Life Through the Lens: Re-re-re-re-re-re-introducing Batman
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"They think I am hiding in the shadows … but I AM the shadows."
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Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) is a ghost in Gotham City. His seclusion is the fodder for many rumors … but he remains unseen. The Wayne Family's legacy is under scrutiny, as well: their long-standing call for "renewal" is failing and their political foundations are crumbling.
There is a new wave washing over Gotham, a wave of panic and pandemonium. Someone calling themselves "the Riddler" (Paul Dano) is publicly killing powerful figures. Although seemingly random and ruthless, his rhyme is becoming apparent: each murder is symbolic and systematic. He is cleaning the town of the Wayne Family "Renewal" Project. Its lies are being unearthed and its deception exposed. The bigger you are, the harder you fall.
Fear not! Batman is on the case! Actually, Batman seems to be a part of the case. Each crime scene has a clue addressed specifically to him. The Riddler, the town's new terror, is adamant that Batman be involved. This is a burden meant for the Bat.
Maybe the Riddler and the Batman aren't so different. The big difference: one is seen while the other is invisible. One leaves his mark while the other barely registers a splash.
Inspiration meets desperation meets annihilation.
Bats, caves, prisons, mayhem - grunge, darkness, grime, grit … "Ave Maria"?
Over and over, Schubert's 1825 composition from "Ellens dritter Gesang" ("Ellen's Third Song") reverberates through the film The Batman. My question is simple: Why? (Followed by another question: how long is this stinkin' movie?)
Franz Schubert was born in 1797 in the world's premiere music mecca, Vienna, Austria. The music of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven raised young Schubert. Born to a modest family, Schubert exhibited early promise musically, but his insecurity and timidness kept him mainly enjoyed by those who knew him. He studied under masters like Salieri, but eventually became his father's assistant.
As the years ticked by, Schubert dutifully attended to his father while passionately composing music daily. The quartets, masses, and symphonies flowed from the young man, but success remained a mystery. Friends? Sure. Food? Yep. Fame? Not so much. Even when Schubert gained the boldness needed and left his familial position, he received positive praise but little else. Two years later, back to daddy.
Vienna in the 1820's eventually began to take notice of their new product, even holding parties for his music alone. Although popularized, his music was still unlucrative. His unsuccessful goals in operatic music left him feeling ill … well, that and the syphilis. Mostly the syphilis. His career took an immediate hit as his health forced him to retreat. His physical disappearance resulted in a disappearance of his budding popularity, calling himself "the most unfortunate, the most miserable being in the world."
Desperate for money, he turned to the world of "private tutor." While in the countryside, his spirits revived, and his inspiration resumed. It is during this time that he wrote the previously mentioned piece commonly known as "Ave Maria." Finances had improved to slightly above impoverished, and an ease rested on young Schubert.
In 1826, Schubert was crushed: his attempts at fame were again rejected. Every attempt at professional advancement led to disappointment and depression. This time, it was the end of him. He continued to write, but his confidence was shot. The illness began to take over, Schubert diverting all his efforts toward composition. Two years later, Franz Schubert was dead at age 31.
A genius unappreciated in his time, confined by his own sense of inadequacy, only held one public concert. He couldn't even afford his own piano until a few months before he died! Unfulfilled, largely-unrequited, Schubert died surrounded by a small number of those who knew him.
All that to say, I think the Riddler is Schubert and Bruce Wayne/the Batman is Beethoven. Beethoven, a contemporary of Schubert, was beloved and received. He was lauded and praised. Sure, life was difficult and obstacles were aplenty, but talent was rewarded and genius was recognized. Schubert saw in Beethoven what he could be … but never was. He grew up idolizing but failing to approach the distant glory of his idol. Although born with a similar talent, one reached immortality while the other felt the fade toward obscurity. The admiration mixed with the jealousy, the disdain sprinkled with respect. The Riddler is both fueled by and enraged by The Bat.
Inspiration meets desperation meets annihilation.
Batman is such a tired idea. How many reboots? How many versions? How many times do we have to embrace a new dude in a new suit doing the same ole' things?
Pro: This Batman has a unique darkness to it. It delves where others have shied away. The whole film sinks into the shadows.
Con: The world could use a bit more character, other than dimness. I was hoping for an immersive world, one unique in its otherworldliness. The "comic" feeling dissipates after an impressive opening.
Pro: The film plays out like a detective story, an unfolding case.
Con: The clues rarely add-up. It takes three minutes of dialogue to explain why it "makes sense."
Pro: The Penguin was a complete transformation for Colin Ferrell. Nailed it!
Con: Everyone else. Robert Pattinson could have been an emotional-support-cardboard-cutout and the movie would have been the same. Empty. Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman is unnecessary. Paul Dano is good, but slips into nonsense.
Pro: The sequel-teaser is exciting. The hinted-at character is played by someone with awesome potential!
Con: Three hours is unwarranted! If Batman would have just walked faster, the movie would easily have been an hour shorter.
Pro: Aside from some "stock Adobe action movie graphics," The Batman had some beautiful moments. The exaggerated darkness led to some interesting lighting effects. The red flares and the car chase are breathtaking.
Con: With the cyphers and the sadistic yet serene villain, I've seen this movie before. It feels like the director Matt Reeves just grabbed his favorite parts of great thrillers and old Batman movies and molded them together, sometimes smoothly.
Like I told a friend, The Batman is not as good as I had hoped, but it was better than I expected. It gives plenty of "oohs" and "aahs" to keep you excited.
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REPORT CARD: "The Batman"
Grade: B.
Comment: A middle of the road Batman reimagining