The Batman (2022) - a dark adventure
Nov 15, 2022
Matt Reeves, who co-wrote the script with Peter Craig, directs this excellent film as if it were a cross between the most forceful neo-noir, seventies conspiracy cinema and a gothic video clip. Despite its overwhelming (and criticizable) duration, The Batman left me spellbound, because I intuitively verified that Reeves insists on being an author. And this, at a time when films of this type seem to be made by committee, is something that should still matter to us.
The 21st century, in terms of cinema, is on its way to being the century of superheroes, not only because of the large number of films taken from the comic book catalog but also because of the way in which this stereotype ‒that of the superhuman or the hyper-trained vigilante‒ is pervaded other genres.
Naturally, it is enough to take a look at this string of titles to realize that there are figures of greater psychological density, and in a certain way, literary. By seniority, Batman is in the lead. Its very long editorial career allows adaptations of different kinds. Until now, the existentialist and violent Batman (that of Nolan and Snyder, to understand us) have prevailed on the screen, consolidated in our imagination thanks to comics such as Batman: The Return of the Dark Knight (1986), by Frank Miller, or Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. The natural evolution of this shadowy figure, inextricably linked to the fate of the moral rot that is Gotham, can be found in more recent titles, such as Batman: The Court of Owls (2011-2012), by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.
But there are other avatars of the character. One of the most interesting, in my opinion, is that of Batman as a detective who solves cases. This is actually the original characterization of The Batman in the 1940s and 1950s comics, bolstered with more modern nuances in Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams' Batman (1970). With these two qualities ‒a deductive intelligence worthy of detective novel investigators and almost suicidal bravery gestures‒ the Dark Knight returns to the cinema in this sumptuous film by Reeves, which aspires to present us with a Batman worthy of the times. running: tortured and feverish, hiding the pain as he squints into the darkness.
The key to the film (and I say this carried away by the enthusiasm that this restart is contagious) is the interpretation of Robert Pattinson, an actor who, a priori, completely distances himself from the classic profile of Bruce Wayne. With a permanent sadness, worn out by too many late nights, Pattinson takes over the character and gives him an obsessive and hermetic nuance, but also loaded with intelligence.
At his side, Zoë Kravitz builds a confident, very convincing Catwoman, who compensates for the protagonist's opacity on screen. For his part, Jeffrey Wright endows Commissioner James Gordon with dignity and fatalism, and Andy Serkis turns Alfred Pennyworth into a tough veteran of the intelligence services.
On the other side of the ring, we have a sensational roster of villains. A sickly, irritating Paul Dano transforms Enigma—a pictograph-scribbling wacko—into the ultimate sublimation of psychopath. Colin Farrell is a Penguin who voluntarily evokes Robert De Niro in The Untouchables. And John Turturro turns mobster Carmine Falcone into another murder addict, but with a Vito Corleone-esque fashion-forward elegance.
Although the film sticks to a criminal investigation, the truth is that horror flashes on its stage. The Gotham of The Batman oozes evil, corruption, and delirium, and in its streets, the most common dynamic is that of predator and prey. I would almost say that its inhabitants are divided between those who have been released on parole and those who consume painkillers so as not to think of the worst.
Thanks to resounding photography and elaborate staging, Matt Reeves places us in the heart of that city steeped in resentment. In fact, the realization is so rough that it seems to invite us to dodge the blows.
Although the plot hides secrets that only Batman can reveal, there comes a time when the tape catches us with an amazing conviction, beyond our interest in discovering the outcome. Ultimately, that is the key to the noir genre: the symbiotic cohesion between the characters and their environment becomes something more important than the resolution of the mystery itself.
Synopsis
"After two years stalking the city's streets as Batman (Robert Pattinson) and striking fear into the evil minds of criminals, Bruce Wayne finds himself deep in Gotham City's shadows. This lone vigilante has few trusted allies - Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) - among the city's corrupt network of officers and high-profile figures. And that has led him to become the only incarnation of revenge among his fellow citizens."
When an assassin targets Gotham's elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues leads the World's Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he crosses paths with the likes of Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz). , Oswald Cobblepot/aka The Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka Enigma (Paul Dano). With the evidence growing ever closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans becoming clearer, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that have long ravaged Gotham City.
Robert Pattinson is joined by a famous and infamous cast of Gotham characters consisting of Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Gotham's District Attorney, Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál, candidate for the mayor's office, with Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell.
Matt Reeves is directing the film from a script by Reeves and Peter Craig, based on DC characters. Batman was the brainchild of Bob Kane with Bill Finger.
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Disclaimer: This article is presented as it is, it is my personal opinion. There is no plagiarism in it and the sources have been referenced.
See you tomorrow!
You really know your Batman. I like that you have referenced this film to previous ones.