Superheroes, Week 5


Here's a look at the worksheet from tonight's final class.


Title: “The Dark Knight” (2008)

Starring: Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Michael Caine.

Synopsis: This starkly brilliant film from director Christopher Nolan serves as the second in his rebooted Batman franchise. Bale, as Bruce Wayne/Batman, delivers one of the best performances of his career, as does Eckhart as district attorney Harvey Dent. However, the film was largely dominated, and overshadowed by, the performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker. Not only is Ledger’s performance brilliant, the tragic circumstances surrounding how his life ended helped give it a new life and a new meaning for audiences.

“The Dark Knight” is the rare genre picture that transcends its genre in a revolutionary way. It would be a mistake to pigeonhole this as a comic book film, it is an incredibly deep, well-acted, and well-crafted drama. The film was not only worthy of Best Picture nomination the year it was released, it was my pick as best film of 2008 and best film of the first decade of this 21st Century. The resonance of the themes and ideas in this film continue to engross me even after many viewings.

Questions to Consider:
1. What is the underlying tension between how The Joker and Batman view Gotham?

2. Why does Batman make the choice he does at the end of the film?

3. What makes hope such a powerful force in our world?

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