If you were asked to come up with the most prominent film director of the 21st century and the name was not Christopher Nolan, you would be climbing a rather slippery slope.
After his breakout second feature Memento, Nolan began a steady rise as the most revered of directors of the last century. When coming up with this list, I knew sticking to the “one film per director” rule would prove most difficult with him, because even his lesser movies are still worth watching. That said, when you make a film that is possibly the most popular of all films this century, one of the best sequels ever made, the best of its genre (superhero/comic books), and, after not getting a Best Picture nomination, even (allegedly) made the Academy start having more than five Best Picture nominees,…yeah, I had to go with The Dark Knight.
At this point in time, if you are reading this and have not seen this film…I don’t know what to tell you. There is no true reason for me to describe the plot of it, because it seriously seems impossible that you have not seen it (the only truly bad thing one can say about it is that it truly reigns over it’s predecessor, 2005’s Batman Begins, which itself is still a solid film. That was our introduction to a much more grittier Batman than what we had in the 90s (live action wise, that is). Then Nolan amplified it, using a story that did not need to entirely even need a comic book setting, and knocked it out of the park.
Everything in this film is spot on. Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne is a smooth, slick billionaire playboy while his Batman voice was so effective it has been parodied to oblivion. As much of a fan as I was of the late Michael Gough as Alfred in the Burton films, it is nay impossible to argue against Michael Caine (in anything, really…well, not Jaws: The Revenge). The same can be argued for the other actors: Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, etc.
Then, of course, you have Heath Ledger. I’m not sure I can say anything that has not been said. Words truly cannot describe what one felt when you first say him appear in the original trailer. As arguably the greatest villain in the history of comic books, I can remember feeling bad for anyone who had to fill in the shoes of Jack Nicholson from the 1989 Batman. Now, with only Joaquin Phoenix getting kind of close, no one can touch the bar Ledger has set for live action versions of the clown prince of crime.
Personally, I was always more of a Batman person than Superman growing up: the former seemed more attainable than the latter in my child like mind. The only other film I have seen than has come close to truly getting the character was Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (which also is dipped in nostalgia as well).
Still, this is the Batman film…no, the superhero film we never deserved, but we desperately needed.
(As of this writing, The Dark Knight is available on HBO Max and VOD).
Nothing else to say 