The Dark Knight Movie Review

For any film fan, a non-negotiable is to have your four favourites on Letterboxd in your mind at all times, in case you are in a situation where someone asks. However, as any film fan knows, your four favourites can change daily, but for me, two films always remain in my firm top four. Until recently, out of those two, I had only seen one of them on the big screen and longed to see the other, so when the opportunity came to see it, I jumped at the chance. 

That film, in my opinion, is Christopher Nolan's masterpiece, The Dark Knight, released in 2008, and it remains influential to this day. When it was released, it changed the landscape for what comic book movies could be, which was big summer popcorn flicks lacking in any substance and plot. Then The Dark Knight was released, which was a smart, crime caper and didn't alienate its audience; you didn't have to know who Batman was to appreciate the film. 

However, even though this film does hold up over fifteen years after its release, the real testament to its legacy is that it features, in my opinion, the best acting performance ever seen on screen. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker stands the test of time and is the benchmark for villain performances on screen, with his influence remaining on the film industry to this day. The unfortunate circumstances are that, sadly, Ledger passed away before the release of the film and wasn't able to see the impact his performance had on movie-goers. 

Also, Ledger won a posthumous Oscar in 2008 for his work in the film, which again redefined the comic book genre, being noticed by the Academy, which only recognised more dramatic work, but Ledger's performance was too exceptional to go unnoticed, and was a well-deserved win. Since his win, the role of the Joker has become one of emotional and complex depth, which allows the actors who inhabit it to truly become a tour de force. This happened when Joaquin Phoenix took on the role in Joker, which was released in 2019, telling the origin story about how the Joker came to be. In an acceptance speech at The SAG awards, Phoenix cited Ledger and called him his 'favourite actor' and that 'he is standing on the shoulders of Ledger's performance'. 

The reason I call this Nolan's masterpiece, even after he has released films such as Interstellar and Oppenheimer, is due to the perfect marriage of story, acting and direction. Although films like Interstellar do tug on the emotional heartstrings, The Dark Knight reminds movie-goers why we love going to the cinema. The extensive action sequences featuring practical effects, in typical Nolan style, capture the audience's attention on screen and again remind people why Nolan is one of the best directors of his generation, and seeing this masterpiece on the big screen reinforces that.