Evaluating Art

During class on Monday night, I broke down the ideological flaws I saw in "The Dark Knight." The worldview presented in that film doesn't match my own, and in fact stands in contrast to our worldview as Christians.

I also said "The Dark Knight" is one of my favorite films. That's also true. I also said I thought it was the best film made in the last decade. But I got a question from one of the attendees wondering how I could say I liked a film or that it was well-made if it was ideologically flawed. A fair question. Let me explain.

I think movies are an art form. Paintings, sculptures, songs, TV shows (sometimes), building designs, novels, comic books, articles, and poems are also art forms. They are creative expressions of their authors. They also reflect the passions, beliefs, and worldviews of their creators. Evaluating art is a very subjective process. There are plenty of country music songs I strongly dislike, but I know I'm not the right person to evaluate that art form because I know little about it and have little appreciation for it.

I spent a good portion of my undergraduate career studying film. I took screenwriting, film theory, filmmaking, and advanced communication courses. I also conducted field research — a fancy way of saying of probably seen between 5,000 and 10,000 films. I love film as an art form, I've studied it, and I know a bit about what goes into making it. My subjective evaluation is more informed, but it's still a subjective evaluation that is partly informed by my own beliefs.

However, if you were only to appreciate art based on how it aligned with your personal beliefs, you'd probably have a small set to choose from. If I only supported films that aligned wholly with my Biblical beliefs, I'd probably have a DVD collection that could be counted on one hand. The same goes with many other art forms. So then it becomes a question of how you evaluate it as a piece of art.

From an artistic standpoint, I find "The Dark Knight" to be a beautiful work. The cinematography is great, the acting is superb, the storytelling contains depth and economy at the same time, and it's the rare genre picture that completely transcends its genre. Every scene in the film works to drive toward the story the filmmakers want to tell, which is tough to do. He uses impeccable film technique without bowing to modern technology, and he created a nearly flawless work of art. It's just a work of art aimed at sending a message I don't agree with.

But I think that's OK. It's fine to love and appreciate the craftsmanship of the artist without subscribing to their view of the world. I think what's important is that you realize what that worldview is, how it matches up to your own, and how you would counter the argument.

We can't be afraid of ideas that run counter to our own, we just shouldn't allow ourselves to be manipulated by them. When I watch "The Dark Knight" I am moved by its artistic merit, but nothing about it will make me forget that my hope rests entirely in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.