BATMAN
BEGINS (Jun 2005) aka: BATMAN 5.
Director:
Christopher Nolan.
Writers: Bob Kane, David S. Goyer, Christopher Nolan.
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan
Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Katie Holmes, Tom Wilkinson, Ken Watanabe, Rade Sherbedgia.
Droves
of bats against an ocher sunset, teasing out the infamous Bat Logo on the sky
with their swarming bodies; the first five seconds of BATMAN BEGINS are
scintillating.
Then
it just keeps getting better.
If
there is bedrock truth in the axiom, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it,"
then surely the inverse is also true: "If it is broke – FIX it."
And if there was one modern legend that needed fixin', it was the laughable vamp
and clamorous camp of Gotham's fruity caped crusader, the Bat Man. As Michael
Caine might opine, "About bloody time!"
Director
Christopher Nolan is in no hurry to throw us blockbuster money shots, as this
leisurely-paced (yet crammed with content) origin tale takes us on a blighted
journey, physically and mentally, exploring the whys and wherefores of the psychosis/rationale
behind one man's obsession for curbing injustice. Along the way, we are made privy
to a multitude of answers to questions we've sometimes never even thought to ask,
such as: how did Alfred get in on the gag?; origin of the Batcave?; cowl contractors?;
why reptilian spikes on forearms?; why even wear a cape, a non-utilitarian
artifice at best? - and, most importantly, "why a bat?"
In
the Keaton BATMAN (till now, the best of the modern BATMAN series), we met our protagonist already entrenched in his dualism; how he got
there was the subject of minimal flashbacks and a priori knowledge on the
viewer's part. This movie, though subtitled "Batman 5," should
realistically be the first in the series.
Which
raises a pertinent issue: where do they go from here? Through years of braindead
example, we are well aware of how gutless, greedy, shameless and rootless studio
heads are, and how they would readily sacrifice quality for the sake of potentially
increasing sales of their stocks. The fact that creating a quality product might
even elevate their stock values never occurs to them. As such, BEGINS is unfortunately not the beginning of a trend, but a departure from Method,
as painfully illustrated by the shallow mentality (and hence, wide demographic
appeal) of THE FANTASTIC FOUR, this season's Other Superhero Movie.
BATMAN BEGINS is so rooted in a modern-day reality, and filmed so grittily and starkly,
that when the Batman eventually does appear, he is almost incongruous; an anachronism
in this modern crime drama. In keeping with Bruce Wayne's vision: invoking fear
with a figure so haunting and misplaced from reality that it resembles nightmare.
Not
for the Attention-Deficit-Disorderlies, our Chiropteran Hero appears well after
the movie's first hour and then, only in small bouts of screen time - true to
Wayne's vision, "the bat man" is portrayed as an enigma. See too much
of the Enigma, it loses its mystery and terror.
Amazing
how the film-makers took so many liberties with this revered character and yet
re-rendered him as even more appealing. The costume is the blackest, sleekest
and most functional of all Batman's incarnations. (Unfortunately, after initial
glimpses, we never see it wholly clearly again.) The logo has been honed to a
more serrated appearance - subsequently, all the bat-gadgets must necessarily
resonate this upgrade. The Batcave is an actual cave, depicted before computerization,
dramatic lighting and rising turntable dais for Batmobile… Nolan even went
so far as to renounce the canon, "Never mess with a man's vehicles,"
obliterating the popular conceptual design of Batman's automobile – gone
are the associative batwings and sleek undulating curves – the "tumbler,"
as it is called here, is the jagged offspring of a Hummer and an F-14 Tomcat.
And
the best upgrade of all: Batman is no pussy-rescuer.
Allow
me to elaborate: Superheroes are often shown saving kittens in trees and preventing
minor purse-snatchings, to give us a sense that they really do Care on a level
which should probably be "beneath" them. Well, it is beneath
them. In a reality where super-beings commission themselves to combat injustice,
they would be veritable gods (albeit vigilante gods), and you don't bother gods
with trivialities like the coffee machine being broken – they are there to
solve the Big Problems that are above the Common Folks' capabilities.
Ironically,
a "super" being concerning himself with every grocery-store heist and
fanny-pack snatch would be considered a menace through his vigilantism
- by every cop flunkie who would rather be scoring the collar for themselves.
Conversely,
super-beings who involve themselves at higher levels of crime will also risk
run-ins with the authorities – but at higher levels of bureaucracy. For the
authorities in every major city don't really want to stamp out crime, or
drugs, or terrorism – without the power they wield as supposed protectors
from these "evils" (not to mention the direct and indirect kickbacks
and perks), they become impotent.
An
excellent writing choice in allowing this "super" being to resolve a
fiendishly "super" plot - one which could not simply be curtailed with
some well-placed Pow's and Blammo's.
Although,
to be honest, in making Batman more than a pussy-rescuer, it would then be unnecessary
for this high-crime bane to stand atop a rooftop gazing out over the city. All
he is achieving is airing out his cape, as he is way too busy to go galavanting
after every stereo-stealer and horse-dealer he must be witnessing from that vantage.
The
cast itself packs a Blammo, and have the time of their lives playing dress-up:
Bale in his Batsuit; Caine, a spunkier Alfred; Oldman playing Good Guy; Liam,
exotic Hard Guy; Murphy in his funky burlap hood; Wilkinson doing Pacino; Freeman
playing – er, Freeman. (Although it must be noted: Katie Holmes' baby-bottom
cheeks add nothing to her "hard-nosed attorney" role. Even at her advanced
age, Kim Basinger would have still made a more convincing and alluring love interest
for Bruce Wayne. It's all the rage now anyway - older woman, younger batman.)
Give
Burton and Keaton their due, but forgo the rest of the series, especially Clooney's
nipples and Robin's single facial expression - it is HERE… that Batman begins...
BATMAN
BEGINS (Jun 2005)
Director:
Christopher Nolan.
Writers: Bob Kane, David S. Goyer, Christopher Nolan.
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan
Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Katie Holmes, Tom Wilkinson, Ken Watanabe, Rade Sherbedgia.
