Matt Reeves delivers a unique twist on the superhero genre. He takes obvious influence from the likes of David Fincher films “Se7en” and “Zodiac,” along with the “corrupt city” inspirations from 1974’s “Chinatown” starring Jack Nicholson.
“The Batman” was as close to R-rated as a PG-13 movie can get. Most of the film’s horrors come from the Riddler’s murder plot, a scheme that closely resembles John Doe’s from 1995’s Se7en. The Riddler (Paul Dano) is a spooky psychopath who tests Batman’s limits, but also Bruce Wayne’s. Uncovering the disappointing truths about powerful people of Gotham’s present and past, The Riddler was a perfect villain for this movie, allowing for Batman to show-off his detective skills. He also gave the movie a dark and sinister edge, considering he is a serial killer.
The performances are powerful and gripping, holding you in your seat and quickly making the audience fall in love with the characters. Robert Pattinson embodies a new take on Wayne — not the charismatic, “I own the place,” persona that previous on-screen Bruce Wayne’s exemplified, such as Michael Keaton and Christian Bale. Instead, Pattinson displays a broken, reclusive and unsure-of-himself Wayne who isn’t afraid to show his true emotion in public. It’s a fresh take on a character in desperate need of some spicing up. Not to mention, he is an even better Batman than he is Wayne.
Zoë Kravitz has created a heartstrings-yanking, punch-packing and authentic Catwoman. The slippery cat character becomes the emotional pull of the story, which is an unexpected but very welcomed story decision on the part of Reeves. Colin Farrell is practically unrecognizable as The Penguin. The Irish actor’s convincing Brooklyn accent, along with the phenomenal job of the hair and makeup team, brings to life a realistic Penguin character who gives off “mob boss Robert De Niro” vibes.
Paul Dano delivers a frighteningly beautiful performance as the psychopathic serial killer, the Riddler. The uneasiness Dano evokes in the audience is an amazing testament to his acting prowess. This grounded and realistic take on the Riddler will go down in the books as one of the more terrifying and formidable on-screen villains Batman has ever seen.
Director of Photography Greig Fraser continues to show off his skill in “The Batman.” Every other minute of the nearly three-hour runtime provided a unique or mesmerizing shot, truly showcasing the mastery of this phenomenal cinematographer. The vibrant reds and oranges of some shots add to the already anxiety-filled plot of the film. Coming off an Academy Award-nominated job for “Dune,” Fraser adds to the detective story through a very neo-noir way of filming. For those who are unaware, film noir is a term used to describe the stylish, old crime dramas of early Hollywood. “The Batman” is a modern noir film.
Michael Giacchino, the genius behind many movie scores such as “Up,” “Ratatouille,” “Inside Out” and various Marvel productions such as “Doctor Strange” and the Spider-Man films, composed a masterful score. It is a score that may become known as the best music to ever be written for a Batman film. Each character earns its own musical theme — which are strategically placed in pivotal moments for the characters. The Riddler’s theme is mysterious and eerie, adding to his character’s mysticism. Batman’s theme is full of hope and valiance, something that his character tries to represent in Gotham. Catwoman’s theme is a slow jazz composition that elicits the feeling of sadness or grief, a perfect embodiment of her character through music.
Through the Riddler’s plot, Reeves makes a subtle yet powerful statement on the radicalization of people through social media. In an age where social media dominates the corners of every aspect of society, it can be easy to lose oneself through the influence of another person.
Avoiding major spoilers, Reeves perfectly makes this evident toward the climatic ending of the film, when Riddler’s plan reaches its culmination, and Reeves does this without overloading the audience with political commentary. He makes it just subtle enough, trusting his audience to make connections themselves.
This is something Reeves does consistently throughout the film: he trusts his audience. Instead of trying to explain everything, he has faith that his viewers will be able to figure out plot points, themes, and story twists themselves, and provides just enough information for any viewer to make sense of it all. This makes his storytelling unique and effective, pulling the audience into the movie as if they are part of the story itself.
Reeves’ “The Batman” questions the true meaning of being a hero and explores the detective side of Batman that had yet to be explored in one of the masked vigilante’s films to date. Without sacrificing the anti-killing nature of the caped crusader, Reeves creates a truly violent world that Batman, and Wayne, must endure. It’s safe to say that this rivals “The Dark Knight” and contends among the greatest comic book films to have ever hit the big screen.
Edited by Camila Fowler | cfowler@themaneater.com