He lacks any identity or origin, representing the uncertainty, unknowability, and fear of terrorism, although he does not follow any political ideology. [j] The final scene, in which the Joker states he and Batman are destined to battle forever, was not intended to tease a sequel but to convey the diametrically opposed pair were in an endless conflict because they will not kill each other. [x], The Dark Knight's marketing campaign was developed by alternate reality game (ARG) development company 42 Entertainment. [bp], The Dark Knight remains popular with audiences in publicly voted rankings. [31], Following the critical and financial success of Batman Begins (2005), the film studio Warner Bros. Pictures prioritized a sequel. The Hollywood Reporter said Ledger received several ovations, and that during the after-party, Warner Bros. executives struggled to maintain a balance between celebrating the successful response and commemorating Ledger. His testimony enables Dent to apprehend the crime families. [81][94] To avoid attention, filming in Chicago took place under the working title Rory's First Kiss but the production's true nature was quickly uncovered by media publications. Scouts spent over a month searching for suitable vessels but were unsuccessful, so construction coordinator Joe Ondrejko and his team built ferry facades atop barges. He developed the character's voice by mixing a high-pitch and low-pitch, which was inspired by ventriloquist performances. [108] A former Brach's candy factory on Cicero Avenue scheduled for demolition was used to film the Gotham General Hospital explosion in August 2007. Warner Bros. was concerned public knowledge of Dent's character was poor; the campaign included signs, stickers, and "Dentmobiles" visiting U.S. cities to raise his profile. [at] Genre films such as those based on comic books were also generally ignored by Academy voters. Pennyworth burns an undelivered message to Wayne from Rachel, who said she chose Dent, and Fox destroys the invasive surveillance network that helped Batman find the Joker. [128], Editing was underway in January 2008 when Ledger, aged 28, died from an accidental overdose of a prescription drug. [be] The film has been referenced in a variety of media including television shows such as Robot Chicken, South Park, and The Simpsons. Five Things The Dark Knight Did Differently, And Better, Than The Rest", "Academy Expands Best-Picture Pool To 10", "Warner Tests Renting Film On Facebook For Web Cash", "Seven Christopher Nolan Films Heading To 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray", "Warner Bros. Consumer Products Names Mattel Global Toy Licensee For, "New Hot Toys 1/6th Scale Batman Stands 32 Cm Tall With Over 32 Points Of Articulation", "Batman Almost Got An Open-World Game 3 Years Before, "Hollywood Finally Learned The Right Lessons From, "How Many Superheroes Does It Take To Tire A Genre? The campaign concluded in July with displays of the Bat-Signal in Chicago and New York City that were eventually defaced by the Joker. [323] The character can be considered an example of Friedrich Nietzsche's "Superman", who exists outside definitions such as good and evil, and follows his own indomitable will. Critic Siddhant Adlakha considered the Joker an analog for countries such as Iraq, Somalia, and Lebanon, which were targeted by U.S. military campaigns and responded with escalation using terrorism. WebFans were exhausted by director Joel Schumacher's colorful aesthetic and the cartoonish villains played by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mr. While there wasnt anything gravely wrong with the portrayal, it was not memorable. The dialogue Johnathan considered most important, "you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain", came late in development. [aw] In 2011, it also became the first major-studio film to be released for rent via digital distribution on Facebook. Caine said he forgot his lines during a scene involving one video because of Ledger's "stunning" performance. Rachel is killed in the explosion, while Dent's face is severely burned on one side. However, it was forgotten, and so was the actor who played Batman. [189][190] It retained the number-one position in its third ($42.7million) and fourth ($26.1million) weekends, before falling to second place in its fifth, with a gross of $16.4million, behind the debuting Tropic Thunder ($25.8million). [256] Ledger received the award for Best Villain at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards,[257] and at the 35th Saturn Awards, The Dark Knight won awards for Best Action or Adventure Film, Best Supporting Actor (Ledger), Best Writing (Christopher and Jonathan Nolan), Best Music (Howard and Zimmer), and Best Special Effects (Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul J. Franklin, Timothy Webber). He targets Dent at a fundraising dinner and throws Rachel out of a window, but Batman rescues her. [175][176] The Dark Knight's premiere took place on July 14, in IMAX in New York City. [150] Prosthetics supervisor Conor O'Sullivan created Joker's scars, which he partly based on a scarred delivery man he met, and used his own technique to create and apply the supple, skin-like prosthesis. [10][66] Eckhart's performance was influenced by the Kennedy family, particularly Robert F. Kennedy, who fought organized crime with a similarly idealistic view of the law. that led finders to a location. [101] 330 North Wabash served as offices used by Dent, mayor Garcia, and commissioner Loeb; and its thirteenth floor appears as Wayne Enterprises' boardroom; Pfister enhanced its large, panoramic windows and natural light with an 80-foot (24m) glass table and reflective bulbs. [an] Other reviews said Ledger outshone Nicholson's "magnificent" performance with macabre humor and malevolence. ", "Why So Seriously Good? A gang of masked criminals robs a mafia-owned bank in Gotham City, each betraying and killing each other until the sole survivor, the Joker, reveals himself as the mastermind and escapes with the money. [277][285][329] Some publications said studios took the wrong lessons from The Dark Knight, treating source material too seriously and mistaking a dark, gritty tone for narrative depth and intelligent writing. Warner Bros. By Damion Damaske / Feb. 10, 2023 9:40 am EST. [311][328] Wayne's butler Alfred also commits a noble lie, concealing Rachel's choice of Dent over Wayne to spare him the pain of her rejection. Batman chooses to become a symbol of criminality by taking the blame for Dent's crimes and preserving him as a symbol of good, maintaining the hope of Gotham's residents. [2][27] The Dark Knight features several cameo appearances, including Cillian Murphy, who reprises his role as Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow from Batman Begins;[28][29] musical performer Matt Skiba;[30] as well as United States Senator and life-long Batman fan Patrick Leahy, who has appeared in or voiced characters in other Batman media. He was portrayed in the Batman Nolan Film The Joker escapes custody, extracts the fortune's location from Lau, and burns all of it. [aa] It set further records for the highest-grossing single-day ($67.2million on the Friday), Sunday ($43.6million), midnight opening ($18.5million, from 3,000 midnight screenings), and IMAX opening ($6.3million from about 94 locations), as well as the second-highest-grossing Saturday ($47.7million) behind Spider-Man 3, and contributed to the highest-grossing weekend on record ($253.6million). Before the police arrest the Joker, he says although Batman proved incorruptible, his plan to corrupt Dent has succeeded. [154][156][157] The theme was influenced by electronic music innovators Kraftwerk and Zimmer's work with rock band The Damned. Unbiased. [q] This made it the first major motion picture to use IMAX technology, which was generally employed for documentaries. [bc] Its financial, critical, and cultural successes legitimized the genre with film studios at a time when recent films, such as Daredevil, Hulk (both 2003), Fantastic Four (2005), and Superman Returns (2006) had failed to meet expectations. [o] According to Christopher, Eckhart had the all-American charm and "aura of a good man pushed too far". [au] This change is seen as responsible for the first Best Picture nomination of a comic book adaptation, Black Panther (2018). Based on the DC Comics superhero, Batman, it is the sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and the second installment in The Dark Knight Trilogy. [218] The film has a score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 39 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [ae] The Dark Knight was available in sixty-two countries by the end of August, although Warner Bros. decided not to release it in China, blaming "a number of pre-release conditions as well as cultural sensitivities to some elements of the film". [v] Christopher said editing the film became "tremendously emotional, right when he passed, having to go back in and look at him every day [during editing] but the truth is, I feel very lucky to have something productive to do, to have a performance that he was very, very proud of, and that he had entrusted to me to finish". Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose in January 2008, leading to widespread interest from the press and public regarding his performance. [80], Much of The Dark Knight was filmed using Panavision's Panaflex Millennium XL and Platinum cameras but Christopher wanted to film about 40 minutes with IMAX cameras, a high-resolution technology using 70 mm film rather than the more-commonly used format 35 mm; the finished film includes 1520% IMAX footage, running for about 28 minutes. [310][318] According to writer David Chen, this demonstrates, individually, people cannot responsibly handle power but by sharing the responsibility, there is hope for a compassionate outcome. WebBurn Gorman was born on September 1, 1974 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. [318] This can be seen in his use of a two-headed coin to make decisions involving others, eliminating the risk of chance by controlling the outcome in his favor, indicating losing is not an acceptable outcome for him. [324] Christopher described the Joker as an unadulterated evil, and professor Charles Bellinger considered him a satanic figure who repels people from goodness and tempts them with things they supposedly lack, such as forcing Batman to choose between saving Dentwho is best for the cityand Rachel, who is best for Wayne. "[aj] Others criticized the dark, grim, intense, and self-serious tone as lacking any elements of fun or fantasy. [313] Writer Benjamin Kerstein said both viewpoints are valid, and that "The Dark Knight is a perfect mirror of the society which is watching it: a society so divided on the issues of terror and how to fight it that, for the first time in decades, an American mainstream no longer exists". The consensus reads; "Dark, complex and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga". WebPortrayed by Christian Bale, this version of Batman is arguably explored more in-depth compared to that of the previous film series by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher, as the They're only as good as the world allows them to be. [101][112] A scene of Batman surveying the city from a rooftop edge was filmed atop Willis Tower, Chicago's tallest building. ", "Huge Bat-Signals Projected Over NYC + Chicago", "Warner Bros. Moves Against Web Copies Of, "For Movies, A Summer That's Shy On Sequels", "Top Single Day Grosses By Day of the Week", "Top Single Day Non-opening Grosses By Day of the Week (Tuesday)", "Top Single Day Non-opening Grosses By Day of the Week (Wednesday)", "Warner Bros. Entertainment Wraps Record-Breaking Year", "Review: Heath Ledger's Joker Inflames A Despairing, "The Best Films Of 2008 And There Were A Lot Of Them", "Film Critics' Top 10 Lists All Over The Map", "Editor's Picks: The Ten Best Movies Of 2008", "Harry's Picks for the Top Ten Films Of 2008!!! The destruction of Wayne Manor in Batman Begins provided an opportunity to move Wayne to a modern, sparse penthouse, reflecting his loneliness. [325] The Joker aims to corrupt Dent to prove anyone, even symbols, can be broken. [311], The film has been analyzed as an analog for the war on terror, the militaristic campaign the U.S. launched following the September 11 attacks. Film Scholarship and the Cultural Politics of the Dark Knight Franchise", Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, Scooby-Doo! [y], Following Ledger's death, the campaign continued unchanged with a focus on Dent's election, which was influenced by the ongoing 2008 United States presidential election. [89], Principal photography began on April 18, 2007, in Chicago on a $185million budget. The Batman: Everyone Who Played The Dark Knight On The Big Screen, Ranked By Mat Elfring and Mason Downey on February 28, 2022 at 12:03PM PST For This raised its total box office to $533.3million before it left theaters on March 5 after 33 weeks, making it the highest-grossing comic-book, superhero, and Batman film; the highest-grossing film of 2008; and the second-highest-grossing film ever (unadjusted for inflation), behind the 1997 romantic drama Titanic ($600.8million). WebThe Dark Knight (2008) Aaron Eckhart: Harvey Dent Showing all 76 items Jump to: Photos (46) Quotes (30) Photos 23 more photos Quotes Harvey Dent : [while having a fancy [119] By mid-October, interior and exterior scenes of Rachel being held hostage surrounded by barrels of gasoline were filmed at Battersea Power Station. [102] The sequence continued on LaSalle Street, which was also used for the GCPD funeral procession, for a practical truck-flip stunt and helicopter sequence. Many filmmakers sought to repeat its success by emulating its gritty, realistic tone to varying degrees of success. Dent represents goodness and hope; he is the city's "white knight" who is "pure" of intent and can operate within the law. Their efforts are derailed by the Joker, an anarchistic mastermind who seeks to test how far Batman will go to save the city from chaos. [101][109] Filming in Chicago concluded on September 1, ending with scenes of Wayne driving and crashing his car, before the production returned to England. Kevin Conroy is an American actor and voice actor who has become synonymous with the character of Batman. Shortly after, Gunn confirmed that Ben Affleck - who had previously played the Dark Knight in Zack Snyder's films and was originally going to direct the movie that There was also a perceived limit on financial success for Batman films; the 1989 installment remained the franchise's highest-grossing release. "[57] In a November 2007 interview, Ledger said when committing himself to any role, he had difficulty sleeping because he could not relax his mind, and often slept only two hours a night during filming. [310][318] Although the Joker wears disguising makeup, he is not hiding behind a mask and is the same person with or without makeup. Although Gordon saves the mayor, the Joker threatens his attacks will continue until Batman reveals his identity. It was an exhausting process. It was directed by Bruce Timm and includes veteran Batman actor Kevin Conroy reprising his role. You thought we could be decent men in an indecent time. [251] Howard and Zimmer were recognized for Best Motion Picture Score at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. [ai] Some appreciated its complex moral tale about the effects of vigilantism and terrorism on contemporary society. [ab] The film benefited from repeat viewings by younger audiences and had broad appeal, with 52% of the audience being male and an equal number of those under 25 years old, and those of 25 or older. The world is cruel. In Batman vs. Robin #5, Damian and the other DC heroes still on Lazarus Island are given a major dilemma to weigh. [59], Christopher wanted to cast an actor with an all-American "heroic presence" for Harvey Dent, something he likened to Robert Redford but with an undercurrent of anger or darkness. The city mourns Dent as a hero, and the police launch a manhunt for Batman. [ar] Peter Travers praised Oldman's skill in making a virtuous character interesting and he, among others, described Caine's and Freeman's performances as "effortless". [66][147] Hemming designed Joker's overall appearance, which he based on fashion-and-music celebrities to create a modern and trendy look. [32], Goyer and Christopher collaborated for three months to develop The Dark Knight's core plot points. Christopher wanted several Rottweiler dogs in the scene but locating a dog-handler willing to simultaneously manage several dogs was difficult. [n] Ledger spent a further four months creating a "Joker diary" containing images and elements he believed would resonate with his character, such as finding the disease AIDS humorous. [100][101] During filming, Christopher added a set-piece of a SWAT van crashing through a concrete barricade. [58] Because Christopher preferred to capture sound while filming rather than re-recording dialogue in post-production, Ledger's work had been completed before his death, and Christopher did not modify the Joker's narrative in response. It broke several box-office records and became the highest-grossing 2008 film, the fourth-highest-grossing film of its time, and the highest-grossing superhero film. [81][99] In July, three weeks were spent filming the truck chase scene, mainly on Wacker Drive, a multi-level street that had to be closed overnight. While Christian Bale started out among the youngest Batman actors, he wrapped up the character at 38, the same age as most. WebBatman Portrayed by: Aaron Eckhart Appearances: The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Rises (archive footage and picture only) "It's not about what I want, it's about what's fair! WebChristian Baleas Batman Michael Caineas Alfred Pennyworth Gary Oldmanas Commissioner Gordon Morgan Freemanas Lucius Fox Katie Holmes(Batman Begins) and Maggie Gyllenhaal(The Dark Knight) as Rachel Dawes Liam Neesonas Ra's al Ghul Heath Ledgeras Joker Tom Hardyas Bane Anne Hathawayas Catwoman Marion Cotillardas Talia al Ghul [34][36] Goyer and Christopher did not intentionally include real-world parallels to terrorism, the war on terror, and laws enacted to combat terrorists by the United States government because they believed making overtly political statements would detract from the story. He used brass instruments for both moral ends but warped the sound as Dent is corrupted. [35][77] Chicagoan authorities had been supportive during filming of Batman Begins, allowing the production to shut stretches of roads, freeways, and bridges. [174], The Dark Knight was expected to sell well based on high audience anticipation, positive pre-release reviews, and a record $3.5million in IMAX pre-sales. [bn] Similarly, the character's line "why so serious?" He was influenced by Alex from the crime film A Clockwork Orange (1971), and British musicians Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious. Having deduced Batman's feelings for Rachel, the Joker reveals she and Dent are being held separately in buildings rigged to explode. [311] According to professor Martin Fradley, among others, Batman's "noble lie" and Gordon's support of it is a cynical endorsement of deception and totalitarianism. The Batman: Everyone Who Played The Dark Knight On The Big Screen, Ranked. WebChristian Bale, who played Batman in The Dark Knight Trilogy (20052012), supported Pattinson, encouraging him to "make [the role] his own" and ignore critics. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. But you were wrong. Jonathan Crane was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum who conducted experiments on inmates under the identity of Scarecrow. [aq] Stephen Hunter said the Dent character was underwritten and that Eckhart was incapable of portraying the role as intended. Wayne Enterprises accountant Coleman Reese deduces Batman's identity and attempts to expose it, but the Joker threatens to blow up a hospital unless Reese is killed. [2][25][26] Melinda McGraw, Nathan Gamble, and Hannah Gunn portray Gordon's wife Barbara, his son James Jr., and his daughter, respectively.