Film, Literature, & the Human Condition

Yes, I believe comic books are literature. I also believe the inimical relationship between Batman and the Joker is one of the most complex struggles between two characters in all literature, a struggle that has not been so profoundly explored until the brilliance of The Dark Knight. Everything from the writing, the directing, the cinematography, the music, and of course, the acting goes to extreme lengths to serve this purpose. The tragic loss of Heath Ledger is depressing not just because an artist with so much to offer is no longer with us, but because the depths of the enigmatic Joker must now remain a mystery. His performance was absolute and nobody else should continue with the role. What Ledger was doing onscreen is something beyond our understanding. He gave us hints towards a deeper inquiry of this character without revealing too much. The Joker revels in chaos, but you can sense maybe there’s more driving him than we can know, that something has pushed him to an inner turbulence which now explodes externally as total anarchy. This is the great conflict between Batman and the Joker. If someone wanted to better understand the symbiosis of protagonist and antagonist, they can simply look to this film. Not because it is a battle between hero and villain. It’s much more, more even than good versus evil. The Batman has rules. The Joker has no rules. The Batman’s outer shell is dark and serious. In contrast, the Joker is light and jocular. The Batman fights to stay in control of himself. The Joker concedes powerlessness against himself. Most dynamically, Batman seeks to preserve life and won’t kill anyone. The Joker wants to destroy life and is not afraid to die. (continue reading…)