There are few certainties in life, but I’d argue that one of them is that if there’s a new Batman adaptation, that it’ll be darker than its previous iteration.
At least that’s how the trend seems to go- it started with Adam West and his version of the character which represented the silver age of the comics. Then Tim Burton and Michael Keaton toned it down, contextually that is, to bring a more grounded version to the big screen. George Clooney and Val Kilmer break that pattern but arguably nothing in the late 90s counts. Then finally, Nolan and Bale came along with what was at the time thought to be the most grounded and well defined version of the character. Also Ben Affleck I guess…
To bring back the character for its first solo movie since the end of the Dark Knight trilogy meant filling some pretty big leather boots. So when Matt Reeves stepped forward to bring in what seemed to be the darkest adaptation yet it surprised many, in the several definitions of the word.
The movie is in fact dark, so dark that no English word is capable of describing it, although French just might do it: Noir.
That’s right Matt Reeves decides to take one of the simplest and apparently smartest approaches to the self proclaimed world’s greatest detective by having him actually detect.
By following the pattern of a Noir film and several obvious yet admitted inspirations from Fincher crime thrillers such as Zodiac and Se7en, Reeves is able to frame not only mentally unstable billionaire Bruce Wayne but also the whole city of Gotham in a brand new light.
The camera mostly follows the perspective of the brooding detective which gives the audience a unique insight into the character. Most of the shots have characters filling up the frame, emphasising heavy focus on them in an almost claustrophobic way, which ironically gives the actors a lot of room to work with since their performances are now front and centre.
Fortunately none of them disappoint, in the wide cast of Batman’s friends and foes the movie decides to include many are the best iterations of the characters ever put to screen.
Zoe Kravitz plays probably the most nuanced and layered version of cat burglar Selena Kyle while still staying true to the character. This along with Colin Farrell’s Penguin, Jeffrey Wright’s Jim Gordon and John Turturro’s Falcone, which all help to make the city Gotham feel livelier and more interconnected than ever before.
Although the obvious standouts among the performances are Paul Dano’s Riddler and Robert Pattinson’s Batman.
Dano’s Riddler feels like it’s pulled straight from Mindhunter, his version of the character seems to be based on a variety of real life serial killers which gives him an extremely unsettling aura each time he’s on screen. To transform one of the least menacing selections out of Batman’s rogues list into his main villain, was no easy task and although there are some moments towards the end that faulter slightly, the task felt accomplished nonetheless.
That leaves only Pattinson’s Batman- the problem with making another Batman movie is that it’s hard to not repeat character beats or fall into a repetitive pattern, doing a variation of something that’s been done before.
Live action films aside, Batman’s had animated movies, series, as well as live action spin offs and prequels. It feels like the character has been done to death which is why it is surprising, in the best definition of the word, when The Batman is actually a refreshing take on the character.
Pattinson plays what’s probably the saddest, most depressed, brooding, and downright miserable version of batman I’ve ever seen and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.
Although I love the absurdness of things like bat nipples, or Schwarzenegger’s awful Mr. Freeze puns, seeing the other extreme of batman’s tone done well is also every bit as entertaining.
This version of the vigilante has the character slowly realise what his purpose is within the narrative becoming more vulnerable, as he does it and showing the evolution of Batman as he realises his shortcomings in trying to make Gotham a better place.
And even in this tonal darkness the movie still manages to be surprisingly funny. The dry humour is perfectly placed to point out just how ridiculous a man in a giant bat-suit going around solving riddles is, especially when juxtaposed by the extremely serious setting.
But the humour isn’t always intentional and that is perhaps one of the movie’s greatest faults. The downside of trying to portray people running around in spandex as seriously as possible is that any line of dialogue that comes across as slightly out of place can feel childish and stand out like a sore thumb.
And the same could be applied for action. As spectacular as the film’s final act is, it might be too ambitious for its own good. The jump it makes from its thriller detective story to the final action set piece feels jarring if anything else, and while entertaining it mainly comes across as a quick resolution for a film that wasn’t sure how to tie up its loose ends.
All of these flaws however feel rather small in the grand scheme of things. The Batman is a movie that takes inspiration from several sources and manages to turn it into its own thing.
It could have very easily felt derivative of other movies in the same genre but small changes within its production along with a fresh new take on familiar characters makes it a unique experience and one that I’d recommend watching on the big screen.
From its clever use of lighting, grounded and atmospheric directing, stunning set designs and amazing performances, The Batman is easily one of the most distinct and interesting adaptations of the caped crusader and an overall engaging narrative from start to finish.
By Francisco Santos
Feature image: DC Films