The Dark Knight Review

4 months ago 26th Jul 21:53

As well as a great script and great direction a strong cast is always required and Nolan’s casting was flawless. You have to applaud every scene that Ledger was in as he took the audiences concept of the Joker and smashed it to pieces.

Gone was Nicholson’s comic interpretation of the character replaced instead by a real menace and madness as the Joker lived with no rules robbing and killing simply because he could.

Ledger is nothing short of genius and whispers of a possible posthumous Oscar are not being said in exaggeration as his performance just highlights what an immense talent that has been lost as he steals the show.

Bale seemed comfortable taking a backseat to Aussie actor as the brooding Bruce Wayne/Batman who is, throughout the entire picture, struggling with his own demons and desires as he desperately searches for someone to take over his work so he can put Batman to rest.

But when Bale and Ledger come face to face the clash of two outcast characters really provide some of the best scenes in the whole film.

And with support from the likes of Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, who is desperately underused, every scene is of the highest quality.

Mix that in with some great action sequences, special effects and cinematography and Nolan and co have produced a new gold standard for the superhero movie that may never be surpassed.

But while the film delves into the darkness of man it doesn’t lose it’s grip on that little shred of hope that in some humans there is the potential for good and it should be considered for more than Best Supporting Actor at next year’s Oscars.

But despite all of this at the heart of the film is an actor whose life has been cut tragically short who has created a true icon of villains on the big screen and there is a tinge of sadness as the credits roll of the characters and parts that Ledger will never play. The Dark Knight is out now

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

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