They are given more screen time and have the bigger stars in the roles. This is a similar issue in The Dark Knight as Heath Ledger's Joker is a force of nature that instantly becomes the most interesting thing in the movie. Unlike some of the other movies, Nolan knows not to use Joker too much, keeping him in a supporting role. However, Ledger's performance and the interesting new take on the classic villain really overshadows Batman. In Batman Begins , the story tries to remind audiences that Batman is the most interesting aspect of his own story.
The villains of the movie are memorable and effective, but they never overtake the hero and his story. However, it is not just Joker who steals the show in The Dark Knight.
Given how much of the movie revolves around him and how prominent he is, Harvey Dent could also be considered the protagonist. Dent is Gotham's new district attorney and is seen as the man who can save Gotham the right way. The movie then becomes a battle over Dent's soul with Batman trying to fulfill his heroic purpose and Joker trying to tear him down.
It is through Dent that the main message of the movie is made, "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Affleck nailed the rage simmering under the surface. Unfortunately, Zack Snyder only let him explore this side of the character in glimmers because he seemed to be much more interested in having Batman kill a bunch of guys in a warehouse and fight Doomsday with a pump-action shotgun.
Christopher Nolan, on the other hand, was just as interested in the man behind the mask as his badass superhero alter ego — if not more so. In Batman Begins , that gap is the meat of the story. Nolan was in no rush to get Christian Bale in the cowl — he took his time explaining how Bruce developed his Bat-gadgets and trained to become a world-class fighter before he started cleaning up the streets of Gotham.
He finds a seemingly trusty mentor in Henri Ducard, but he ends up betraying him. Tim Burton and Michael Keaton revolutionized how people looked at Batman, then Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale came along and created an intense and grounded take on the character.
Both options were top-notch examples of the potential of what a Batman film can do. Hopefully, the upcoming film, The Batman , will be the best one yet. Nolan set out to make a Batman universe that was more grounded and set in reality. He accomplished this task and made a Batman movie for the ages. This version of the film helped fans relate to the character of Batman more than they usually would. The batsuit that Michael Keaton wore in Batman is absolutely iconic.
The black with the bright yellow symbol became a standard look for Batman and was instantly recognizable. Visually it was stunning even if it lacked some more practical features, like being able to turn his head. The Batmobile is also superior in every way, instead of just a tank, it was a sleek armored car with all the gadgets fans could dream of.
It was much more indicative of a comic book Batmobile. Ra's is a villain who challenges Batman, especially when it comes to dealing with the corruption-filled streets of Gotham. Neeson was able to convey to the audience a man who is not necessarily evil, but who has seen and undergone a great deal of pain and hardship throughout his life that led to his current mentality of wiping Gotham off the map. Neeson is an example of how to play a non-generic villain and do it right, as he excelled in portraying the various mental complexities within Ra's, showing that he and his student are very much alike, especially when it comes to their convictions to meet their different goals.
Yet another Irish actor who excelled in his role as a smaller yet important villain, Cillian Murphy was perfect in bringing Jonathan Crane to life on the big screen as Scarecrow. While he won't bring the action or combat skills of someone like Ra's, Murphy did a stellar job inducing what Scarecrow is best known for: fear.
One of the best aspects for Scarecrow as a villain is the psychological impact he has on people thanks to his fear toxins and background as a psychologist. Before Heath Ledger came along as the Joker, Murphy was an example of playing an effective psychological villain in recent memory that didn't need to do damage with his fists. What Murphy excelled in more than anything was his overall delivery of the villain, especially when it came to his dialogue. Because of his manipulation and fear tactics, how well Scarecrow is played depends more on his tone than his imposing figure or lack thereof.
Murphy passes this test with flying colors, especially when his fear toxin comes into play, along with his trademark mask. If it's done well, a good-old fashioned training montage can never get old. One of the more underrated aspects of Batman as a character is the intense training regimen he undergoes to fulfill his duties as Gotham's vigilante. Seeing this whole training sequence of Bruce alongside Ra's going under the alias Henri Ducard is nothing short of intense. Whether it's fighting and learning swordplay on a frozen pond with the risk of sinking beneath the ice, or learning stealth and fighting numerous League assassins at once, it remains one of the most engaging training sessions to watch in any superhero film.
While much of it is obviously combat-oriented, there remains a strategic aspect to the training, particularly when Ra's states that Batman must "become more than a man in the mind of his opponent. One of the great aspects of this film is that it is, in a sense, a cinematic rendition of the iconic "Batman: Year One" comic story.
Written by Frank Miller in , the story is widely regarded as one of the best interpretations of the character and helped lay the foundations for future interpretations of him. In fact, "Batman: Begins" includes several aspects of the renowned comic in its narrative. Some of these aspects include the inclusion of characters like Commissioner Gillian Loeb and crime boss Carmine Falcone, who plays an integral role in Bruce leaving Gotham to travel the world and gain the skills to free the city from corruption.
The film also takes place in the same timespan as "Year One" and even focused more on the poverty and criminal underworld dealings within Gotham itself. While the film is not as dark in comparison to "Year One," there is no denying that "Batman Begins" can be considered the closest thing viewers have to a live-action adaptation of Miller's work that viewers can expect to get.
Regardless, seeing these various elements incorporated into Nolan's first Batman film illustrates how much "Year One" withstands the test of time.
Unlike Nolan's other two Bat trilogy films, "Batman Begins" allows us a deeper look into the psyche of the vigilante himself. Viewers see more of what makes this hero tick, as well as his ideals and motivations.
At this point, people are more than aware of Batman's origin story. However, what the film excels at is displaying the many facets of his mindset. Viewers see a man broken by the psychological trauma of having his parents murdered in front of him. They see a man craving revenge and bent on shooting his parents' killer in court.
0コメント