In 2005, director Christopher Nolan faced the daunting task of revitalizing the Batman film franchise. The origin of Batman, one of the biggest icons in American culture, has been rehashed so many times that it has become redundant. Nolan, however, not only defied the odds and made one of the best comic book movies of all time, he superbly rebooted an overly played out story and added much depth to an already fleshed out character. Nolan's Batman Begins presents several fascinating ideologies on the human psyche, and examines the evolution of an icon.
The story of Batman Begins details Bruce Wayne's life from the tragic murder of his parents to the beginning of his vigilantism. The film examines what drives this possibly psychotic man to forgo his vast inheritance and pampered life and risk his life unrewarded. Through his use of realism and grittiness, Nolan makes the story (and characters) far more believable, and because of this, the audience fully understands what drives Bruce Wayne. Since the story takes place during several different periods, the viewer essentially sees five different Bruce Waynes: the young eight year old who witnessed his parents' murder, the rebellious adolescent who's angry at the world, the mature but intense 30 year old Bruce Wayne, the drunkard/billionaire facade, and the Batman persona.
The first Bruce Wayne seen is the 8 year old Bruce. His phobia of bats is first established at this juncture, and becomes a significant theme of the movie later on. He's still young and wide-eyed, and his naivety doesn't allow him to understand why Joe Chill (his parents' murderer) would commit a murder. This is a driving point in the next part of the film.
We next see Wayne as an adolescent returning from college, intent on killing Joe Chill. He has become jaded and cynical, and his biting and incorrigible tone reflects this. After being denied the chance of killing Chill, Wayne is lectured by both his childhood sweetheart about the fine line between justice and vengeance and the crime boss of Gotham City, Carmine Falcone, about fear and naivety:
"This is a world you don't understand. And you always fear what you don't understand."
Wayne realizes how naive he really is, and goes on to travel the world in order to understand the criminal mind.
After several years of traveling through Asia as a wayfarer, an older Wayne is offered the chance of joining a powerful and secret organization in order to fight injustice. Wayne agrees, and begins to train with Henri Ducard, who serves as a surrogate father to Wayne. Ducard teaches Wayne several valuable lessons. Ducard states that Bruce's unbridled anger and determination can allow him to truly make a difference in this world:
"If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal and if they can't stop you, you become something else entirely--a legend".
Ducard also tells Wayne that his anger gives him great power, but if left unchecked, can destroy him, and turn him into the very criminals who he despises. This alludes to how in the real world, people with noble intentions can fall from grace and turn into the very things they sought to to eliminate. Again, this theme alludes to Wayne himself, as he too fears what he is capable of:
"They told me there was nothing out there, nothing to fear. But the night my parents were murdered I caught a glimpse of something. I've looked for it ever since. I went around the world, searched in all the shadows. And there is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge. Me."
Most notably, Ducard states:
"Your training is nothing. Your will is everything."
Again, this applies to the real world: that determination and heart is the foundation of success.
Finally, Ducard has Wayne take a hallucinogen that makes him see bats in order to confront his fear. This alludes to the fact that one shouldn't shirk from his fears. Rather, he should seek to overcome it.
Upon learning that the organization fights crime with a brutality rivaling that of the criminals they clash with (they murder as well), Bruce leaves, and travels back to Gotham to liberate the crime ridden city. Wayne becomes the very thing he fears most, bats, and takes up the mantle of Batman. To hide his identity, Wayne pretends to be a drunken billionaire in public. At this juncture of the movie, Nolan fleshes out Bruce's psyche, and ironically points out that his normal persona is his mask, and his true face is that of the Batman's. Nolan also points out Wayne, despite being a noble and righteous man, is not entirely stable. Nolan, however, points out that Bruce Wayne is such a noble figure because he is aware of his imbalances and instead of descending into vengeful madness, uses his damaged psyche to help people:
"I'm using this monster inside me to help people."
Finally, in the ending scene, Nolan portrays just how righteous Bruce Wayne really is:
Comic-book movies always seem to have the best quotes. They have great morals with the right about of action and romance! Since comic books have been around for such a long time, directors might have a hard time making the movies fresh and better than the originals. I think it's universal that Nolan did a fantastic job!
ReplyDeleteI think it's so interesting that often times comic book super heroes are so unrealistic and over the top that you really aren't able to relate to them at all, but this movie seemed to do the opposite and deal with issues that a lot of people go through.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I typically find comic books and their movies to be more than a little silly, I have been impressed by Nolan's Batman films. Against all odds they add an element of humanity and artistic meaning to a medium which usually sacrifices depth and character developmant for action.
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