The Dark Knight

As grinning The Joker queries in the film, “Why so glum?” If you are feeling glum, it’s probably because you haven’t as yet seen this top box-office draw of the summer. In fact, it’s the top grossing film to date! A current news release from Warner Bros. Pictures reports that “The Dark Knight” shattered all records taking in $158, 411, 483 its first weekend. “Fueled by rave reviews and strong word of mouth,” the numbers just keep growing.  Warner Bros. executives note that the film is “something remarkable” and “incredibly gratifying,” and it certainly delivers all the excitement its audience hoped that it would.
            Let us return for a few hours to Gotham City where crime is on the rise and society has all but given up on turning the tide. Resident superhero, Batman (Christian Bale), is working with a tarnished reputation. It seems that some of his actions have been interpreted as being the work of a vigilante, a peacekeeper. His new nemesis, The Joker (Heath Ledger), is a maniacal sociopath who believes in chaos purely for the sake of creating more chaos. Only Batman and his inner-circle consisting of his butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine), his technological expert, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), and police officer, Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), continue to fight the wave of crime that is engulfing their society.
            Walking the fine line between vigilante and hero, the masked crusader is continually fighting to keep his beloved city from succumbing to the ills of a degenerating society. As the film opens, it appears that he is losing the battle. His wealthy, playboy, secret identity, Bruce Wayne, is still the toast of Gotham City, but the town is not as it used to be. Now it is a very dark and dangerous place.
Take this opportunity to return to Gotham City and see for yourself how the dismal situation plays out. There’ll be no spoilers here, but to say that the tragic death of Heath Ledger before the film’s release adds an aura of sadness and mystery to his chilling, disturbing interpretation of The Joker.

Mary K. Morgan is a member of the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association.