Review of "Batman Begins"

Batman is one of those iconic heroes that I have always thought must be hard to write for. He's been around for over 65 years now, and in that time he's been featured in literally thousands of stories in a dizzying variety of settings. Add that to the fact that you can't change "too" much about his story because of copyright restrictions and you really have a character that presents quite a challenge to a prospective writer.

Fortunately, the writer of "Batman Begins" was equal to this task.

"Batman Begins" really is the story of how Batman BECAME Batman, and a great deal of the movie takes place before Bruce Wayne ever puts on the batsuit. It shares this origin concept with Tim Burton's Batman, except that this film takes it's time to develop the tragic backstory of Bruce Wayne and really fills in a lot of narrative and psychological holes in what was essentially a very basic story. And while I don't want to spend a lot of time comparing this film to Burton's, I will say that while Burton seemed to spend on inordinate amount of effort into how his film LOOKED, director Chris Nolan concentrates more on motivation and character interaction. In "Begins" we see Wayne's journey from a young boy orphaned by violence to a disenchanted, haunted young man who seeks a means to enforce justice on the world. We follow his trail from the Far East, where he lands in jail fighting a horde of criminals, to the mountain top fortress of Ra's Al Ghul, a ninja master who has his own ideas about justice and the world.

This portion of the film is emotionally gruelling as Wayne must really decide for himself what he is truly seeking, apart from his original nebulous goals and the harsh pitiless goals of Al Ghul. Through trials of violence and self-discovery, Wayne becomes his own man at the fortress and returns to Gotham City with a strongly renewed sense of purpose. The acting by Christian Bale and Liam Neeson (as Wayne's tutor) is superb; both convey a true sense of loss and rage as they come to know each other and sympathize with each other's tragic past. It's a relationship that changes and evolves as the film progresses and it is a credit to the two actors that it comes across as so believable.

As satisfying as this portion of the film is, I like everyone else was anxiously awaiting Wayne's return to Gotham and our first glimpse at all the Bat trappings; the costume, the Batmobile, the gadgets, the Bat signal. Nolan doesn't disappoint here either. In fact, I thought the way Batman's appearances were handled was particularly effective. Much more so than in previous films, Batman here is portrayed mysteriously, hidden in the shadows and only glimpsed in quick flashes, briefly. This plays up Wayne's ninja training, almost supernatural swiftness and his ability to almost become invisible. Such a portrayal also helps convey the notion of Batman as a fearsome character that makes hardened criminals quiver in their boots. We see this various time in the film where the bad guys are truly spooked by the presence of this new dangerous element in Gotham, one that won't roll over and play dead like the cops and the lawyers; one that wants to make them pay for what they do.

The transition from the FarEast to Gotham is a pretty smooth one, chiefly due to the addition of what turns out to be Wayne's new surrogate "family". Michael Caine plays Alfred, Wayne's (and his father's before him) loyal butler and moral guide, and dispense valuable advice throughout the picture. Morgan Freeman plays Fox, a Wayne employee who specializes in applied science and supplies most of the Bat gadgets, including the Batmobile. The scenes where he quizzes Wayne about what he is doing with all of these toys are true gems; we never know for sure what Fox knows, and neither does Wayne, but he sure has a good time making Wayne squirm. Katie Holmes plays Rachel Dawes, a childhood friend of Wayne's, now a grown woman and assistant DA, perhaps the only lawyer left in Gotham who cares more about justice than covering her own behind. This is a character not drawn from the comics, but it's one that largely works, as she continues to hammer away at Wayne's frustration with the justice system and forces him to remember the kind of man his father was, and would want him to be. Their relationship doesn't really get a lot of time to develop past this stage, and I have to admit I wasn't completely clear about the implications of their final scene together, but I think the character was a very good choice, ultimately. Last but not least is Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, an incorruptible Gotham cop who is enlisted by Batman in his war on Falconi. Oldman, great as always, plays Gordon as a man not entirely trustful of Batman but who is willing, at this point, to try anything to undo the corruption of his city. There's always room to quibble and in a film like this you have so much to do in only so much time,but I wish there had been more time to develop Gordon and Batman's relationship. Ah, perhaps in the sequel...

No "Batman" film would be successful without effective villains. This time we have killer Joe Chill, mob boss Falconi, diabolical mad scientist Dr. Jonathon Crane (alias the Scarecrow) and Ra's Al Ghul. All are effective, though I do think the Scarecrow could have worked better in full costume but perhaps that's just the nerd in me coming out. As is the case with all great villains, these all have a particular point of view and really challenge the hero on both a physical and metaphorical level. Crane challenges Wayne to face his inner fears, while Falconi, Chill and Al Ghul make him consider his entire definition of justice and how best to achieve it.

This film works on just about every level. As an action film it really delivers the goods. There are some terrific chase scenes and what feels like a dozen truly realistic and well crafted fight scenes. The film is ABOUT something; what to do in the wake of tragedy, how to redeem yourself in the face of utter desolation, about identity and the masks we all wear to achieve different goals in our lives and the resiliency of hope. On an emotional level, there are some terrifically effective scenes involving the aftermath of Wayne's parents deaths. Wayne literally boils with rage and grief in Chill's courtroom scene. His initial confrontation with Falconi is chilling and really establishes the battle lines of the film; corruption vs. decency, with Wayne trying to balance his father's gentle sense of moral justice with his own need for a more harsh brand, and Falconi supremely confident of his power and position and dismissively of Wayne's bravado.

All the actors are very good but it's Bale that carries the film. His intensity is real but not overdone, his guilt and doubt and feelings of inner conflict understated but powerful and his presence as Batman, the frightening dark knight who punishes evildoers, is formidable. Let's hope when they make the inevitable sequel, he is willing and available for the role because I think he just defined it.