the Joker through use of the the phone sonar system, much like the burning down of the forest to catch the bandit.
The scene where the Joker burns the money speaks volumes for his motives. He, unlike all of the other thugs, isn't in it for the money. He says that the town deserves a better class of criminal and then sends one of the mafia bosses to his death. His quote, "It's not about money, it's about sending a message-Everything burns." This still doesn't make much sense to me, but I don't think it necessarily has to. I think it is said to show just how twisted the Joker really is and how psychologically he is as freakish on the inside as on the outside.
When the Joker infiltrates the hospital and taunts Harvey(now calling himself Two Face), he starts the ball rolling for him to unravel all that he did as D.A. for Gotham City.
All while this is happening the Joker has scared the entire city and threatens to blow up all the hospitals unless Mr. Reese(who is planning on exposing Bruce Wayne as the Batman) is killed within the next 60 minutes.
Another scene which shows the purity of man even in his darkest hour is best shown with the ferry boat scene. The corrupt businessman who wants to pull the trigger ultimately can't go through with it. The largest and most likely to kill prisoner takes the trigger and throws it into the water.
One of the most climactic scenes is the final one with Batman and the Joker. Even after all that the Joker has done(killing Rachel, scarring Dent and killing other individuals), Batman still saves him for certain death. The Joker tells him that he has an "Ace in the Hole", which is Dent. In an earlier listing I said that much of one scene with Dent and Batman would be ironic later on, and indeed it is. Batman was ready to expose himself and Dent told him otherwise. After Dent lost half his face and Rachel, it wasn't much effort needed by the Joker to send him over the edge and become a killer. I think the moral here is that even if you always do right in front of the world it doesn't make you a hero. It's doing what's right, even when there is no recognition since it is the right thing to do. Batman does this when he saves Dent's reputation by telling Gordon to stick him with the murders instead of Dent. In his view it is the greater good.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
The Dark Knight (pt. 2)
This is an overview of the scenes that occurred during the second day of viewing.
The first thing seen on the second day was the Joker throwing Rachel Dawes through a window. Batman then leaves the same window to save her. The one action (or inaction) that really sets the anti-hero theme here is that after saving Rachel, he does not go back to check on the other potential victims at the fundraiser. Instead of looking out for the greater good, he is solely looking out for his own interests.
When Bruce is speaking with Alfred about the aforementioned situation and of the Joker in general, Alfred gives a great quote, saying, "Some men want to watch the world burn". This especially holds true with all of the actions thus far made by the Joker.
Another great lead-in to later scenes occurs when Harvey abducts the killer of the commissioner. He tosses the coin to decide the man's fate. Batman stops him and tells him that he is a symbol of hope that he (Batman) could never be. Later in the scene, Harvey is telling Batman that he can not give in to the Joker, which in fact will be very ironic in later scenes.
The following scene has the soon-to-be commissioner Gordon walking into a dimly lit holding room. After a few asinine words from the Joker, Gordon leaves them room. As the light is switch on, Batman is shown right behind the Joker. The Joker is most certainly testing the limits as Rachel and Harvey are victims that have been taken away. The Joker tells him that both are set to be blown up and Batman can save only one. Naturally, being the anti-hero that he is, he rushes to save Rachel, but alas, he has been fooled.
The Joker "lets" himself get arrested by Gordon. It really became apparent when he wanted his phone call. The fact that the Chinese businessman has been in holding at the police headquarters was the first clue. Then when the other prisoner complained of his stomach hurting and his stomach lighting up with a cell phone was the final clue.
All the while Batman is rushing to save his friends, Harvey is trying to escape and falls with half of his face on flammable substances. Batman rescues him, but the explosion kills Rachel and burns half of Harvey's face. This scene and the scene where Rachel dies is designed to tie in with the transformation from Harvey Dent to Two Face.
The first thing seen on the second day was the Joker throwing Rachel Dawes through a window. Batman then leaves the same window to save her. The one action (or inaction) that really sets the anti-hero theme here is that after saving Rachel, he does not go back to check on the other potential victims at the fundraiser. Instead of looking out for the greater good, he is solely looking out for his own interests.
When Bruce is speaking with Alfred about the aforementioned situation and of the Joker in general, Alfred gives a great quote, saying, "Some men want to watch the world burn". This especially holds true with all of the actions thus far made by the Joker.
Another great lead-in to later scenes occurs when Harvey abducts the killer of the commissioner. He tosses the coin to decide the man's fate. Batman stops him and tells him that he is a symbol of hope that he (Batman) could never be. Later in the scene, Harvey is telling Batman that he can not give in to the Joker, which in fact will be very ironic in later scenes.
The following scene has the soon-to-be commissioner Gordon walking into a dimly lit holding room. After a few asinine words from the Joker, Gordon leaves them room. As the light is switch on, Batman is shown right behind the Joker. The Joker is most certainly testing the limits as Rachel and Harvey are victims that have been taken away. The Joker tells him that both are set to be blown up and Batman can save only one. Naturally, being the anti-hero that he is, he rushes to save Rachel, but alas, he has been fooled.
The Joker "lets" himself get arrested by Gordon. It really became apparent when he wanted his phone call. The fact that the Chinese businessman has been in holding at the police headquarters was the first clue. Then when the other prisoner complained of his stomach hurting and his stomach lighting up with a cell phone was the final clue.
All the while Batman is rushing to save his friends, Harvey is trying to escape and falls with half of his face on flammable substances. Batman rescues him, but the explosion kills Rachel and burns half of Harvey's face. This scene and the scene where Rachel dies is designed to tie in with the transformation from Harvey Dent to Two Face.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
The Dark Knight
Five Observations From First Section of The Dark Knight
Batman is portrayed as the anti-hero, especially when he is out of costume. This holds true when it comes to the former relationship Bruce Wayne and Rachel Dawes shared. For reference in this instance, during the fundraiser that was held for Harvey Dent, Bruce Wayne makes fun of him in a way that he doesn't get, but Rachel does.
The Joker is a very twisted and intelligent man. His idea of a magic trick involves a pen and a thug. In the scene where this occurs, the thug approaches the Joker and has his head slammed on the table and the pen being inserted into the skull of the thug, effectively killing him and making the pen disappear.
The overall setting of Gotham City is very dark and forboding. During many of the fight scenes there are a lot of shadows at play and this gives Batman a chance to hide and surprise his enemies. It also implies that evil is always lurking in the shadows, and that is where it is found.
There is also a lot of secrecy at play and we are shown special snippets of identity revealed as the movie plays out. The very beginning of the film is a good place to start. A bank heist is occuring where all the goons are doing the grunt-work for the Joker. They start complaining about their cut as the Joker is not there doing the work. More that he is the brains of the operation at hand. After the money is procured the Joker reveals himself to be one of the goons as he shoots the majority of them to cut down on splitting the money. Another example of the secrecy and the want to have it removed occurs when the Joker takes one of the Batman copycats and kills him, saying that he will kill one person a day until Batman removes his mask.
And lastly,as this seems to be a really big part of this film are the connections with all of the characters therin. It is very interesting how everyone is connected in some crucial way to another character in the film. The domino effect is very strong in this instance and it really helps tie the film together nicely. Batman is tied to Harvey Dent from Rachel Dawes and the Joker is tied to Batman from Harvey Dent and Wayne Enterprises(i.e. Bruce Wayne and Mr. Fox) is tied to the entire mafia and the Joker from the business dealings with the Japanese businessman and even the copycat "Batmen" we see at the beginning of the film are brought back to the forefront when the Joker has his scene with the ultimatum for Batman to reveal his true identity.
Batman is portrayed as the anti-hero, especially when he is out of costume. This holds true when it comes to the former relationship Bruce Wayne and Rachel Dawes shared. For reference in this instance, during the fundraiser that was held for Harvey Dent, Bruce Wayne makes fun of him in a way that he doesn't get, but Rachel does.
The Joker is a very twisted and intelligent man. His idea of a magic trick involves a pen and a thug. In the scene where this occurs, the thug approaches the Joker and has his head slammed on the table and the pen being inserted into the skull of the thug, effectively killing him and making the pen disappear.
The overall setting of Gotham City is very dark and forboding. During many of the fight scenes there are a lot of shadows at play and this gives Batman a chance to hide and surprise his enemies. It also implies that evil is always lurking in the shadows, and that is where it is found.
There is also a lot of secrecy at play and we are shown special snippets of identity revealed as the movie plays out. The very beginning of the film is a good place to start. A bank heist is occuring where all the goons are doing the grunt-work for the Joker. They start complaining about their cut as the Joker is not there doing the work. More that he is the brains of the operation at hand. After the money is procured the Joker reveals himself to be one of the goons as he shoots the majority of them to cut down on splitting the money. Another example of the secrecy and the want to have it removed occurs when the Joker takes one of the Batman copycats and kills him, saying that he will kill one person a day until Batman removes his mask.
And lastly,as this seems to be a really big part of this film are the connections with all of the characters therin. It is very interesting how everyone is connected in some crucial way to another character in the film. The domino effect is very strong in this instance and it really helps tie the film together nicely. Batman is tied to Harvey Dent from Rachel Dawes and the Joker is tied to Batman from Harvey Dent and Wayne Enterprises(i.e. Bruce Wayne and Mr. Fox) is tied to the entire mafia and the Joker from the business dealings with the Japanese businessman and even the copycat "Batmen" we see at the beginning of the film are brought back to the forefront when the Joker has his scene with the ultimatum for Batman to reveal his true identity.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet
Sherlock Assignment: Elementary my dear Watson
1. Sherlock, himself. He is very self-important and knowledgeable about a variety of subjects. He uses this to his advantage, not only in finding said criminals, but also in belittling the fine chaps from Scotland Yard. This is a strong point to list as his knowledge has not come from simple study, but by being so obsessed with the intake of information as a means to an end enables him to ascertain his situation and react accordingly.
2. Watson( his PTSD to be precise)- Constantly throughout the film, there is mention of his being in the war and suffering the consequences of battle. This in fact is not fully alluded to until the very end as we see Watson shaking thereby not having nerves of steel. Although this seems to be true, Sherlock is quick to test this by making him take chase of the cab, abandoning his walking stick and then at the end even further proving his point(unknowingly) that everything with Watson is actually psychosomatic. This holds true with the killer being shot by Watson and Sherlock saying that whoever made the kill must have had "nerves of steel".
3. Mycroft Holmes- In my opinion the red herring in this adaptation is SH's brother. From the very beginning we see he has the ability to manipulate cameras and call random payphones. With this information, we are led to believe that he may in fact, be the killer or at least have some connection to it all. This is thrown in to keep things interesting and keep the viewer guessing.
4. The murderer keeping victim's phone. Obviously it rouses suspicion when SH finds the victim's case(which coincidentally is pink, ie study in pink) and he notices the phone is missing. It gives the story forward momentum and Sherlock evidence to keep pursuing the case and for the audience to delve a little deeper into analytical thought. The murderer keeps the phone as do most killers as a way to get caught. Most serial killers feel the need to show off their talents(not unlike our post-modern hero) and no one will know who they are unless they are eventually caught.
5.The killers smooth talking ability and manipulative control and Sherlock's arrogance seen throughout the film. The whole episode revolves around people who apparently killed themselves. Then we come to the meeting of the cabbie and SH and the cabbie claims to be a genius along the ranks of the great Sherlock himself. Sherlock outwits the cabbie and prepares to leave, as the cabbie does not have a real gun, only a replica lighter. We now see how the killer was able to convince these people to take their own lives. If he is able to manipulate a genius as Sherlock, he easily mentally overpowered the others. As far as the arrogance goes, SH thinks so highly of his deductive ability that he was willing to die to prove he was correct. This is why and how the killer was able to do what he did. He was good at reading people and exposing their weaknesses.
1. Sherlock, himself. He is very self-important and knowledgeable about a variety of subjects. He uses this to his advantage, not only in finding said criminals, but also in belittling the fine chaps from Scotland Yard. This is a strong point to list as his knowledge has not come from simple study, but by being so obsessed with the intake of information as a means to an end enables him to ascertain his situation and react accordingly.
2. Watson( his PTSD to be precise)- Constantly throughout the film, there is mention of his being in the war and suffering the consequences of battle. This in fact is not fully alluded to until the very end as we see Watson shaking thereby not having nerves of steel. Although this seems to be true, Sherlock is quick to test this by making him take chase of the cab, abandoning his walking stick and then at the end even further proving his point(unknowingly) that everything with Watson is actually psychosomatic. This holds true with the killer being shot by Watson and Sherlock saying that whoever made the kill must have had "nerves of steel".
3. Mycroft Holmes- In my opinion the red herring in this adaptation is SH's brother. From the very beginning we see he has the ability to manipulate cameras and call random payphones. With this information, we are led to believe that he may in fact, be the killer or at least have some connection to it all. This is thrown in to keep things interesting and keep the viewer guessing.
4. The murderer keeping victim's phone. Obviously it rouses suspicion when SH finds the victim's case(which coincidentally is pink, ie study in pink) and he notices the phone is missing. It gives the story forward momentum and Sherlock evidence to keep pursuing the case and for the audience to delve a little deeper into analytical thought. The murderer keeps the phone as do most killers as a way to get caught. Most serial killers feel the need to show off their talents(not unlike our post-modern hero) and no one will know who they are unless they are eventually caught.
5.The killers smooth talking ability and manipulative control and Sherlock's arrogance seen throughout the film. The whole episode revolves around people who apparently killed themselves. Then we come to the meeting of the cabbie and SH and the cabbie claims to be a genius along the ranks of the great Sherlock himself. Sherlock outwits the cabbie and prepares to leave, as the cabbie does not have a real gun, only a replica lighter. We now see how the killer was able to convince these people to take their own lives. If he is able to manipulate a genius as Sherlock, he easily mentally overpowered the others. As far as the arrogance goes, SH thinks so highly of his deductive ability that he was willing to die to prove he was correct. This is why and how the killer was able to do what he did. He was good at reading people and exposing their weaknesses.
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