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The dark knight

‘Why so serious?’

THE DARK KNIGHT
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cert. 12A

One of the Joker’s memorable lines from the film The Dark Knight is ‘why so serious?’ and some movie-goers may be left asking the same question. If you’re a ‘superhero film’ addict, or looking for a family movie, this really is not the film to watch; it’s scary in places, gruesome, unsettling and consistently dark in tone.

The gist of the story is that Batman, in his attempts to bring order back to Gotham, has inspired others, some good, but some evil. The Joker creates chaos leading Batman to fall out of favour with the city and the lines begin to blur between who is the cause of Gotham's problems and who the people can put their hope in. The film is long but the director seems to be more concerned with addressing issues of human nature than simply producing a typical fast-paced summer movie, which is a welcome surprise. I really enjoyed this serious approach but it might not be to all tastes.

The game of chicken between the Joker and Batman is visually stunning but this comes in a close second to the film’s true highlight. I was expecting to be disappointed by the much-hyped performance of the late Heath Ledger, but he truly does steal every scene; although a totally repulsive character, you are hypnotised into following his pasty white face and scarred smile.

The outcast

In this film the people of Gotham are left questioning what kind of hero they need. The answer seems to be that they need Batman, a hero who is an outcast, who is willing to give up his reputation to be classed as a villain for the benefit of others. In our modern world, where rules are what we make them, we should not be surprised that society drifts into chaos and people are left asking what or who the solution is for our problems. Society looks to all sorts of heroes to make a change, but the message of the gospel is that it’s only Jesus who can create order out of the chaos caused by sin. Jesus is the one who was willing to become the outcast, who was willing to be classed as a criminal on the cross for us. He is the Hero that a world in chaos truly needs.

Roger Tanton