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"...A Dark Knight"
10.The Dark Knight IMAX Version(Christopher Nolan, 2008)
I honestly don't see what I can add to The Dark Knight that hasn't already been said. I guess the one thing I would say is BELIEVE the hype. I, like everybody else, built myself up big time by watching as many promotional videos and trailers as I could. I was always starving for the next Dark Knight still picture of The Joker or Batman or whoever, and honestly, I always considered the strong possibility that I had allowed my anticipation to go to abnormal levels to the point where I was bound to be disappointed by the finished product.
But that wasn't the case at all because at precisely 2:30am in the morning at the BFI IMAX venue, I, along with a 400+ audience was on the edge of my seat for 2 and a half hours, staring at the monstrous screen in front of me, rarely blinking because I didn't want to miss a single frame.
From the blistering Michael Mannerism of the opening sequence to the nail biting and frankly goose bumping conclusion, The Dark Knight is presented as a piece of work to be reckoned with. It's truly is epic. It's adrenaline fueled, it's funny, sad and scary. There were elements of horror that I found myself really startled by. Not just that, but there is a strong sense of tension that's runs through the film like electricity. I know of a bloke who brought his teenage daughters to watch the film when I was working at a cinema, and he left like THREE mins into the film because he didn't like the adult tone of the film.
I think that The Dark Knight represents Nolan's most Kubrickian work. The film is about a lot of things, obviously. But the one thing I felt stood out was the theme of the dehumanisation of man. The Joker attempts to dehumanise Gotham by any means necessary because he is under the mistaken belief that everybody, deep down, is as cruel as him. It's a pretty disturbing theme, and one I was surprised to see presented in what is essential a blockbuster picture. But clearly, I underestimated Nolan and to see such a theme explored in a summer comic book adaptation suggests a bold and fearless filmmaker who's film transcends the "comic book genre".
And you guys should know how I feel about Ledger's performance by now..it's the same way everybody else feels about his performance. It's mesmerised and along side Brokeback Mountain and Candy, stands as one of the greatest performance of his too short career. I have nothing more to add to that except it's a shame. Just a ****ing shame.
I also judge this entry based on the format in which it was create for. Suffice to say if Following was intended for an old school 24 inch TV Memento for the basic cinema screen then it's The Dark Knight that's made for the biggest and most intimidating screen of all - the IMAX. As it stands, there is nothing and I mean NOTHING more likely to immerse you into a film than IMAX. It's honestly the way to go. It's the type of screen that forces you to pay attention even during mundane bits because of the sheer size and clarity of it. It's an awesome visual spectacle. And in that, I consider The Dark Knight to be revolutionary on the account that it transcends the comic book film AND it's technological approach to immersing the viewer.
There is a lot more to this film that I can discuss but others have said it and said it better than I have. All I can say is believe the hype if you ain't seen it already and prepare to be blown away. Why so serious? Because it's all in the title.
10.The Dark Knight IMAX Version(Christopher Nolan, 2008)
I honestly don't see what I can add to The Dark Knight that hasn't already been said. I guess the one thing I would say is BELIEVE the hype. I, like everybody else, built myself up big time by watching as many promotional videos and trailers as I could. I was always starving for the next Dark Knight still picture of The Joker or Batman or whoever, and honestly, I always considered the strong possibility that I had allowed my anticipation to go to abnormal levels to the point where I was bound to be disappointed by the finished product.
But that wasn't the case at all because at precisely 2:30am in the morning at the BFI IMAX venue, I, along with a 400+ audience was on the edge of my seat for 2 and a half hours, staring at the monstrous screen in front of me, rarely blinking because I didn't want to miss a single frame.
From the blistering Michael Mannerism of the opening sequence to the nail biting and frankly goose bumping conclusion, The Dark Knight is presented as a piece of work to be reckoned with. It's truly is epic. It's adrenaline fueled, it's funny, sad and scary. There were elements of horror that I found myself really startled by. Not just that, but there is a strong sense of tension that's runs through the film like electricity. I know of a bloke who brought his teenage daughters to watch the film when I was working at a cinema, and he left like THREE mins into the film because he didn't like the adult tone of the film.
I think that The Dark Knight represents Nolan's most Kubrickian work. The film is about a lot of things, obviously. But the one thing I felt stood out was the theme of the dehumanisation of man. The Joker attempts to dehumanise Gotham by any means necessary because he is under the mistaken belief that everybody, deep down, is as cruel as him. It's a pretty disturbing theme, and one I was surprised to see presented in what is essential a blockbuster picture. But clearly, I underestimated Nolan and to see such a theme explored in a summer comic book adaptation suggests a bold and fearless filmmaker who's film transcends the "comic book genre".
And you guys should know how I feel about Ledger's performance by now..it's the same way everybody else feels about his performance. It's mesmerised and along side Brokeback Mountain and Candy, stands as one of the greatest performance of his too short career. I have nothing more to add to that except it's a shame. Just a ****ing shame.
I also judge this entry based on the format in which it was create for. Suffice to say if Following was intended for an old school 24 inch TV Memento for the basic cinema screen then it's The Dark Knight that's made for the biggest and most intimidating screen of all - the IMAX. As it stands, there is nothing and I mean NOTHING more likely to immerse you into a film than IMAX. It's honestly the way to go. It's the type of screen that forces you to pay attention even during mundane bits because of the sheer size and clarity of it. It's an awesome visual spectacle. And in that, I consider The Dark Knight to be revolutionary on the account that it transcends the comic book film AND it's technological approach to immersing the viewer.
There is a lot more to this film that I can discuss but others have said it and said it better than I have. All I can say is believe the hype if you ain't seen it already and prepare to be blown away. Why so serious? Because it's all in the title.