Review - The Batman
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Written by: Matt Reeves, Peter Craig
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell
Running Time: 176 minutes
Rating: 5/5
“They said I live in the shadows. I am the shadow. ”
The opening sequence of Matt Reeves’ The Batman encapsulates the iconic imagery, mood and atmosphere that one has come to expect from the Dark Knight, the iconic character created by Bob Kane & Bill Finger. From the desolation of the city streets, to the graffiti tags across subways, banks and city halls, to the darkness that blankets the skyscrapers and towers of the Gotham skyline; the rain pours in spades. From what was once a bustling metropolis, urban warfare has decorated the streets with violence, looting and danger across the city. Gotham is a free-for-all, no rules, no heroes, no Gods. A masked man stalks his pray; watching through the windows, his family, his life and his ambitions – before he appears through the shadows and we see a murder, vicious, brutal with no remorse. He tapes his victim’s mouth shut. Whimpering. Not with fear. Excitement.
The Batman is what Batman should have always been. A detective noir. It almost feels as if David Fincher’s most iconic thrillers in Se7en and Zodiac met Saw and The Dark Knight. A radicalized serial killer, a psychotic game of cat-and-mouse and a deep-rooted web of lies, corruption and pain. The film begins and ends with a voice-over as Batman chronicles his experiences in his journal (which dates this adventures as somewhere in his second year as Batman). Reeves’ doesn’t give too much away and allows Batman to go to work the way he should be. The silent guardian and the world’s greatest detective. Like the P.I’s of the old black-and-white talkies or even Watchmen’s Rorschach; Batman explores his perception of Gotham, lost souls looking for the light. He’s fuelled by an absolute rage; unspoken, unbroken and undisputed in terror, fear and shrouded with mystery and darkness. Every single step echoes with the weight of an unbearable pain, tragedy and guilt. He’s young, brash and inexperienced in combat and his emotions run high. We don’t get a Batman Begins or a flashback to Thomas and Martha being killed again. We know the story. We know the pain. Now we get to see it. The performances in this film are fantastic – Paul Dano’s zodiac/jigsaw killer is a sociopathic incel; a genius (an enigma?) and a tortured soul begging for a voice. Kravitz’s Selina Kyle is sultry and commanding, Wright’s Gordon is steadfast and headstrong; Farrell’s unrecognizable performance as The Penguin is campy, hilarious and a breath of fresh air – but it is John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone who steals the show. Don’t count him out as a cameo. Falcone is a major scene stealer.
“Sometimes, the pain is all that we see – and for that, it’s enough to forge an identity from the darkness. The world’s greatest detective.”
Like the previous iterations of Batman, from Nolan’s trilogy to Batfleck to the Nipples on Clooney; Reeves’ vision is unparalleled in its command of mood, atmosphere and tone. The darkness surrounds Gotham, the pace is constant and its narrative twists and turns are abound. Even with its 3 hour running time, it never felt too long or too short. The story moved with such a elegance in its pacing; scenes never felt too long or static, characters were grounded in the narrative with ease and it never felt like a comic book. Greig Frasers’ cinematography escalates the narrative tension and tightens its grip on the audience as Michael Giacchino’s triumphant score serves as the heartbeat of the film. The Batman felt like a complete work of sound and picture; from its impressive set pieces and absolute jaw-dropping confrontations.
Like the echoes locked away in the deepest corners of our hearts and minds, sometimes our worst nightmares come to us at the most unexpected. A flash of light, a symbol in the night sky or the shadows behind you. Our worst enemies are those who we forget exist, those who we believe lack strength or power and those who we sometimes don’t understand. To the rest of Gotham, Bruce Wayne is only the mask. The Batman is what he really is. Born from hurt and encapsulated by fear. Sometimes, the pain is all that we see – and for that, it’s enough to forge an identity from the darkness. The world’s greatest detective.
He is vengeance.
