Film Review

Batman has to be my favorite super hero, not as sad and weak as Spider man, and not an alien like Superman. With no particular super power, he uses his riches to make a difference in his city. Batman began in film a very long time ago; the first Batman movie was made in 1966 starring Adam West as the black knight. The film was quite comical, and not nearly as dark as the newest version starring Christian Bale. Bale is mostly known for his very eclectic roles in films such as "American Psycho" and "The Machinist" where he lost 64 pounds to reduce to a 120 pound figure. His portrayal of Batman was far from any other character Bale has depicted, but by inserting his subsequently dark demeanor, he adds a significant amount of mystery to a character that, let's admit, has never truly been developed from the ground up.
"Batman Begins" tells the tale of, of course, Bruce Wayne. Bruce is first introduced in his childhood years; the first sequence is actually a young Bruce Wayne trapped at the bottom of a well type structure, which marks his first encounter with bats; and it is not a very good one. This experience scars him, and proves extremely important throughout the entire film as the basis of many of his decisions. Like his decision to run away and find refuge in the far east, where he learns not only to fight, but also how crime is handled in various societies. When he finally returns, he discovers a broken Gotham, torn by those who believe in good, and those who exploit it. Through Bruce's own expedition into becoming Batman the audience is also taken on a psychological journey that exemplifies just how fear can affect an individual as well as a society. Who would have thought a super hero movie could be so deep?
The film is beautifully directed by Christopher Nolan, who directed "Memento" and also directed Bale and Hugh Jackman in "The Prestige," which came out just last year. His films are known as being extremely 'cultish' so his choice to create a Batman film was surprising to many. Overall his presentation of Gotham as a crumbling, crime infested empire, instead of just a big city shows just how much Batman is needed. Nolan also wrote the screenplay alongside David S. Goyer, which just seems to flow throughout. The screen play allows for other characters to shine brightly as well, like veteran actor Micheal Caine's Alfred. Who would have thought that Bruce Wayne's old butler would have so much to contribute? Not to mention Morgan Freeman, who just seems to add greatness to every project he participates in. Katie Holmes plays Rachel, a district attorney in Gotham and Bruce's childhood girl friend. Rachel is a character who could be so much more effective if she weren't played by Katie Holmes. It could be just me, but I can't seem to picture her in anything aside from Dawson's Creek and tween movies like "First Daughter."
Overall, the film is fantastic. Bale's portrayal of Batman has just enough seriousness and charm to make anyone cheer for him. The new Batman does not fight crime to gain praise, because he rarely recieves any in this adaption, but instead does it to restore hope in the people. The story is structured and filmed so differently from other Batman films, that you could almost believe this is happening somewhere; and I would like to think that maybe it is.