“Batman” was one of the most expected films of recent years. Although the DC movie catalog was usually a hit or missed, the trailers and promotional materials for this latest classic character adaptation looked promising. I’m happy to say that excited fans can sigh with relief: “Batman” is good. And not the good that accompanies a shrug and subsequent amnesia. It’s more kind of well “enthusiastically-glued to my seat for three hours”.
From the first few scenes it is clear that the director Matt Reeves (“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”) had a very specific tone and vision of the world of “Batman”. Gotham City is as dark and depressing as Christopher Nolan’s ultra-realistic trilogy, but it also carries an eccentric, gothic quality to preserve a mass of comics that was missing in previous films. Gotham shares DNA with an unnamed city in «Se7en”(David Fincher,“ Gone Girl ”) in the sense that it is gloomy and insatiable, but also feels unusual and unusual enough to, fortunately, separate oneself from reality.
And although Fincher’s elements are many, much of the plot unfolds with the investigative structure and tense atmosphere seen in “ZodiacReeves included many elements from other parts of the film canon. At a virtual press conference, Reeves said, “It’s like ‘All the President’s People,’ and there’s a little ‘(The) French Connection’ and there’s a little ‘Taxi Driver.’ Films of the 70’s. The finished Batman product quite clearly reflects these effects using trademarks cynical 70s crime films, such as high-level conspiracies and psychologically turbulent characters, with aplomb.
Cinematographer Greig Fraser (“Dune”) and composer Michael Jacqueline (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”) perform at the top of their play to create spectacles and sounds for this more unusual Gotham. The use of Dutch angles and shallow focus, as well as unsaturated colors and outdated architecture are some of the biggest contributions to the comic book feel. Audience participants will have Jacquin a four-stringed musical motif for Batman stuck in their heads – it is present most often when it is on the screen, and even when it is not. This helps emphasize the idea that Batman and the fear that accompanies him are everywhere – that Batman has evolved from a single man into a ubiquitous urban legend.
Anything to doubt it was about Robert Pattinson (“Twilight”), who plays the Crusader in a cloak, to be ruled out; he embodies the vengeful, burdened Bruce Wayne with the expected darkness, but also the strange strokes of playful wit. His little idiosyncratic moments, enumerated in the twilight, help to remind viewers of the inherent concept of stupidity. The story of a billionaire who realizes himself by beating criminals in a bat suit should be a little funny.
The rest of the cast is equally well realized in their roles. Zoe Kravitz (“The Big Little Lie”) is playing an increasingly vulnerable and desperate version of Catwoman. Her rudeness and playfulness act as a big foil for Batman’s self-righteous attitude, and they combine effective, fleeting moments of sexual tension. Paul Dunn’s interpretation of the Serial Assassin (“Okja”) is presented as a pathetic, bizarre mirror of Batman Pattinson, who relies more on his brains than on his brains. The script is very specific to illustrate the similarities in their goals of “fixing” Gotham. More interestingly, Reeves uses the camera to draw visual, subconscious parallels between their methods and passion for “justice” and revenge. For Riddle and Batman, a very special shot is used in terms of perspective, as they are both involved in vigilance driven by revenge.
The characters and world define the aesthetics and potential of this film, but the plot and tempo are equally high in quality, and Reeves and company create a fascinating mystery where each scene answers questions, constantly adding as much as the audience is completely captivated. Especially for the first two hours the film is an almost flawless, intense investigation into the darkest corners of Gotham.
The emphasis on the investigative element not only enhances the film itself, but also allows Reeves to fully explore the roots of Batman’s comics as a brilliant detective, something that the character’s new adaptations often deviated in favor of his brutality and willpower. And although Batman is very tough in this movie, maybe the most angry Reeves and Pattinson are still finding a way to balance the more modern view of a man with lots of demons with a classic detective who debuted under the original DC brand as “Detective Comics”.
The fact that all of these elements work so well together reflects the attentiveness and attention to detail that was laid down in this film. It is clear that everyone involved in the production understands that determines the many aesthetic and tonal qualities of Batman comics, and is fond of criminal investigations. And the synthesis of these two can be the most impressive. “Batman” skillfully combines elements of successful mystics and thrillers with the tone and subtleties of the source material to create an exciting experience that just flies by.
You can contact the daily art writer Alvin Anand at alvinsa@umich.edu.