The Dark Knight.

Simply put, The Dark Knight is as realistic a vision of a comic book as I’ve ever seen. It contains scenes and developments are at times a little far-fetched, but as much as it is possible to believe in a comic book story set in real life, this would be it.

The breakthrough in this film is Heath Ledger’s Joker, so let’s just start there. Never before have I seen a performance of a comic book character that was as nuanced, studied, detailed, spontaneous, natural, and disturbing. It’s astounding how Ledger can evoke such quirkiness and invention in the character while maintaining a consistent delivery of madness. He’s constantly fidgeting around or finding something goofy to do with his face or his voice, yet there’s a poetry to his vocal delivery that’s amusing and frightening simultaneously. The writers also gave more than an honest effort into crafting motivation and characterization for the Joker, turning him into an agent of chaos and a true “wild card” in every sense. He has a tortured past that may either be true or simply an obscene farce on which to blame his insanity. He has no grand vision or scheme, he simply wants to throw a monkey wrench in the works and see what happens. Everything is an interesting game or a cruel joke to him. He’s perpetually coming up with little morality tests and devious puzzles for his victims to hash out, and there’s no great outcome to them beyond the ensuing chaos and mayhem; he’s an anarchist and terrorist in the truest sense of the word. He has a great scene with Batman, seated across an interrogation table in the police station where he rationalizes his behavior, and it’s an unblinking, honest, realistic look into the mind of a madman who’s insanity is so complete, it is an end unto itself. Yet Ledger’s Joker is not simply insane, he’s also a keen observer of human behavior, and perhaps understands the evil nature of man better than do his opponents on the other side of the law. To call the Joker’s character in this film a work of art is a gross understatement, and Ledger is deserving of a posthumous Oscar for this revelation of a performance.

There are lots of great performances in the film, but the other one of note is Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne. He hits every note perfectly as the solitary hero, masking his identity as Batman with another mask of a pompus, patronizing, arrogant billionaire playboy that makes a grand entrance at every turn and indulges himself selfishly in privileged behavior. Yet behind his mask as the billionare asshole and the mask as the mysterious, solitary crimefighter, the true Bruce Wayne is a lonely soul with no one but Alfred to talk to. His obsession with Rachel Dawes that he clings to like a crutch is another interesting dimension to his character. His struggle with the morality of not doing the just thing, but doing what needs to be done and having to live with the consequences, makes him a troubled, sometimes reluctant hero; heavy is the head that wears the cowl. During the course of the film, he comes face to face with the realization that his actions in Gotham have created a new kind of villain, one that simply delights in being evil and chaotic. In the same interrogation room scene, The Joker mutters pedantically to Batman, “You complete me”, and while it sounds lame on paper, in the appropriate context it has an air of eery logic. However, if there’s a weak part to his performance, I think it’s Batman’s voice. He seems a little too growl-y and forced at times, and the effect gets a little tiring at times.

As I mentioned earlier, there are great performances surrounding the two leads. Michael Caine is a patient, nurturing, but clever Alfred Pennyworth, the best we’ve had yet. Aaron Eckhart is ambitious, charming, and geniune as Harvey Dent, a richly detailed character who will one day become Harvey Two Face. Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon is a quiet, brilliant performance that does not upstage but sneaks its way into your conscience as the film progresses and has a powerful scene near the end of the film when his family hangs in the balance of cruelty and chance. Maggie Gyllenhal is a good replacement for Katie Holmes as a more average, plainly attractive love interest between Dent and Wayne who doesn’t draw attention to herself. Morgan Freeman is dependable yet unobtrusive as Lucius Fox, a great choice there.

These characters inhabit a story that’s very much a modern tragedy. There’s a fair amount of busyness to the plot with threads involving money distribution to organized crime and an overly ambitious criminal accountant from China as well as Dent’s and Gordon’s crusade to end it, but it really is background noise to the real plot that’s more concerned with the morality of Batman. The film explores in extraordinary depth the plight of a vigilante hero in a city that cannot be adequately policed by lawful means. Through the Joker’s treacherous dealings, Batman’s very existence causes death and anguish every day, yet if Batman turns himself in, things will be even worse off. Chaos even cruelly intrudes into Wayne’s personal life,and Alfred wisely counsels “You spat in the face of every criminal in Gotham City. What did you expect to happen?” At the end of the film, a difficult choice is made and a sickening realization is reached, and plot wraps up elegantly with Batman fleeing into the night. It is for all intents and purposes a microcosm of the tragedy of Batman and a city in the throes of corruption.

The excellence in casting, acting, and writing is complemented by a high-class production that’s light on CGI and heavy on real, old-fashioned stuntwork. We get a white-knuckle car chase that lasts just the right length of time, stunning pyrotechnics, vertigo-inducing leaps and bat gliding, satisfying fist fights, and wild gunplay. The soundtrack is brooding, dark, and beautiful. My only complaint is the cinematography gets a little showy at times. There’s lots of dizzying 360-degree Brian DePalma type shots that seem superfluous, and it tends to dwell on the cityscape shots a bit too long.

But all in all, it’s a great film and handily the best comic book movie yet. With a thoughtful and reverential plot, brilliant casting, relevatory performances, and top-notch technical greatness, it rises above the source material to the level of high art and master craft. I highly recommend it.