With The Dark Knight's claims to box-office pre-eminence secured, the spin cycle begins. What does this hugely popular, amazingly resonate movie mean? What is the message amidst all the madness cruising through Gotham's streets? At HollywoodJesus.com, The Joker is associated with postmodernism and all things relative, making Batman the force for moral absolutes. At Dirty Harry's Place, Batman emerges as a surrogate George W. Bush, willing to be hated for the sake of a larger mission. Yet, at Beliefnet.com, The Dark Knight is traced back to St. John of the Cross and his dark nights of the soul. Is this the sign of a great movie or merely a conflicted audience? How many readings are possible? How many readings are helpful? What might be the filmmakers' intent?
The Dark Knight is all about choices. Christopher and Jonathan Nolan embed this comic book universe with the contemporary question: how should we respond to terrorism? Will we suspend civil rights for the sake of order? What are the limits of interrogation? The Joker pushes Bruce Wayne to the brink of his moral code. Batman breaks ankles to obtain information. Do ethics hinder our effectiveness in fighting crime? The Joker is frighteningly free, dangerously untethered. He makes law and order attractive. Yet, he also points out how easily we adapt or rewrite our rules. What happens when our plans are derailed? Do we paint ourselves as heroes to rationalize carefully crafted schemes? The Joker exposes our tendency to justify our actions irrespective of the law. How much difference is there between a mobster, a corrupt cop or an accountant who fudges the books? Don't vigilante break laws, too? This is about how the world (doesn't) work.
Casual moviegoers may be shocked by the thematic richness of The Dark Knight. It is far more than an adrenaline rush (although there are plenty of dazzling tricks: sky hook, anyone?!). As Batman chases The Joker down a hole, we are all implicated in this increasingly dark crusade. Interrogation scenes reflect the haunting photos from Abu Ghraib. Will we abandon our moral precepts to gather evidence? Even more horrific are the suicide bombers created by The Joker. His false promises of future glory literally consign people into becoming ticking bombs. We're snapped back to London and Spain, where a bomb may be planted underneath or even within anyone. It is easy to turn on each other. In a paranoid era, how do we retain our faith in people? Is goodness still viable? The darkness in Gotham threatens to overcome us.
[Caution: spoilers to follow... continue here]
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Craig Detweiler is a writer, filmmaker, professor and honorary "sage" of rednoW. Though his work can be found here from time to time, he posts regularly at: craig.purplestateofmind.com Speaking of... be sure and check out his latest documentary work, Purple State of Mind and his latest book Into the Dark.
