The Dark Knight

[trieffiewiles]

I went to a midnight showing, because the people who go to those are usually very quiet and attentive, especially when compared to the people who go during the opening week.

Anyone here who even remotely likes comics or wicked jesters, and something tells me there are some of those around here, should see 'The Dark Knight.' There is nothing I really want to say, anything plot-related at all would be an unnecessary spoiler.

Obviously dark and grim, psychological, one hand driven by pure visceral emotion, the other hand touching upon compelling yet conflicted philosophies at the story's core, utterly unpredictable, mysterious, insanse yet fluid and seemless plot twists, psychotically action driven and hypnotically subtle at the same time, and having a very diabolical flair that most R-rated movies, fearing for their chastity, would dare not play with- these are but a few of the ways I would describe it.

Maybe already my favorite American movie made this decade, but I won't say for sure yet.

[Odalisque]

Quote Originally Posted by trieffiewiles

Maybe already my favorite American movie made this decade, but I won't say for sure yet.

Still a couple of years before that award can be handed out.

One trouble I'd have in awarding it is figuring which films belong to the naughties and which to the nineties. The older I grow, the harder it seems to be distinguish between recent decades. I think I'm pretty well OK with distinguishing between the 40s, 50s and 60s -- but after that (for me) things begin to become blurred. I had my 24th birthday in 1970 -- perhaps that has something to do with it -- my brain slowly turning to mush from my mid-20s onwards.

[trieffiewiles]

Funny that you mentioned your 24th birthday, because I am only 24 currently. I wonder who the baby of this site might be. With as many members as there are it shouldn't be me.

[Odalisque]

Quote Originally Posted by trieffiewiles

Funny that you mentioned your 24th birthday, because I am only 24 currently. I wonder who the baby of this site might be. With as many members as there are it shouldn't be me.

No -- I don't think you're the baby of the site. I seem to recall seeing a sub-24 birthday posted in recent days. (Was it a 22nd birthday?)

It's not impossible that I'm the oldest one here -- but I wouldn't stake any money on that.

I think some things do start to become a bit blurred after the age of 24 (they did for me) -- but (aged 62) I still seem able to write coherent fiction -- so there's no need for you despair (unless, of course, you want to).

[Bleak&Icy]

I saw The Dark Knight yesterday, and for once my expectations (invariably low) were surpassed. The film was magnificent, chiefly due to Ledger's interpretation of The Joker.

Most Hollywood treatments of the superhero genre nauseate me for one (or all) of the following reasons: sickening sentimentality (see the Spiderman movies); black-and-white moral and political vision (Superman); and the absence of a psychologically valid villain (choose your own). Not so, The Dark Knight. The Joker had depth and, for me personally (your purveyor of pessimistic and puppet passages), a certain resonance. In one scene, The Joker, dressed as a female nurse, explains to the disfigured DA Harvey Dent (soon to become the terrifying Two Face), his philosophy of chaos. I was reminded of Ligotti's story "The Cocoons"; specifically of Dr. Dublanc's deranged reasoning:

I whispered to Dr. Dublanc: "Please, I'm afraid that--"

"Exactly," he hissed back at me. "You are always afraid of the least upset in the order of things. You need to face certain realities so that you may free yourself of them."

As much as I enjoyed the movie, I hate going to movies! Inconsiderate slobs stuffing themselves with chemically enhanced popcorn in the dark; children ruffling paper packets and twisting plastic bags; people with small bladders ("Excuse me, pardon me, can I get through?"); teenagers gossiping and kicking seats.... By the end of the movie I was gripping the sticky, narrow arms of my seat in a misanthropic but helpless fury. My only criticism of the movie (keeping in mind my unsympathetic view of my fellow man), was that The Joker did not cause more carnage.

[Odalisque]

Quote Originally Posted by Bleak&Icy

As much as I enjoyed the movie, I hate going to movies! Inconsiderate slobs stuffing themselves with chemically enhanced popcorn in the dark; children ruffling paper packets and twisting plastic bags; people with small bladders ("Excuse me, pardon me, can I get through?"); teenagers gossiping and kicking seats.... By the end of the movie I was gripping the sticky, narrow arms of my seat in a misanthropic but helpless fury.

Perhaps you should have waited for it to appear on DVD.

Either that, or join in with the fun... stuff yourself with chemically enhanced popcorn, ruffle paper packets, twist plastic bags, compress your bladder, gossip, kick seats... have fun -- let your hair down!!

[yellowish haze]

Well, in my cinema I expect to watch this film with up to ten people in the movie theater. This is one of the things I like in this country: if you know which cinema to choose and at which hour, you have pretty good chances to end up watching a fresh blockbuster film on a huge screen with no one else in the cinema.

I hate popcorn culture too and I'm really concerned when I see it becoming popular here.
When I lived in London, each time I went to the cinema I regretted it. I don't know how people find pleasure in watching films in such crowds and noise.

[trieffiewiles]

I didn't want to give anything away but I did think some of the characters would appeal to members on the exact grounds I'd heard mentioned.

I too hate cinema-goers, this is why I went at midnight knowing full well that work started early the next day. The opening night crowd would have put a damper on the experience.

Also, the fact that, in any remotely first world area (if I lived in the deep south I'd be able to find some old-school, non-chain, cinemas), you have to sit through about 40 or so minutes of asinine commercials followed by usually just-as asinine previews, before one even begins the movie itself. This will probably be the last film I see in the theater for a long time.

[Odalisque]

I'm not a huge fan of the 21st century London cinema experience, to be honest. It's several years since I last went to the pictures. And it's hard to conceive a film so good that it would make me go again. I really don't think this film is the one to have me back in the cinema. (No offence to it.)

[yellowish haze]

I have to warn in advance that I'm not a comic book fan... only a Christopher Nolan one.

I saw the Dark Knight yesterday at a special preview. The film was ok, but I found it a bit overrated.
Ledger as the Joker is truly stunning. I agree with everything B&I stated previously.

I am a bit undecided as to my final opinion on this film. I certainly don't consider it an improvement over the first part as most people seem to. I will have to see it once again to be sure what I really want to say about it - I simply find it difficult to criticize a film by one of my favourite directors.

One thing is sure: it's top-notch entertainment and visual feast with some brilliant performances.