Ruttle's Reviews: The Archives

Resurrecting the Bat

"Batman Begins" (2005)
Directed by: Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Prestige)
Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Tom Wilkinson
Running time: 140 minutes
Rut's Rating: 5/5

Forget everything Bat-related from the last 18 years. Yes, that even includes Tim Burton's classics from '89 and '92, but especially the bombastic, unforgivable films "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin". Director Christopher Nolan strips away at the legendary DC Comics hero, and tells a story of one man's fight for justice in a city filled with corruption.
Welsh actor Christian Bale is the iconic title character, and is excellent at playing a dual role; one as the wealthy-yet-tortured billionaire Bruce Wayne, the other as the masked, crime-fighting Batman. Bale's portrayal of the Gotham City savior is arguably the best acting seen in any comic-book adaptation; this hero is mysterious, heartbroken and incredibly vulnerable. Bale is so committed to this role that in press interviews for the film's theatrical release, he spoke only in his character's accent, citing the deep history of this American icon as reasoning for doing so.
The film begins with young Bruce Wayne's terrifying first experience with bats. His father explains how fear made the creatures attack him. The emotion of fear is an ever-present omen in the film, most notably when Bruce's parents are robbed at gunpoint after attending a play. Things turn violent, and the young boy witnesses his mother and father being murdered. As a result of this tragedy, the family servant Alfred, played with a comforting presence by Michael Caine, is thrust into the role of guardian to a grief-stricken Bruce.
Years later, a grown-up Wayne returns home to Gotham City, present only to oversee the court hearing of the man who killed his parents. By this point, Bruce is seething with thoughts of brutal revenge, and jaded by what he sees as a corrupt and broken system of law. His childhood friend Rachel Dawes, played by Katie Holmes, tries to reason with him but to no avail. Bruce suddenly leaves his home, and ventures to the other side of the world, where he meets a mysterious man named Henri Ducard, played by Liam Neeson. Acting as a mentor to Bruce, Ducard trains him in combat, and teaches him that a heart filled with vengeance will ultimately destroy you in the end.
Wayne lives and trains in the cold mountains for what seems like years, and when he finally returns home to Gotham, he vows to instill fear into his enemies and fight for justice, not simply for his own personal gain.
Director Nolan wonderfully finesses the duality of the character; while Bruce Wayne and Batman are only but one man, they are both two very different personalities. You find yourself asking who the alter ego is at times. Is it Wayne secretly disguised as Batman, or Batman secretly disguised as Wayne? Nolan also shows the viewer a city in peril - Gotham's resident gangster Carmine Falcone, played by Tom Wilkinson, runs the city's underbelly and has a number of authority figures on his payroll. Meanwhile, criminal psychologist Dr. Jonathan Crane, played by Irish actor Cillian Murphy, terrorizes his patients with a mind-altering poison and a mask he uses to bring out pure insanity, earning the nickname of "the Scarecrow". Batman has his hands more than full with these villains.
Other high-profile names round out the cast in this film. Gary Oldman plays Jim Gordon, a good cop on the force at a time when there isn't many, who sees Batman as an ally when most of the city doesn't. It's a nice change of pace seeing Oldman as the good guy. He brings an easy presence to the screen and is actually pretty funny with some of his facial expressions. And Morgan Freeman is Lucius Fox, a weapons and equipment expert who unknowingly supplies Bruce Wayne with the tools and wardrobe he uses to become Batman. Freeman is his usual go-lucky self; it's different seeing him in a comic-book film, but it's more than welcome.
This movie stands out on it's own, far apart from the previous four, but they do give a nod to the Tim Burton-directed "Batman". When gangster Falcone shrieks in terror, "What are you?!?", our hero snatches him by the collar and growls, "I'm Batman!", in a moment that sends a shiver down my spine every time I watch it.
With an incredible, diverse cast and engaging, emotional story, "Batman Begins" is exactly how a super-hero film should be. It's powerful, exciting, and leaves you wanting more. As a matter of fact, the final scene will have you anticipating the sequel, entitled "The Dark Knight". And no............I am not joking.