Jun 25 2008
Before the Dark Knight
Everyone is so excited about the upcoming film, The Dark Knight. This going to be one of those films which require getting to the theater over an hour ahead of time just to get tickets. In 2005 when Batman Begins was released, we finally got relief from the the prior Batman film, Batman and Robin. I think it’s safe to say that George Clooney is not the right actor to play Batman. Batman Begins was amazing. It was just as good, if not better than Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns. Lets not forget that Christian Bale is a great actor and knocked this role out of the park. Now The Dark Knight is roughly a month away. The wait is almost over. The question I pose is, does anyone even know who Christopher Nolan is? He is the director of the latest Batman films and is one of my favorite up and coming directors. He brought us great films such as Memento, The Prestige and of course the Batman films. It’s sad that everyone is so hyped about Batman that no one is really taking the time to figure out who is actually making the film what it is.
When I think about Christopher Nolan I think of one word, Memento. Memento was easily an instant classic. It was a story unlike anything we have ever seen. A totally original piece that has gone unfortunately unknown. His next film was Insomnia which was a bust as far as the box office is concerned. The film received good reviews, but still the fans have no idea who Nolan is. I can bet that those who did watch Insomnia watched it for Al Pacino, Robin Williams, or both. Now all of a sudden Batman Begins comes out and Christopher’s film is a huge success. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Batman Begins; I happen to be a pretty big Batman fan myself. The film was a huge success. Why was it a success? Was it great filmmaking? Or was it Batman? Nolan’s next film was The Prestige starring Batman himself, Christian Bale. Another good film under the direction of Christopher Nolan that is going unrecognized.
So the next film is The Dark Knight, one of the most anticipated films of the year. Everyone is going to rave about how great and action packed the film was, but I will guarantee that no one mention the name Christopher Nolan when the film is over. That is a shame because he is a wonderful filmmaker. It seems that super hero movies are an instant success. You don’t have to think, you just watch the movie and enjoy yourself. Yes you should enjoy yourself while watching a movie, but you can also walk out of a film perplexed with a mission of putting the pieces of the film together. That is what Nolan allowed us to do in Memento and The Prestige. Are we not surprised that these films were not blockbusters? I’m not, in fact I called it. I’m sad to say that it is going to take another film with a vigilante dressed up as a bat to give Nolan the success he deserves. I will be there on opening day to watch The Dark Knight. However, although I do love Batman, Christian Bale, and the late Heath Ledger, I will be there to support Christopher Nolan over everything else.
