A gang of masked criminals robs a mafia-owned bank in Gotham City, each betraying and killing each other until the sole survivor, the Joker, reveals himself as the mastermind and escapes with the money. [128], Editing was underway in January 2008 when Ledger, aged 28, died from an accidental overdose of a prescription drug. Batman races to save Rachel while Gordon and the other officers go after Dent, but they discover the Joker has switched their positions. [132][133][134], Alongside lead editor Lee Smith, Christopher took an "aggressive editorial approach" to editing The Dark Knight to achieve its 152-minute running time. : The Secret History of Batman in Japan, List of Batman television series cast members, Yearly highest-grossing films in the United States, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, List of highest-grossing films in the United States and Canada, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Action Movie, Mainichi Film Award for Foreign Film Best One Award, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Dark_Knight&oldid=1142591448, Films about kidnapping in the United States, Films about organized crime in the United States, Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award-winning performance, Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe winning performance, Films that won the Best Sound Editing Academy Award, Films with screenplays by Christopher Nolan, United States National Film Registry films, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Pages using Sister project links with wikidata mismatch, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Characters appearing in comic books published, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 07:57. is among the film's most famous and oft-quoted pieces of dialog,[bo] alongside "everyone loses their minds," and Dent's line "you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain", as well as Pennyworth's line "some men just want to watch the world burn". At the police station, Batman interrogates the Joker, who says he finds Batman entertaining and has no intention of killing him. [w] Christopher said no scenes were deleted because he believed every scene was essential, and that unnecessary material had been cut before filming. [220][310] Batman represents order to the Joker's chaos and is brought to his own limit but avoids completely compromising himself. [160] Influenced by the script and the comic books The Killing Joke, The Long Halloween, and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (1989), 42 Entertainment paced the ARG over annual events, although Warner Bros. rejected their ideas to use Jokerized Santas at Christmas, coffins filled with chattering teeth on Mother's Day (mocking Wayne's late mother), and Batman actors on rooftops due to safety concerns. [399] In 2022, Variety listed him as the best superhero film performance of the preceding 50 years (Eckhart appears at number 22). Fewer sequels, which generally performed well, were scheduled and only fourThe Dark Knight, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skullwere predicted to be blockbusters. A block in Broadway was closed for the event, which included a live performance of the film score by Howard and Zimmer. [81][94] To avoid attention, filming in Chicago took place under the working title Rory's First Kiss but the production's true nature was quickly uncovered by media publications. [ad], The Dark Knight was released in Australia and Taiwan on Wednesday, July 16, 2008, and opened in twenty markets by the weekend. [38][43] Dent was written as The Dark Knight's central character, serving as the center of the battle between Batman, who believes Dent is the hero the city needs, and the Joker, who wants to prove even the most righteous people can be corrupted. [219], Several publications called The Dark Knight the best comic-book hero adaptation ever made. [217] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+-to-F scale. [325] The Joker aims to corrupt Dent to prove anyone, even symbols, can be broken. [310] The scene in which Batman stands in the ruins of a destroyed building, having failed to prevent the Joker's plot, is reminiscent of the World Trade Center site after September 11. While there wasnt anything gravely wrong with the portrayal, it was not memorable. [310][311][318] Dent is motivated to do good because he identifies himself as good, not through trauma like Batman, and has faith in the legal system. The film, however, leaves open the option to dismiss his insights because his chaos ultimately leads to death and injustice. [47], Describing how his character had evolved from Batman Begins, Christian Bale said Wayne had changed from a young, naive, and angry man seeking purpose to a hero who is burdened by the realization his war against crime is seemingly endless. [392], Ledger's Joker is considered one of the greatest cinematic villains; several publications placed his portrayal second only to Darth Vader. [bl] In 2017, The Hollywood Reporter named Ledger's Joker the second-best cinematic superhero performance ever, behind Hugh Jackman as Wolverine,[398] and Collider listed him as the greatest villain of the 21st century. [140] Production designer Nathan Crowley designed the Batpod (Batcycle) because Christopher did not want to extensively re-use the Tumbler. [99] A Randolph Street parking garage is where Batman captures Scarecrow and Batman impersonators. [310] The Joker meets Dent in a hospital to explain how expected atrocities, such as the deaths of several soldiers, and societal failings are tolerated but when norms are unexpectedly disrupted, people panic and descend into chaos. [339][340][341] U.S. President Barack Obama used Joker to explain the growth of Islamic State (IS) military group, saying " the gang leaders of Gotham are meeting they were thugs, but there was a kind of order the Joker comes in and lights the whole city on fire. The score was recorded at Air Studios, London. As panic grips the city, the Joker reveals two evacuation ferries, one carrying civilians and the other prisoners, are rigged to explode at midnight unless one group sacrifices the other. Dent represents goodness and hope; he is the city's "white knight" who is "pure" of intent and can operate within the law. WebBurn Gorman was born on September 1, 1974 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. [48][49][50] Because the new Batsuit allowed him to be more agile, Bale did not increase his muscle mass as much as he had for Batman Begins. The Dark Knight Scenes That Mean More Than You Think. It was an exhausting process. [bp], The Dark Knight remains popular with audiences in publicly voted rankings. [313] Author Andrew Klavan said Batman is a stand-in for then-U.S. president George W. Bush and justified the breaching of "boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency, certain that [Batman] will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past". [aq] Stephen Hunter said the Dent character was underwritten and that Eckhart was incapable of portraying the role as intended. [253][254][255] At the 14th Empire Awards, The Dark Knight received awards for Best Film, Best Director (Christopher Nolan), and Best Actor (Bale). The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises. Caglione Jr used a theatrical makeup technique for the application; he instructed Ledger to scrunch up his face so different cracks and textures were created once the makeup was applied and Ledger relaxed. Rachel is killed in the explosion, while Dent's face is severely burned on one side. [61][127] Christopher disputed a report that said a scene of Batman leaping into Victoria Harbour was canceled because of pollution concerns, saying it was a script decision. [y], Following Ledger's death, the campaign continued unchanged with a focus on Dent's election, which was influenced by the ongoing 2008 United States presidential election. Kevin Conroy is an American actor and voice actor who has become synonymous with the character of Batman. [156] It took several months to achieve Zimmer's desired result. [307][308], A central theme of The Dark Knight is escalation, particularly the rise of the Joker in response to Batman's vigilantism. [34][151] John Caglione Jr designed Joker's "organic" makeup to look as though it had been worn for days; this idea was partly based on more of Bacon's works. [311][328] Wayne's butler Alfred also commits a noble lie, concealing Rachel's choice of Dent over Wayne to spare him the pain of her rejection. WebPortrayed by Christian Bale, this version of Batman is arguably explored more in-depth compared to that of the previous film series by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher, as the [233], Bale's reception was mixed; his performance was considered to be alternately "captivating" or serviceable, but ultimately uninteresting and undermined by portraying an immovable and generally unchanged character who delivers Batman's dialog in a hoarse, unvarying tone. David Wolinsky on Google+ The products discussed here were Unlike Batman, the Joker is the same with or without makeup, having no identity to conceal and nothing to lose. [289] The Dark Knight sold 3million copies across both formats on its launch day in the U.S., Canada, and the UK; Blu-ray discs comprised about 25%30% of the salesaround 600,000 units. The Joker interrupts the meeting and offers to kill Batman for half of the fortune their accountant, Lau, concealed before fleeing to Hong Kong to avoid extradition. This led people to a website where they could submit their e-mail addresses to reveal a pixel of a concealed Joker image; about 97,000 e-mail addresses and 20 hours were required to reveal the image in full, which was well-received. Influence also came from the 1953 painting Study after Velzquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X by Francis Baconsuggested by Christopher and the character's comic-book appearances. "[57] In a November 2007 interview, Ledger said when committing himself to any role, he had difficulty sleeping because he could not relax his mind, and often slept only two hours a night during filming. [373] In the 2010s, a poll of 177 film critics by the BBC in 2016 listed it as the 33rd-best film of the 21st century,[374] and The Guardian placed it 98th on its own list. A U.S.-centric effort involved people recovering cellphones made by Nokiaa brand partner to the filmfrom a cake, which led to an early screening of the film's bank-heist prologue before its public release in December. [310] Batman also inspires copycat vigilantes, further escalating lawlessness. ($27.8million) and Hancock ($14million) in its third weekend. [101][112] A scene of Batman surveying the city from a rooftop edge was filmed atop Willis Tower, Chicago's tallest building. [32] Although Batman Begins ends with a scene in which Batman is presented with a joker playing card, teasing the introduction of his archenemy, the Joker, Christopher Nolan did not intend to make a sequel and was unsure Batman Begins would be successful enough to warrant one. [294] A 4K resolution remaster, which was overseen by Christopher, was released in December 2017 as a set containing a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray disc, and digital download, as well as special features from earlier releases. In writing the screenplay, the Nolans were influenced by 1980s Batman comics and crime drama films, and sought to continue Batman Begins' heightened sense of realism. Warner Bros. was concerned public knowledge of Dent's character was poor; the campaign included signs, stickers, and "Dentmobiles" visiting U.S. cities to raise his profile. [311][314] Klavan's interpretation was criticized by some publications that considered The Dark Knight anti-war, proposing society must not abandon the rule of law to combat lawlessness or risk creating the conditions for escalation. The plot follows the vigilante Batman, police lieutenant James Gordon, and district attorney Harvey Dent, who form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City. The windows in both settings were covered in green screen material, allowing Gotham City visuals to be added later. The Blu-ray disc version additionally offers interactive elements describing the production of some scenes. In the film, Batman is forced out of his self-imposed retirement following the events of The Dark Knight; he allies with Selina Kyle / Catwoman to take on Bane, a physically imposing revolutionary allied with the League of Shadows that is featured in Batman Begins. [33][34] Christopher, alongside his wife and longtime producer Emma Thomas, had never worked on a sequel film[35] but he and co-writer David Goyer discussed ideas for a sequel during filming. [ay] Roger Ebert said the Joker forces impossible ethical decisions on each character to test the limits of their morality. Freeze) and Uma Thurman (Poison Ivy) fell Their efforts are derailed by the Joker, an an Unbiased. [ax] A novelization written by Dennis O'Neil was released in 2008. [184][275][285], Retrospective analysis has focused on the way studios, eager to replicate its performance, released tonally dark, gritty, and realistic films, or reboots of existing franchises, many of which failed critically or commercially. [101][113][114] The thirteen weeks of filming in Chicago was estimated to have generated $45million for the city's economy and thousands of local jobs. It earned about $40million combined, making it second to Hancock ($44.8million), which was playing in nearly four times as many countries. He added a "punk" influence alongside inspirations from electronic and rock music. Scouts spent over a month searching for suitable vessels but were unsuccessful, so construction coordinator Joe Ondrejko and his team built ferry facades atop barges. [175][176] The Dark Knight's premiere took place on July 14, in IMAX in New York City. [154][156][157] The theme was influenced by electronic music innovators Kraftwerk and Zimmer's work with rock band The Damned. Unprejudiced. [ao] Zacharek, however, lamented that the performance was not in service of a better film. [315][316] This is exemplified in the covert alliance formed between Batman, Dent, and Gordon, leading to Rachel's death and Dent's corruption. Christopher said the title refers to Dent as equally as Batman. A sequel, The Dark Knight Rises, concluded The Dark Knight trilogy in 2012. Fair."[321]. Although the event was expected to attract a few thousand people, 650,000 arrived and participated in activities that included calling a number taken from a plane flying overhead and wearing Joker makeup to commit disruptive acts with actors. [310][318] According to writer David Chen, this demonstrates, individually, people cannot responsibly handle power but by sharing the responsibility, there is hope for a compassionate outcome. [311] Adlakha wrote Dent is framed as a religious icon, his campaign slogan being "I believe in Harvey Dent", and his eventual death leaves his arms spread wide like Jesus on the Cross. [313] Writer Benjamin Kerstein said both viewpoints are valid, and that "The Dark Knight is a perfect mirror of the society which is watching it: a society so divided on the issues of terror and how to fight it that, for the first time in decades, an American mainstream no longer exists". The Hollywood Reporter said Ledger received several ovations, and that during the after-party, Warner Bros. executives struggled to maintain a balance between celebrating the successful response and commemorating Ledger. [310], In The Dark Knight's final act, Batman employs an invasive surveillance network by co-opting the phones of Gotham's citizens to locate the Joker, violating their privacy. [81][98], Filming took place in the lobby of One Illinois Center, which served as Wayne's penthouse apartment; bookcases were built to hide the elevators. ", "Ledger's Oscar Bid From Beyond The Grave", "Posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger's Joker Performance? The consensus reads; "Dark, complex and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga". [311] According to professor Martin Fradley, among others, Batman's "noble lie" and Gordon's support of it is a cynical endorsement of deception and totalitarianism. Maroni has previously been played in live-action by Eric Roberts in The Dark Knight and David Zayas in Gotham. Dent takes Gordon's family hostage, blaming his negligence for Rachel's death. The ferry scene can be seen as the Joker's true defeat, demonstrating he is wrong about the residents turning on each other in an extreme scenario. [179][194][195] The film was playing in fewer than 100 theaters when it received a 300-theater relaunch in late January 2009 to raise its profile during nominations for the 81st Academy Awards. [210] Stephanie Zacharek and David Edelstein criticized a perceived lack of visual storytelling in favor of exposition, and aspects of the plot being difficult to follow amid the fast pace and loud score. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. [117][118], After returning to England in the middle of September, scenes were filmed for the ferry, hospital, and Gotham Prewitt building interiors. Production designer Nathan Crowley said the clean, neat lines of Chicagoan architecture enhanced the urban-crime drama they wanted to make, and that Batman had helped improve the city. [z], Warner Bros. dedicated six months to anti-piracy methods; the film industry lost an estimated $6.1billion to piracy in 2005. David Wolinsky on Google+ The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. [220][223][233] Ebert surmised the entire cast provided "powerful" performances that engage the audience, such that "we're surprised how deeply the drama affects us". Gotham's mafia bosses gather to discuss protecting their organizations from the Joker, the police, and Batman. [au] This change is seen as responsible for the first Best Picture nomination of a comic book adaptation, Black Panther (2018). This conveys the protagonists' gradual abandonment of their principles when faced with an extreme foe. We Ranked Them All, From The Dark Knight to the Batman", "Batman Movies Ranked From Worst To Best", "50 Best Movies Of Total Film Magazine's Lifetime", "The 30 Films That Define the Last 30 Years", "Empire's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time", "The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years: Here's Our Full List! [m], Ledger spent about a month secluding himself in a hotel room while reading relevant comic books. Warner Bros. Pictures prioritized a sequel following the successful reinvention of the Batman film series with Batman Begins. Christopher described Rachel as the emotional connection between Wayne and Dent, ultimately serving as a further personal loss to fuel Wayne's character. The 160-foot (49m) tall hangar was unsuitable for suspending the bunker roof, and an encompassing gantry was built to hold it and the lighting. [218] The film has a score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 39 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". The campaign concluded in July with displays of the Bat-Signal in Chicago and New York City that were eventually defaced by the Joker. [61][131] Christopher added a dedication to Ledger and stuntman Conway Wickliffe, who died during rehearsals for a Tumbler (Batmobile) stunt. [327] Batman makes his own Christ-like sacrifice, taking on Dent's sins to preserve the city. [285], The Dark Knight was released on DVD and Blu-ray in December 2008. At the San Diego Comic-Con, 42 Entertainment modified 11,000 one-dollar bills with the Joker's image and the phrase "Why So Serious?" 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, This article is about the 2008 film. [k] Ledger's casting in August 2006 was criticized by some industry professionals and members of the public who considered him inappropriate for the role; executive producer Charles Roven said Ledger was the only person seriously considered, and that Batman Begins's positive reception would help alleviate any concerns. You thought we could be decent men in an indecent time. [89] Filming moved to England throughout May, returning to Chicago in June. Nezha got his hooks into Batman when Black The Joker escapes custody, extracts the fortune's location from Lau, and burns all of it. Having deduced Batman's feelings for Rachel, the Joker reveals she and Dent are being held separately in buildings rigged to explode. [81][96] It was scheduled early to test the IMAX procedure, allowing it to be refilmed with traditional cameras if needed, and it was intended to be publicly released as part of the marketing campaign. [102] The sequence continued on LaSalle Street, which was also used for the GCPD funeral procession, for a practical truck-flip stunt and helicopter sequence. Christopher said cameras that could be used on Mount Everest could be used for The Dark Knight, and had cinematographer Wally Pfister and his crew begin training to use the equipment in January 2007 to test its feasibility. "[37], Although he was a fan of Batman (1989), starring Jack Nicholson as the Joker, Goyer did not consider Nicholson's portrayal scary and The Dark Knight's Joker to be an unknowable, already-formed character, similar to the shark in Jaws (1975), without a "clich" origin story. [34], The first scene filmed was the bank heist, which was shot in the Old Chicago Main Post Office over five days. For other uses, see, Zimmer based Joker's theme around two notes that would become increasingly "agitated as the track progressed. [172][173], Compared to 2007's $9.7billion box-office take, in 2008, lower revenues were expected due to the large number of comedies competing against each other and the release of films with dark tones, such as The Dark Knight, during a period of rising living costs and election fatigue in the U.S. The Batman: Everyone Who Played The Dark Knight On The Big Screen, Ranked By Mat Elfring and Mason Downey on February 28, 2022 at 12:03PM PST For 42 Entertainment's initial plan to throw the bills from a balcony was canceled due to safety concerns, so the bills were covertly distributed to attendees. WebThe Dark Knight Rises With their appearances in this movie, Christian Bale, Sir Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, and Gary Oldman have each appeared in three Batman movies. It was so [305][306] The Dark Knight Coaster, an indoor roller coaster, opened in May 2008 at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. This raised its total box office to $533.3million before it left theaters on March 5 after 33 weeks, making it the highest-grossing comic-book, superhero, and Batman film; the highest-grossing film of 2008; and the second-highest-grossing film ever (unadjusted for inflation), behind the 1997 romantic drama Titanic ($600.8million). [35][44][45] Christopher found writing the Joker the easiest aspect of the script. "[aj] Others criticized the dark, grim, intense, and self-serious tone as lacking any elements of fun or fantasy. Birds of Prey wasnt a famous TV show, although it gave the network a significant viewership. Howard and Zimmer composed the score without seeing the film because Christopher wanted them to be influenced by the characters and story rather than fitting specific on-screen elements. WebBatman Portrayed by: Aaron Eckhart Appearances: The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Rises (archive footage and picture only) "It's not about what I want, it's about what's fair! [103] Additional segments were filmed on Monroe Street and Randolph Street, and at Randolph Street Station. [329][335], Directors including Sam Mendes (Skyfall), Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), and David Ayer (Suicide Squad), have cited it as an influence on their work, and Steven Spielberg listed it among his favorite films. This, paired with the gritty realism not usually seen in superhero movies, is why many fans regard the Dark Knight trilogy as their favorite Batman movie adaptation. [144], Hemming, Crowley, Christopher, and Jamie Rama re-designed the Batsuit to make it more comfortable and flexible, developing a costume made from a stretchy material covered in over 100 urethane armor pieces. Christopher avoided using computer-generated imagery unless necessary, insisting on practical stunts such as flipping an 18-wheel truck and blowing up a factory. There was also a perceived limit on financial success for Batman films; the 1989 installment remained the franchise's highest-grossing release. [n] Ledger spent a further four months creating a "Joker diary" containing images and elements he believed would resonate with his character, such as finding the disease AIDS humorous. The joker playing card scene in Batman Begins was intended to convey the fallacy of Batman's belief his war on crime would be temporary. [ap] Eckhart's performance was generally well received; reviewers praised his portrayal of Dent as charismatic, and the character's subsequent transformation into a sad, bitter "monster", although Variety considered his subplot the film's weakest. Critic Siddhant Adlakha considered the Joker an analog for countries such as Iraq, Somalia, and Lebanon, which were targeted by U.S. military campaigns and responded with escalation using terrorism. He could not make it work, however, and used two notes with alternating tempos and a "punk" influence. [206] The Dark Knight earned about $469.7million outside the U.S. and Canada, its highest grosses coming from the United Kingdom ($89.1million), Australia ($39.9million), Germany ($29.7million), France ($27.5million), Mexico ($25million), South Korea ($24.7million), and Brazil ($20.2million). [272], Despite the success of The Dark Knight, the lack of a Best Picture nomination was criticized and described as a "snub" by some publications. Actor Michael Keaton played the caped crusader A new Batman movie, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, has finally hit theatres after multiple delays. [bk], The Dark Knight remains popular with entertainment industry professionals, including directors, actors, critics, and stunt actors, being ranked 57th on The Hollywood Reporter's poll of the best films ever made,[357] 18th on Time Out's list of the best action films,[388] and 96th on the BBC's list of the 100 Greatest American Films.
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