The Dark Knight by Olivia Stephenson

THE OPENING SCENE, MAIN CHARACTERSHEATH LEDGER / THE JOKER:

THUG CLOWN / BANK ROBBER:

Within the opening scene, The Joker is represented as being authoritative but only towards the end of the scene. At the beginning of the scene, as the audience you are made to feel confused as you decide who is the antagonist. The joker is the antagonist. We gather this by the end of the scene. At one point, mid way through the scene we are looking up at the joker. This makes him seem more dominant than the other robbers and he takes a far more authoritative role because of this.

The masks the bank robbers use within the first scene are very scary and from then on you are aware that they are the bad guys. Although they are seen as scary, there are so many of them (who are not named) that we don’t see them as main characters or as intimidating and authoritative as the joker. High angle camera shot is never used on any of the less authoritative characters however and this also shows you their role in the movie.

PLOTThe Dark Knight was released in 2008 and it is a superhero movie. It was the second film in the trilogy directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. This movie is seen as much darker than the first film, Batman Begins because of its serious villain, The Joker and the death of two very important characters. Christian Bale continues to play the role of Batman, this time fighting with the help of some very important and prestigious individuals from Gotham city where the film is set. The film was based on the 1940 debut comic book ‘The Joker’.

The films opening scene begins with the robbery and mobbing of a bank achieved by The Joker and his accomplices. The accomplices then kill each other off one by one. Batman decides to intervene and contacts the district attorney to help capture the Joker and his accomplices. Throughout the film, The Joker threatens to kill people unless Batman reveals his identity.

There is a love triangle within the film between Bruce Wayne (Batman), Harvey Dent and Rachael Dawes. This gives the joker something to threaten the Batman with and later threatens to destroy him as very close character is killed.

Towards the end of the film, we consider Batman’s true motives. Whether he is a hero or a villain and this is shown within some of the final scenes in the film.

The final scene is very climatic and leaves an opening for a sequel. Plus the huge plot twist at the end of the film changes everything in the movie.

CAMERA SHOTS

CLOSE UP

REVERSE ZOOM

LOW ANGLE ESTABLISHING SHOT

AERIAL SHOT