Dark Knight Triumphs
Bale and Nolan Bring Character to Life

Over a decade ago, in another Batman film, the Joker asked a single (but very intriguing) question regarding the Dark Knight: "Where does he get those wonderful toys?" In Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David S. Goyer attempt to answer that and other questions about Batman's origins.

Batman Begins
The dark knight Batman (Christian Bale, right) is summoned by Detective Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) in Batman Begins. (Warner Bros, 2005)
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Written by: David S. Goyer, based on characters by Bob Kane
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy. and Morgan Freeman

Rated PG-13 (for intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic elements)
Running time: 141 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 10 out of 10.

The film is more than a replay of the old origin story however. Plenty of liberties are taken with the back story, but in the careful hands of Goyer and Nolan the changes are worthwhile. Joe Chill, the man who killed the Waynes, is caught by the police. When Chill arranges a plea bargain for early release, Bruce considers murdering Chill, but even that attempt at vengeance is denied him. Unsure what to do, he disappears from society and tries to understand the criminal element.

Christopher Bale plays Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) with a haunted, driven persistence that borders on psychotic. From the beginning, where Bruce is fighting for survival in a Chinese prison camp, he appears to be suffering more inside than out. The origin of that pain and suffering are as important, if not more so, than the question of how Batman can make a Batmobile without anyone noticing.

Bruce's descent into madness is averted by a mentor who rescues him from the prison. Ducard (Liam Neeson) is a disciple of Ra's al Ghul (Ken Watanabe), the mysterious leader of a band of ninja warriors who distribute justice from the shadows of the world. While Ducard trains Bruce in the ways of the shadow, Bruce relives his past -- from the death of his parents to his decision to leave Gotham.

The story really takes off when Bruce leaves the Asian country to return to Gotham and rebuild his life. He finds that his father's company has been taken over by greedy board members and that he was declared legally dead. None of this appears to concern him much as he cloaks himself in his obsession to fight injustice in Gotham. He begins by targeting a local crime boss who traffics drugs. The event makes all the papers, and the underworld begins to fear the mysterious Batman.

For every great hero, there must be a great villain. Nolan brings in one of the lesser known but more ghastly villains in Batman's rogues gallery: The Scarecrow. Using toxic gas that forces a victim to live out his worst fears, Scarecrow terrorizes his victims. After his first encounter, Batman begins to piece together the truth behind the Scarecrow's toxic gas and those who may be behind it.

While Batman begins making the papers and striking fear in the hearts of criminals, Bruce finds that his personal life also needs attention. He begins building another mask, this one as a playboy millionaire who lives for now and gives no thought to the future. At one point, Bale transforms himself from a hurried hero to a drunken sot in an attempt to clear his guests from his home. The change is astounding, and a brilliant piece of acting. Bruce, the playboy, becomes an object of ridicule. This facade makes Bruce seem not worth noticing, even as he recruits others to his cause.

Although Batman is often thought to be a loner, he really isn't. Even as his faithful butler Alfred (Michael Caine) helps him with his dual identity, he also enlists the help of Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), a deposed board member who heads up a dead-end applied sciences division of Wayne Industries. Fox, like Alfred, is a necessary evil, someone Bruce can trust in a city overrun by crime. As he researches the city, Bruce also finds a good cop named Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) to be an ally in his fight. It is not by coincidence that these key roles are all played by veteran actors who do outstanding jobs. Each of them is key to keeping the story believable, which is not easy to do with a comic book translation.

One of my favorite revelations in the film is such a spoiler that I can't even hint at it here. Let me just say that the casting of this film is absolutely perfect.

Nolan's vision of Batman combines the post-industrial look of Gotham with a 1920s Chicago run by mobsters. There is a blight on the city, both visually and spiritually. The combination of the two make Batman seem like Don Quixote tilting at windmills. But this Batman can (and does) fight in a manner befitting a superhero. He has grace and speed. He uses his cape to an advantage, both to conceal and to swoop down on his prey. The thrilling car chase with the first Batmobile (think of a Humvee crossed with a tank) jumping from rooftop to rooftop is a sight to behold.

There are few movies (even fewer comic book adaptations) that make me cheer. Nolan and Goyer have given fans a flawless Batman film that combines the darkness of Gotham's Caped Crusader and the psychological foundation to make the film believable. This is a first rate action film and hopefully signals a new direction for the Batman franchise.