Celebrating the works of a cinematic genius

I remember reading this a while back, very shortly after Heath Ledger died, before I’d become a huge Nolan fan. It’s a Newsweek article that Christopher Nolan wrote in memory of Heath, and it’s so beautiful that it brings tears to my eyes. I’m really glad I stumbled on it just now, and I just had to share it.

So apparently Christopher Nolan can do no wrong. Seemingly he is incapable of making a bad film. With the release of his latest (likely to be) masterpiece “Inception” this week I thought I would re-visit his last film in preparation for my trip to the multiplex. And so as I sat down to watch “The Dark Knight” a small doubt entered my mind. 

“Was it really that good? Am I remembering it differently? Surely it cannot be the epic I thought it was?”

The simple answer is, oh yes. It really is that good and it really is an unquestionable modern masterpiece.

I probably won’t go into specifics really with why I think “The Dark Knight” is utterly sublime, rather I’ll describe the moments in which I first saw it. Opening night, great seats, the lights dim. After the studio logos a piercing deep blue fireball silently erupts towards you. Enveloped within the flames is the hint of the bat signal. Enthralled, I had forgotten to breath and I realized I was in the hands of a master filmmaker.

Christopher Nolan’s direction is superb, haunting and assured; the screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher is extremely well-crafted elevating the film beyond mere comic book material. The cinematography (so reminiscent of the crime classic “Heat”) by Wally Pfister perfectly encapsulates the noir of Batman and the score is one of the best in recent memories.

Acting wise it is of course dominated by Heath Ledger’s tragically brilliant portrayal of The Joker. Maniacal, hilarious and sumptuous onscreen is it a sore reminder of such an incredible talent cut short. Surrounding him though everyone else is fantastic. Christian Bale is more than a gruff voice in Batman; he is fractured, forlorn and first-class as the Caped Crusader. Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent provides a performance of unquestionable skill and the way in which he transforms from start to finish is simply a joy to watch. Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman all add their own wonderful moments to this outstanding crime saga.

Epic, intimate, intelligent and entertaining “The Dark Knight” will stand the test of time as the pinnacle of superhero filmmaking. Christopher Nolan is the man.