Beautifully Haunting

by: Angelique Parungao

 Sophomore jinx doesn’t seem to haunt Christopher Nolan as his second take on the Batman series catapulted on the top of the box- office on the day of its release, making a new world record. Too much hype did not dishearten Batman fans and spectators alike when The Dark Knight, the most haunting of all the series was shown.

In this installment, we see Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), the playboy billionaire by day and a caped crusader by night in the middle of making decision on whether or not to quit his responsibilities as Gotham city’s crime fighter. Adding the resurgence of his arch- enemy Joker (played by the late Heath Ledger) and the emergence of the “White Knight,” Harvey Dent a.k.a. Two Faced (Aaron Eckhart). With few twists and turns, including an end to Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Wayne’s relationship, mobsters in Hong Kong, and the city’s failed destruction, we know that Batman won’t be retiring anytime soon. As typical as your usual super hero torn in between normal life and his duties, what actually makes The Dark Knight different from them is that it has the ability to make you sit on the edge of your seat, for several reasons.

One is that the movie was awesomely made. It was worth the 3- year wait and the long, almost 2 hours of sitting in the cinema. The effects were better and the feel of brooding theme was felt in the entire film.

Bale did a pretty good job, but the hissing voice made it unbearable for viewers. When a person’s supposed to be posed as strong and powerful, maybe it would be better to make your voice audible, don’t you think? And since I have seen most of the Batman movies, I cannot remember when Batman resorted to whispering or maybe I just forgot about it.

Heath Ledger’s acting was superb, probably outshining Bale in the acting department. He made sure that you felt every inch of pain and that his words cut deep. His famous words: “Why so serious?” plus the tone makes his appearance creepier. Sent shivers down my spine. His facial expressions added to the creepiness. Although Ledger’s portrayal is a bit inferior to Jack Nicholson’s take on Batman 1989, his will be one of the most unforgettable portrayals in the movie history. That is for sure.

Two- faced’s character could have been developed early on in the film. Eckhart’s portrayal was okay, but he could have done better.

Maggie Gyllenhaal was not bad, but compared to Katie Holmes’ take on Rachel Dawes, I think the latter’s portrayal’s better. Gyllenhaal and Bale obviously lack chemistry and that is not good especially if you are trying to make audience feel the pains of past love and of letting go.

Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman’s portrayals are praiseworthy. Freeman, whether on a small or big part in a film never fail to make great acting, always commendable. Oldman was good also. He made Commissioner Jim Gordon memorable. His convincing acting made Gordon such an important part of the film.

With minor fallbacks, the film did not disappoint. It is what I am actually waiting for. And as a Batman fan, I think this will sit with those Batman movies that I love. I expect Nolan to do another in the series. His versions, clearly, are exceptionally great. I would not mind shelling out for another Batman flick again.