Batman Begins(2005)
Dark, hard-edged action-adventure that sees the very foundations of the Batman saga start in thrilling style.
Certificate
Age group11+ years
Duration140 mins
'Batman Begins' is the first part of The Dark Knight Trilogy, and is co-written and Directed by Christopher Nolan in what was his third feature (after Memento and Insomnia). The film is a re-invention of Batman after the 'family friendly' instalments of the superhero in the late 90s that gradually worsened from a critical perspective and at the box office. 'Batman Begins' strives for a much darker edge and also explores Batman's origins and deepest fears.
Much of the first part of the story is told in flashback; the film re-telling major events in Bruce Wayne's childhood that made him who he is. This helps to give more of a back-story to the main character and also a much more humane side.
The childhood moments are interceded with Wayne finding himself as an adult and his subsequent training with 'The League of Shadows'. These scenes are extremely well done; with the cinematography excellent (Wally Pfister using light well and also camera trickery as Wayne's hazy state of mind is revealed by the shimmering of the screen) and the production design exemplary. The 'League of Shadows' headquarters is extremely well designed and is built to a high level of detail that helps to set the mood and tone of the scenes.
A positive point of the film is that Nolan takes the viewer to locations other than Gotham; helping to expand the universe and give the film a more realistic look (making the viewer believe that the events could take place now). A lot of beauty comes from the scenery - with some of the film shot in Iceland - and this helps contrast with the dirt and darkness of Gotham.
As I said earlier, the film is mainly an origin story and the build up to the wearing of the cape takes up quite a lot of the running time. So, unusually for a superhero film, the action only really comes later on in the big third act. This does mean that the film slightly drags in the middle and is perhaps a bit over-long at 2 hours 20 minutes.
Christian Bale plays Batman/Bruce Wayne and does a very good job. He shows the character's tortured soul and gives some emotional resonance to scenes such as his relationship with Katy Holmes' attorney. He can also play the physicality of the role; seeming reasonable with both the charm and smoothness as the rich playboy and in the boardroom (glimmers of Patrick Bateman shining through) and also as the tough, athletic superhero in training and in full flight.
The film has an extremely talented supporting cast including: Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Cillian Murphy as the villain 'Scarecrow'. Michael Caine offers a more light hearted portrayal of Alfred with him the only real source of humour in the film. Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman essentially play themselves with little difficulty and Katie Holmes proves quite a tough heroine and romantic possibility for Batman with plenty of chemistry between her and Bale although, in the end, Nolan can't quite avoid the generic superhero saves girl act with Batman having to save the day.
Cillian Murphy plays the only real villain in the piece, 'Scarecrow', and does a sterling job. The character exudes menace and Murphy shows an evil lying just beneath the cold outer surface. The villain truly masked is quite scary and scenes in Arkham Asylum are really quite unsettling as Nolan explores this quite new location that gives the film a darker edge. It is a shame however that the character's end is not quite worthy of the build up and the interesting personality Nolan gives him. His arc feels unresolved and almost forgotten at the end although that may be for his return in a sequel.
Some other slight criticisms I have are that the CGI, especially of Gotham, is quite sketchy; looking more like graphics in a computer game than in a film (although it was made ten years ago). Also there is a bit of a lack of humour in the script with the film perhaps taking itself too seriously overall. As well, the Bat suit feels very stiff and rigid. Whenever Bale speaks as the masked superhero, it is extremely difficult to take him seriously as the gruff voice and the forever serious expression often seems comical. The film is definitely dark but Nolan was still finding his feet with the overall tone of the series here and it still feels like a bit of a combination of the gritty and the more family orientated (with the studio probably more involved there).
So to conclude, 'Batman Begins' is a film that has its flaws, but the positives certainly outweigh the negatives and I do believe that Nolan achieved most of his original vision in this film. People were still being introduced to the saga at this point so Nolan could not achieve something as gritty as 'The Dark Knight' with audience reception and studio worries most probably being taken into account. However he makes Bruce Wayne a much more complex and multi-layered character by exploring his past and this helps the viewer relate to the character and feel tension and excitement more in the last third as Batman battles against a surprising force that forces the viewer to question the morality of justice and whether doing right in the long run can still be wrong. The plot is also quite complex with twists that keep the viewer entertained but still able to follow the story.
An interesting and entertaining film from Christopher Nolan that delves into the Batman's roots but still forays into relatively new ground with the tone and adds much more depth and layers to the titular character. And a surprisingly good start to the saga with Nolan still managing to show some of his artistic individuality in this skilfully made commercial blockbuster.
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