The film draws the audience into a thrilling and mysterious plotline from the first scene, featuring the main villain, the Riddler (Paul Dano), going after his first victim. The movie begins with this clear view through a scope lens into the home of a presumably corrupt politician.
The setting feels sinister due to the room’s dim lighting and the dark colored attire worn by both the killer and the victim.
Throughout the duration of the movie, this ominous mood continues, portrayed with dark red background lighting, deep voiceovers and Batman’s classic dark attire.
Overall, the cinematography of the film is especially successful through its use of lighting and music to set the tone, actor choices, character development and the intriguing progression of the plot itself.
Another intentional aspect of the film that emphasizes the mood is the inclusion of stereotypically ominous weather, primarily having a lot of rain and scenes taking place during nighttime.
While the romantic subplot between Batman and Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) feels unnecessary and cliche at several points, the character development of the side characters and the ways in which they contribute to the plot is very interesting.
Characters such as the Penguin (Colin Farrell) and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) are introduced with little to no background information and the indication of having a hidden double life.
This leaves room for complex character development, as each character has aspects of their life exposed, bit by bit, such as past actions or relationships.
This development causes each individual to be more relevant to the plotline and conflict as a whole.
Batman begins to show more vulnerablity as a result of his relationship with Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), his father’s closest friend who became his father figure following the gruesome murder of his parents.
The buildup of the plot serves as a consistent source of entertainment, even when there are dull moments.
The entire length of the movie is around three hours, which felt too long.
However, after that, the plot begins to feel rushed as a result of the sheer amount of content.
Despite these flaws, the film’s successful cinematography, consistently engaging plot and characters bring the movie together well, overriding all of the negative aspects.
As a result, “Batman” fans and action movie lovers alike should consider taking the time to go watch this film.
You must be logged in to post a comment.