BATTINSON: The Batman For a New Generation
Holy smokes, Batman
Matt Reeves’ The Batman has finally delivered and there are no words that can accurately describe the experience that is this film, so here are a lot of words to try and surmise what might not just be the greatest comic book movie since The Dark Knight but what is perhaps *PERHAPS* the absolute quintessential live action Batman flick to end all other Batman flicks.
As always, please forgive my insane filibuster of a rant...
*SPOILER FREE, SNITCHES – ENJOY YO’SELF*
With all due respect, it is imperative to understand exactly why this Batman is so fitting for the age we are living in and in doing so, we must evaluate the recent history of the big screen presence of The Dark Knight in order to fully appreciate the three-hour My Chemical Romance video that is Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
First things first:
LET THE PAST DIE
To appreciate The Batman at all, let us reflect on a quote from the most controversial Star Wars film that will be the bane of the existence of the entire Star Wars franchise: Let the past die (kill it, if you have to). This is a statement to reflect the inevitable criticisms from massive fanbases who will undoubtedly bitch about one of two valid points:
A. The tiresome and endless supply of Batman movies
B. The misinformed understanding of Robert Pattinson’s range as an actor outside of the Twilight movies
And to be fair, both of these criticisms are entirely warranted given that Pattinson has yet to escape his former vampiric shadow, and that his role as Batman marks the sixth version of The Caped Crusader in just over thirty years. It’s entirely understandable as to why any common moviegoer would boycott the mere idea of attending another Batman movie because let’s be honest, the idea of more Batman feels exhausting at this point.
Ben Affleck made his debut as the last iteration of The Dark Knight not even six years ago, and he’s already been replaced (for his own personal, complicated reasons, of course). Regardless, director Matt Reeves has stated that this new Batman would be yet another reboot, completely disconnected from former DCEU versions of the character, asking fans to yet again reenter a brand new version of the same old Gotham – the same old Bruce Wayne now as another young Bruce Wayne, living in the same Wayne Manor with the same old Alfred, only now Alfred is a younger, beefier and brooding Andy Serkis. It’s the same old Batmobile only now it looks more sleek, the same old Bat-gadgets but now they’re more creative, etc. It’s completely understandable to not want to dive back into Batman simply because we’ve played the Gotham game six times in three decades, and that’s not even counting Joker. The skeptical criticisms are absolutely valid.
This is not even beginning to scratch the surface of the poor beautiful bastard that is Robert Pattinson. Homeboy gets the same sad response when common moviegoers hear his name, be it dismissively referring to his fifteen minutes of screen time in Harry Potter or his entire career being associated as “the guy from Twilight.” Meanwhile, nearly any indie film Pattinson has been in – be it Good Time, The Lighthouse or High Life – deems the dude a legit actor with some incredibly respectable potential. It’s time to let the dude step out of his sparkly past and shine like it’s nobody’s business. It’s time to let the past die.
Second things second:
BATMAN WILL ALWAYS BE RELEVANT, WHETHER WE GIVE A DAMN OR NOT
Whether or not fans are already snuggled up with their version of the perfect Batman, be it Michael Keaton or Christian Bale (or Val Kilmer if you’re a hipster, or the Bat-nipples of George Clooney if you’re a weirdo, that’s fine), the stigma of what “Batman” represents as both a film and as a character no longer matters, because Batman has always translated to the era of the times of comic book America, be it Tim Burton’s gritty yet campy reflection of a grimy 1980s Manhattan, or Christopher Nolan’s post 9/11 world of bold heroism against the face of modern terrorism. Batman has been special to fans for numerous reasons over the years, but part of what allows The Caped Crusader to stay so popular for the big screen these last three decades is that the character and the world of Gotham continues to remain relevant for modern society. Whether the people want a new Batman movie or not, until the films fail to reflect the symbol of hope amidst absolute and utter darkness in whatever chaos our country is going through, Batman will always remain relevant AF.
What does relevancy look like for Batman in 2022; While the country has become more divided than ever, elbows deep into a deadly pandemic, resting on the shoulders of potential world war? It certainly feels like cinematic escapism is called for in the same way that Film Noir saved the minds of moviegoers during WWII, and very much so in how the boom of comic book movies rescued America amidst the War on Terror in the early 2000s, and hasn’t left the cinema since. Does that cinematic call for hope take the form of emo-kid Robert Pattinson chasing down Colin Farrell caked heavily in makeup to look like a mobster Robert De Niro knockoff? Not necessarily, but the accurate reflection of absolute and utter darkness in these times somehow feels insanely and almost frighteningly accurate.
Third things third:
THIS IS THE PART ABOUT THE ACTUAL MOVIE
The Batman is something of an anomaly, although it may not seem so right away. Upon first glance, Matt Reeves’ film echoes the foreboding sense of morbid bleakness in vain of Nolan’s films – notably with the dark introduction of a masked, psychotic villain in the sense of Heath Ledger’s Joker or Tom Hardy’s Bane. To a degree, Paul Dano’s maniacal laugher behind the muffled sounds of what looks like a gas mask with horn-rimmed glasses fits right in with Nolan’s twisted world of creepy villains (and Dano is bone-chilling, as expected). Yet as it chugs along, the film remains so enveloped in such a dark persona – not just literally (nearly every scene is shot at night or at dusk), but atmospherically. Staged to a pitch-perfect needle drop of Nirvana's "Something In The Way," Reeves wants his audience to feel not just how different, but how desolate and moody his version of Gotham is, and to a degree this is the darkest and most terrifying version of Gotham we’ve ever had on screen before.
There’s an underlying sense of hope in Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy that’s almost entirely absent in this film, and for good reason in the film solidifying its own identity. Where cinematographer Wally Pfister shot each chapter of Nolan’s trilogy with a color-specific pallet (yellow, blue and white, respectively) to balance out the literal darkness of what was on screen, DP Greig Fraser brings a neon sense of dark colors to represent what at times feels like a claustrophobic experience, visually – close-up shots of eyeballs wearing James Bond tech in the middle of a nightclub, surrounded by threatening strangers, staged only to the pulsating sounds of thumping techno beats. Backed by Michael Giaccino's hypnotic score, there’s an uneasiness to the looming sense of dread as the film swoops along, that is until the breathtaking wide-shots of Bruce leaping off of skyscrapers during nightfall, lit up by the flashing lights of Gotham’s musk. In a sense, this is perhaps the most visually stunning Batman film we may ever see (this is coming from the guy who shot Dune, after all).
It's important to note that The Batman is, to a degree, very much so an arthouse film, and that will not be everyone’s glass of Brandy. Given that the director initially submitted a four-hour, R-rated cut of the film goes to show that nearly every damn frame of The Batman is something of a bold work of art, even if folks are overwhelmed (or underwhelmed) by the mere ambition of the final product. Reeves gets away with almost three hours and he milks every minute, stretching the brooding tension slowly until the film’s momentum comes to a near screeching halt, earning every scarce moment of anticipation. While undoubtedly delivering on some stunning action sequences, the wicked and slow moments will undoubtedly be a snooze for those accustomed to the breakneck pace of the bouncy, lighthearted Marvel movies, but Reeves also utilizes every ounce of screen time to remind audiences that this isn’t just DC, it’s Batman, and it’s dark AF.
In pursuit of Paul Dano’s The Riddler alone, The Batman resembles a horror movie than it ever does a comic book film. With slow, unnerving reveals of Riddler’s victims – beaten corpses strapped to chairs, their faces covered in bloodied duct tape with cryptic messages written on them – it’s hard to remember that this was once the same franchise where Jack Nicholson pranced around a mansion gleefully knocking over pottery staged to the synth sounds of Prince. Matt Reeves’ picture on the other hand rips a page from David Fincher’s Zodiac – a mystery movie completely swallowed in violent gloom and hopeless despair, and while some would argue that this is certainly not a movie for children, neither are some of the most beloved Dark Knight comics.
Loosely adapted from the fan-favorite graphic novel, "The Long Halloween," The Batman has no fear of going completely dark. While still living in a hyper-fictional world, this Gotham breathes a horrifying sense of realism in its terror alone. More crime noir thriller than it is a hyperactive action flick we've come to expect from comic book movies, the film builds a moody tension behind the grim violence bringing the genre as close to horror as comic book movies have come in a long time. And while the gothic atmosphere may feel reminiscent of Tim Burton’s Batman movies, the film trades camp and comedy for the gritty realism that allowed Nolan’s films to tick so well. In some hauntingly beautiful way, this Batman is the best of both worlds.
The film is no doubt without its faults, leaping for unbelievable ambitions or dull character motives, but overall this is Pattinson’s film from beginning to finish. Whether emotionally clashing with his younger Alfred (a beefy yet still gentle Andy Serkis), or engaged in witty banter with the new Detective Gordon (a very cheeky Jeffrey Wright), Pattinson owns the screen and honestly, he does so very often with little to no dialogue. Combatively involved with the new Catwoman (played by a fabulous Zoe Kravitz), or hunting down The Penguin (a show-stealing, unrecognizable Colin Farrell), Pattinson spends much of the screen time quietly and menacingly waiting to strike, and once he does the dude delivers like it’s nobody’s business.
The Batman is a straight up detective movie and in that sense, the film nails the character in a way no other Batman movie has before. A bold move for certain, this version of The Caped Crusader spends far less time in high-octane-energy scenes and way more screen time resolving riddles in the shadows. The film trades fast-paced punches for slow-burn mystery – deliberately paced but well worth the payoff. It may not look like what fans think a Batman movie is supposed to look like, but it’s absolutely Batman from the core of his character down to the gritty nature of the comics. This movie is a delight, and easily the greatest Batman movie since The Dark Knight. The film is cruel, ugly, and violent, yet lingering on a very small but powerful beacon of hope. To this dark degree alone, The Batman is maybe the most Batman-like Batman movie the world has ever seen.
