I've Finally Seen the Dark Knight

Last weekend, when the Dark Knight was released in the US, I was travelling in central Europe, where it would not be released for at least another week.

While the anticipation was on my mind, another debut was on the minds of many people, young and old(er) in Prague & Bohemia: that of our REAL Dark Knight- Barack Obama.

Everyone's eyes seemed to be on the new face of America, one that they readily admitted they were ready to fall in love with. Whether or not these Germans, Brits, Aussies, or Czechs, respectively, understood the nuances of current politics in America was beside the point; because first of all they clearly did, and that only fueled their enthusiasm for a new leadership from our Great Nation.

Leave no doubt that Europeans grasp the importance of our country's influence on their own prosperity & sense of well being: the first comment I'd often hear upon their discovering I was American was- "Yeah? Shame what's happening to the dollar right now."

They're genuinely concerned. There's none of that American braggadaccio about "Sucks to be you" on the global economic playing field. It should come as no surprise: they unconditionally grasp and understand that all nations on Earth are Inter-dependent.
~~~~~~~~Spoiler Alerts~~~~~~~~
(Although, really, I'm assuming by the Box Office numbers that you've all seen the film by now)

So if you've read this far, you're probably asking- What the Hell does this have to do with the Dark Knight?

Having finally seen the movie last night with my lady friend, Lydia, I felt the compelled to comment on the nuanced parallels of the film's themes, in lew of our current global and internal situation as a country.

I have to find it difficult to have seen this film without at least having one's political and social imagination stirred. Sure, it's got riveting performances and high octane , HEAT -inspired action, but those qualities alone would have produced any number of different films.

The Nolan Bros. are no shills. Christopher Nolan is never seen in a t-shirt or hoodie on set or otherwise; he wears a sleek, shiny suit for either of two reasons: a) he's been helming one of the biggest films of all time for the past few years, and b) He means Business.

To get right to it, what do the characters, events and narrative of the Dark Knight really SAY?

Batman, for example, states that Harvey Dent is the hero Gotham (i.e. the Nation, the World) needs. He is a shining knight with a Face. A crusader. A target. A Symbol.

But this line, as with many others in the film, does not ring true - there is another meaning, below its surface. Quite simply, it does not fly in lew of Batman's or Harvey's actions.

What I really, really enjoyed about this film is that - after watching it - one is compelled to review all the moves of the actors, much like figuring out what went wrong (or right) with a chess match.

Each character - especially Ledger's ground-breaking Joker - is thinking 4 or 6 steps ahead (both of each other and the audience). Commission Gordon fakes his own death in cooperation with Batman, as they seemingly bait Harvey Dent to take the fall for Batman, thus baiting the Joker to come out and play, guns blazing.

There's some room for interpretation as to how much is planned, but that's all taken care of by both Gordon and Wayne's assertion that they were playing this "very close to the chest". (Even Lucius wasn't aware of Batman's controversial means of tracking the Joker, using Wayne's funds to acquire "Government Contracts".)

I went into this film completely expecting a the real world themes to be buried by the drama and action at its core. Nolan himself stated in an interview with the New York Times that he did not want the political overtones to cloud the film-making process or its product's enjoyment.

But after seeing it - can one really trust this statement?

All the players in the film are using double talk that baits & fools their adversaries (and the audience) into thinking one thing, when they're actually up to something else entirely.

Once the pattern is set, the filmmakers generously return us to a semblance of normal Bat-narrative. There's a new villain pulled straight from the comic pages, with a believable origin to his name (not to mention a believable rendering of his Face). There's a kidnapping, a hostage situation, and a Batman to emerge from the darkness to the rescue.

All this is beside the point of the completely true-to-form relationship of the most literal "Immovable Object and Unstoppable Forces", in the "fist-alogue" of Batman and Joker. (That Joker is the mouthy one who states the obvious so blatantly only enhances his character, and why he so frustrates a brilliant strategist such as Batman - it takes that kind of carelessness and flashy lack of subtlety to REALLY get under this Bat's Cowl.)

Not to mention to wonderfully innovative, again, believably real-world use of Batman's "Sonar" , further solidifying his transformation into a Bat. Take it or leave it - the filmmakers knew we'd all appreciate it.
(*This is also an unexpected reference to an old Bat-book, "DIGITAL JUSTICE" in which a Batman of the near future uses a similar technology. Looks like that future's already arrived!)


So all popcorn-popping plot and cinematic devices aside, is there ANYTHING still beneath the surface, which we're meant to take away from this film?

You bet your life there is.

It seemed as if the ending were, predictably, setting up Batman's various predicaments for another sequel. He's on the run again - voluntarily taking the fall so bait the forces Gordon now commands in such a way as to glorify his friend, Harvey's legacy in the public eye. Gordon himself asserts, smartly: "Batman is not a hero. He is a protector. A symbol. A Dark Knight."

~~~~~~~~~~(Heady Stuff Ahead)~~~~~~~~~~~~

Make no mistake. The Nolan Brothers know their chess.

What is the Dark Knight, and where does Batman get this name?

Sure, Frank Miller cleverly came up with this for the title of his legendary Graphic Novel in the 80's, but there are clear differences between Miller's character, and the Dark Knight that the Nolan brothers have given us on-screen.

Batman is given this name because of what he actually represents: something missing from the playing field of the reality you and I comfortably (or not so comfortably) inhabit. An appointed protector: a KNIGHT.

A Knight-Piece, in the playing field of real world justice. The impossible choice. The left-of-field playing piece, that can maneuver unexpectedly, and - if protected (i.e. by James Gordon) a piece that almost ALWAYS assures an advantage against your opponent, should ALL other pieces be taken.

(Now sure, if you keep your queen, you can lose your Knights, but bear with me here. *B/c one thing we ALSO don't have in the U.S. is a QUEEN.)

So How do Obama, Chess, Batman, and Our Need for a Hero Really Relate?


Batman is no people's hero. He's a billionaire playboy, who uses his fortunes to foster, build, and protect the spirit of Gotham City as he envisions it. He's not perfect - but he is kind of personal James Bond to the City of Gotham.

He is a symbol who can go where no ordinary man can go, and do what no ordinary man can do.

He can make us BELIEVE in ourselves.

Batman does not want to inspire us to become 'Batmen'. That's too literal. He's got bigger fish to fry, and bigger plans in mind.

Here's the kicker: Obama does not want us to BELIEVE in Politicians. He wants to- and already IS - inspiring change, by enacting Real World results, under the guise of inspiring pep-talk (which baits his adversaries to discredit him, with cheap shots time & time again).

Obama IS Change we can believe in - because as a reputable Op-Ed commentator noted this week - he's already inspiring change in the G.O.P.'s actions and policies, just by being OUT THERE in the first place.

Obama said we should focus on Afghanistan. McCain finally admitted this week that we need to send more troops to Afghanistan & focus less on Iraq.

Obama stated we can't drill our way out of the current energy crisis - Pickens, of Swift Boat fame, comes out against Bush himself with ads promoting wind energy.

One after another, we're seeing Obama's 'straight talk' (to use an electoral Bush term), calling it as he sees it, as the way much of the rest of the world sees it, and ignoring the cheap shots of the McCain Jokers, who are perfectly content to use smear-tactics (like Ledger's smile) that only reveal what their REAL Grip on the People of Gotham (i.e. the Nation, the World) is made of:

F E A R .

Batman presses on, giving us the symbol we're looking for in a martyred Harvey Dent (which, of course, many of us know will only last so long, if we've not seen the last of this fantastic character, Two Face) going boldly into that Dark Night, clearing yet more room for him to strategize new ways to affect REAL change in the corrupt arena of Gotham City (i.e. the Nation, the World Stage).

And as with all of the greatest art, this particular piece of cinema stands as one thing: "A Lie that Tells the Truth."

We haven't seen the last of Batman. We haven't seen the last of Two Face. We may not even have seen the last of the Joker.

But whether or not McCain wins, which these filmmakers are smart enough to leave wide-open, the momentous movement that Barack Obama is inspiring will endure, political figurehead symbols, or none.

So say what you will about this little movie that apparently more people have seen than any other opening in multi-plex history. It could mean something. It could mean nothing.

All I know is this: OBAMA. Is no Joker.