Dark Knight discussions (**SPOILERS!!**)

I know there's already one TDK thread, but I wanted to discuss some of the particulars without giving anything away to those who haven't seen it yet. If you don't want to know what happened, you know what to do.

Now here...we...go!

The three scenes that really stick out in my mind are the magic pencil trick, Batman's "interrogation" of the Joker and when Mr. J leaves the hospital in the nurse's gown.

Obviously, the magic pencil trick scene is here for the sheer shock value of seeing a guy's head slammed down on a desk and through a pencil in a blink of an eye. To me, that was the point where if people didn't really understand how twisted & scrambled the Joker was, they got it after that. The Joker's lizard-like tic of licking the corner of his mouth gives him a more cold-blooded presence, and the eyes just weird me the f*** out. The voice and laugh are absolutely perfect. That IS how the Joker sounded in my imagination. The whole scene, from when you hear Ledger making his mock-laugh to the trick to him backing out of the kitchen displaying a coat-full of grenades shows the audience how maniacal he is.

The interrogation scene was great from the moment Gordon left the room and you-know-who was standing right behind the Joker (BTW, I love how in BB and TDK, Batman comes and goes without people noticing. Just think it's pulled off nicely). Joker's little quip about never start roughing up a suspect by bouncing his head elicited a few laughs, but the key in this scene was Joker revealing his views of the world and at what lengths he'll go to prove them right. How Joker zeroed in on Batman's connection to Dawes, trying to get Batman to break his one rule. The hideous laughter while absorbing so much punishment was equaling disturbing, too. Also, that was probably the most violent and angry audiences have ever seen Batman get in any movie, cartoon or TV show.

Finally, the scene where Joker leaves the hospital produced a blend of comedic laughter -- the way a nurse gown-clad Joker seemingly staggers out of the hospital, presses the detonator, then expresses bewilderment at why it's not working properly -- and nervous, shocked laughter when the audience realized: "Damn, that bastard just blew up a hospital and acted like he just locked his car with the clicker!" Just wow.

Your thoughts?

 

Totally agreed on all 3 points.

Now, along with the pencil trick, I thought the homemade movie/torture scene with the wannabe Batman was really effed up. I think it was one moment where they held back, and could have really gone over the line into Rated R territory. I'm not complaining at all. That was just one of many moments where I was nervously laughing, just thinking to myself, "Heath Ledger's taking this character beyond just evil to something really dark and really disturbing."

The part that got everyone real jacked up and cheering in my theater was when they fooled the Joker, and Gordon popped out "from the dead" with a gun to the Joker's head.

I just really, really enjoyed this movie. It seemed like the powerhouse list of actors (Bale, Ledger, Oldman, Eckhart, Caine and even Freeman) brought out high quality in each person's performance. Not only was it entertaining, but I love the character studies Nolan did with each character and how there were some things you learned straightforward, and other things were subtle and woven in through the context of various scenes.

 

I was fooled by Gordon's "death." I sat there for a few minutes thinking HTF could they kill off Gordon??!? The crowd in my theater actually applauded when he turns up alive. And how 'bout a shoutout to Tiny Liston as the convict who throws the detanator away? That was pretty strong. Great, great flick.

As for a much more violent Batman, how about breaking Eric Roberts' legs? Yikes, that was rough.

 

I thought the convict was Michael Jai White, who was also Spawn.

 

Now, wasn't MJW the gangster who wanted the Joker dead? I could be wrong.

I don't know who the convict's name is, but he's a great character actor...been in a lot of movies I like...

 

Michael Jai White was one of the mobsters. The one the Joker cuts in the pool hall, I believe.
What I didn't notice, was what character did Anthony Michael Hall play? Saw his name in the credits, and can't remember seeing him during the movie.
This is one of the things that made this movie so good. Even beyond the A-List talent at the top, you had lots of solid character actors popping up in these minor roles.

 

Batman.... Anthony Michael was the TV reporter, the one who interviewed the dweeb who wanted to out Bruce Wayne and tried to bribe him

 

Wow. That looked nothing like him. Thought he was taller and skinnier.

 

Ya, he was the TV reporter.

By the way, I like that actor who was in the bank at first, who got the shotgun and started just unloading.

 

He was another guy who's been around. Don't know his name, but he was the shuttle captain in "Armageddon" and the money launderer Van Zant in "Heat".

 

I'm wondering, since Joker didn't die at the end, will he return in the next movie? If so, what actor in his right mind would want to follow up on what Ledger did for that role. I don't think anyone could improve upon that performance.
Also, they've set up for another sequal (also I think I read that Bale signed on to do three when he agreed to do Batman Begins), how do they top this flick?
If they write out the Joker in the next one, what villian do we see next? Penguin? Riddler? Catwoman? Who would you like to see play those characters?

 

I think they have to write Joker out of the next one, put him in a mental institution.

I'd love to see Catwoman in the next one.