Batman Begins
The bold origin story to director Christopher Nolan's visionary Batman trilogy. When Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is very young he witnesses the pointless death of both his parents in a mugging that goes horribly wrong. Several years later Wayne is still haunted by the death of his parents and seeks revenge for their murder. When his attempts fail Wayne seeks guidance in Asia from mentor Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) who is part of an ancient order known as The League of Shadows. After many years of training Wayne realises that he must return to Gotham City, which has become corrupt and overrun by criminals. Wayne vows to fight criminals in the name of justice using his childhood fear of bats to create his alter-ego known as; Batman.
Nolan bravely dedicates the whole movie to developing a detailed backstory to the characters Bruce Wayne and Batman. It's great to see a reboot take a new approach and frankly there was little choice as the franchise was effectively dead in the water after the unforgettable Batman and Robin. I have absolute faith in the vision of Nolan as he is yet to make a bad film, continuing to raise the bar for quality. Most superhero origin films typically fast forward through the hero's backstory in an attempt to establish a villain quickly. Nolan instead embraces the life of Wayne and crafts the film around his upbringing.
The character of Batman has all the trademarks of a typical superhero backstory: A city in need of a hero, the death of ones parents and a love interest, Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes). The main difference with batman is he doesn't have superpowers, instead he has millions of dollars and a well equipped company at his disposal. The journey from millionaire playboy to superhero is established as a long and hard fought road. Wayne doesn't simply acquire special abilities he has to transform his body and mind, refining his skills and abilities through rigorous training. In this aspect Batman is humanised as we are able to witness his transformation firsthand.
Throughout the film Wayne struggles with the identity of Batman, is he merely a caped vigilante seeking revenge for his parents death or is he the noble hero Gotham City has been waiting for. Wayne/Batman has to struggle between what is revenge and what is justice as he tries to forget his past and embrace his fear. Ultimately Batman becomes the server of justice in an attempt to restore Gotham City to its peaceful past.
Christian Bale is not a very popular actor, he is disliked by many due to his very serious personality. I think part of the problem is that he constantly takes on very difficult roles, from a serial killer in American Psycho to an insomniac in The Machinist. I really like him as an actor and I'm glad he was rewarded with an Oscar last year for his role in The Fighter. His performance in Batman Begins is excellent as he transforms from a troubled, lost man into the powerful and imposing figure that is Batman. Neeson is mesmerising as always as the controversial mentor for Wayne, imposing his own sense of wisdom in regards to issues such as justice, "justice is balance".
Throughout Nolan's career he has remained faithful to the actors that have provided him with strong performances, none more so than Michael Caine. Caine has become Nolan's lucky charm, appearing in all his films of late but it's the role of Alfred that he was born to play. It's a strange thing to say given his impressive achievements as an actor, yet it's true as he is perfect in every scene he appears in. Alfred is the skeptical, worrying, father-figure for Wayne, always there to impart wisdom and offer advice. Alfred is in many ways the conscience of Batman letting him know when he has gone too far, whilst always believing in his ultimate goal. The other confidants to Wayne/Batman come in the form of Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and Jim Gordan (Gary Oldman) who both influence Batman's endeavors immensley and always manage to bring the story back to reality.
Batman Begins is an excellent origin film but Nolan may have spent just a bit too much time developing the backstory as he has neglected to provide audiences with an interesting villain. There are in fact three different villains in this film intertwined in an impressive story, yet maybe that's three too many. All three are underdeveloped, I would have liked to see Nolan focus on just two villains, possibly discarding The Scarecrow as I didn't really like his input to the story. But this film isn't really about establishing a strong villain, this film is about setting the foundation for what was to come and as always it pays to have faith in Nolan.
The film continually builds in suspense and excitement as we watch Bruce Wayne transform into the legendary hero. Nolan gives the audiences a taste of the action and drama that is to come with the tumbler introduced in the explosive conclusion and a calling card left indicating the next villain. Batman Begins showcases Nolan's abilities as a director whilst always hinting at his grand plan, despite the potential Nolan has showed over his career I don't think anyone was prepared for what was to come.
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