The Batman: A Dark Masterpiece
How Matt Reeves reinvented a beloved character with a somber spin
Who is the Batman? Is he a blue and black clad do-gooder who stops criminals with goofy colors and questionable morals like in the 1960s? Is he a love struck billionaire, using his funds and family name to get what he wants without settling for less, like Christopher Nolan’s version in the early 2000s? Every version of Batman imaginable has been done on screen since the creation of the character by Bill Finger and Bob Kane in 1939. But what makes the Caped Crusader stand out in his newest film, The Batman, is his brutality, his madness, his passion.
Greg Fraser’s cinematography and Michael Graciano’s music worked together with Matt Reeves’ direction in creating an intense masterpiece on the screen. From the opening sequence, which takes place appropriately on Halloween night, you are blinded by bright strobe lights and greeted by an intense classic horror movie soundtrack, invoking a fear that is uncommon in a superhero movie. This theme continues throughout the entire film, painting the city of Gotham in a new, darker light. Batman, played by Robert Pattinson, is introduced through a voiceover during this scene.
“Fear, is a tool.”
An underrated portion of the Batman role is the gruff voice required to play the hero. Pattinson does a great job, keeping the classic sound while not sounding unnatural. He emerges from the shadows to take on some low-level crooks who were harassing a man outside of a subway station. Batman’s new suit is sleek, keeping the black and grey exterior with a high-tech look. He barges in, brutalizing the first thug in a show of strength before taking out the rest. He takes quite a few punches and bullets, though he is predictably unharmed as the bullets bounce off his new suit.
Pattinson’s Batman gets hit a lot more than previous entries in the series. This detail humanizes the character and proves that even though he is a superhero, he is just a man under his high-tech armor. He is the most brutal iteration of the character shown on screen to date, not pulling any punches and making sure that fear is truly one of his most effective weapons.
The plot is elaborate, at times almost confusing, and incorporates a criminal underworld, a masked serial killer, and a love interest who teams up with Batman to accomplish her own goals. At times the complexity of the plot feels overwhelming, but that feeling resolves by the time the next action scene begins.
Gotham, the city the film takes place in, feels more alive and terrifying than ever. Most of the movie takes place at night, offering a vivid look into the dark underbelly of the infamous city. Criminals roam the streets in the forms of crooks and even politicians. There is really no escaping a life of crime in Gotham.
The main villain, Riddler, played chillingly by Paul Dano, is introduced in a terrifying scene in which he commits cold-blooded murder. Riddler goes after the elite in Gotham, getting payback for his troubled childhood. He leaves various clues for Batman to uncover, leaving the audience confused but intrigued. Dano is an amazing Riddler, bringing a passion and seriousness to the role that fits perfectly with the new Batman. He turns a usually goofy villain into a vicious killer. Dano’s Riddler adds a darkness and an intensity to an already chilling film.
Batman’s love interest in this film is Catwoman, played by Zoë Kravitz. The tension between the two characters is evident from their first scene together and continues throughout the movie. They first meet at a shady nightclub in Gotham and the two eventually work together to accomplish a shared task. She brings out an emotional side of the Bat with her own intriguing storyline that unfolds throughout the movie. This emotional development is important in a film that is otherwise very serious and somber. Her character doesn’t feel helpless, and their dynamic adds a different wrinkle to an already intricate storyline.
This new Batman proves that a superhero movie can succeed by pushing the standards without catering exclusively to the younger audience. This is not a typical superhero movie and, while that might turn away some parents and younger viewers, it allows for more breathing room for the character and the plot as a whole. Reeves put together a Batman that is still growing, that is flawed, that is ferocious. With a 3 hour runtime, which might seem like overkill, the story is allowed to unfold in the best way possible and none of it feels unnecessary. From the soundtrack to the cinematography to the story itself, everything falls into place seamlessly.
When Pattinson was announced to play the hero, many were skeptical. But he performed with flying colors, executing the role perfectly as arguably the best version of Batman we have ever seen on screen. Pattinson’s Batman is a generation-defining superhero, with a long history of great Batmen behind him.
Matt Reeves also had high standards to meet as director following the success of the Dark Knight Trilogy, and many put pressure on him to bring the hero back to his former glory. Reeves put forward not only one of the best Batman movies, but a movie that stands with some of the best superhero movies of all time. Go see it in the theatres while you can.
