For Batman Begins, Is Fun The F-Word?
Batman Begins is advertised as a comprehensive film exploration of our hero's origins. It aims to familiarize moviegoers with the "original intent" Batman nurtured in 1939 and 1940 and reinvigorated by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams over thirty-five years ago. However, judging by a couple of mainstream articles I've read, the general public may still need some convincing.
In USA Today's "Batman De-Camps," writer Scott Bowles sees the new movie as Warner Bros.' last chance to win back those archetypal "die-hard fans" repelled by Batman & Robin. He quotes writer David Goyer as being asked by a fan for an assurance that Begins wouldn't "suck." Meanwhile, over in Time, Richard Schickel faults the film for being too serious -- specifically, lacking "some antic human antimatter [like the Joker] to give it the giddy lift of perversity."
The 1989 Batman showed what could happen when the Joker took over a movie, and 1992's Batman Returns certainly had a more concrete "lift of perversity" with Michelle Pfeiffer's slinky Catwoman. Therefore, Batman Begins hopes to do what no other modern Bat-movie has done -- namely, make the title character the most interesting person in the film.
You might think this would be easy, given Bruce/Batman's complex psychological underpinnings. However, the heart of Batman seems to be that he does incredibly cool, fun things without ever taking any joy in them. Having devoted his life to giving his parents' murders meaning, his crusade is a constant reminder of his loss. Other superheroes use their costumed identities to escape the torments of everyday life, but "Batman" isn't a release -- it's almost a punishment.
No wonder the series was barely a year old when Robin the Boy Wonder came along to remind readers how cool Batman's life was (except for the one thing, of course). And Batman's life is the ultimate kid fantasy -- a secret hideout under a vast mansion that someone else cleans; an amazing array of gadgets and vehicles; and the ability to scare the bejesus out of whomever you don't like. It only requires three things: a substantial fortune, the will to realize your physical and mental potential; and the brutal murders of your parents before your eyes.
Arguably this is why the Joker has evolved into Batman's greatest foe -- because his physical disfiguring freed him from the constraints of polite society. The Joker recognizes that Batman also has deep emotional scars, but instead deals with them through an elaborate bat-themed modus operandi. Therefore, where the Joker copes with his scarring by embracing chaos, Batman has channeled his pain into his mission.
Still, this has the potential to make Bruce/Batman a supremely boring character. You think you've got a boring neighbor/classmate/co-worker who won't shut up about football, or his senior thesis, or tending his yard? Try living with a guy whose every conversation comes back to the night his parents were killed. Even for two hours in a dark theater, that could be pretty brutal.
While I don't deny the potential of Batman Begins to acquaint the public with the grim, driven figure comics fans know well, I do hope the film has fun with the legend. The most successful superhero adaptations -- the first two Superman and Spider-Man movies -- showed their heroes struggling more with the responsibilities their powers created than with the obligatory villains. Along the way, those films found cathartic humor in their characters' secret identities, such as Peter's fight with the school bully and Clark's immortal line "Why would anyone want to make a total stranger look like a fool?"
Batman Begins' task is harder, because its hero comes at his career from the opposite direction. Bruce creates his own responsibility, rather than having it thrust upon him; and in so doing makes his own face the refuge from his mission. Nevertheless, even as Begins asks us to feel Bruce's hurts, it should invite us to experience the visceral thrills Batman's crusade provides. It is fun to be Batman, even if it's hard to be Bruce Wayne.
In USA Today's "Batman De-Camps," writer Scott Bowles sees the new movie as Warner Bros.' last chance to win back those archetypal "die-hard fans" repelled by Batman & Robin. He quotes writer David Goyer as being asked by a fan for an assurance that Begins wouldn't "suck." Meanwhile, over in Time, Richard Schickel faults the film for being too serious -- specifically, lacking "some antic human antimatter [like the Joker] to give it the giddy lift of perversity."
The 1989 Batman showed what could happen when the Joker took over a movie, and 1992's Batman Returns certainly had a more concrete "lift of perversity" with Michelle Pfeiffer's slinky Catwoman. Therefore, Batman Begins hopes to do what no other modern Bat-movie has done -- namely, make the title character the most interesting person in the film.
You might think this would be easy, given Bruce/Batman's complex psychological underpinnings. However, the heart of Batman seems to be that he does incredibly cool, fun things without ever taking any joy in them. Having devoted his life to giving his parents' murders meaning, his crusade is a constant reminder of his loss. Other superheroes use their costumed identities to escape the torments of everyday life, but "Batman" isn't a release -- it's almost a punishment.
No wonder the series was barely a year old when Robin the Boy Wonder came along to remind readers how cool Batman's life was (except for the one thing, of course). And Batman's life is the ultimate kid fantasy -- a secret hideout under a vast mansion that someone else cleans; an amazing array of gadgets and vehicles; and the ability to scare the bejesus out of whomever you don't like. It only requires three things: a substantial fortune, the will to realize your physical and mental potential; and the brutal murders of your parents before your eyes.
Arguably this is why the Joker has evolved into Batman's greatest foe -- because his physical disfiguring freed him from the constraints of polite society. The Joker recognizes that Batman also has deep emotional scars, but instead deals with them through an elaborate bat-themed modus operandi. Therefore, where the Joker copes with his scarring by embracing chaos, Batman has channeled his pain into his mission.
Still, this has the potential to make Bruce/Batman a supremely boring character. You think you've got a boring neighbor/classmate/co-worker who won't shut up about football, or his senior thesis, or tending his yard? Try living with a guy whose every conversation comes back to the night his parents were killed. Even for two hours in a dark theater, that could be pretty brutal.
While I don't deny the potential of Batman Begins to acquaint the public with the grim, driven figure comics fans know well, I do hope the film has fun with the legend. The most successful superhero adaptations -- the first two Superman and Spider-Man movies -- showed their heroes struggling more with the responsibilities their powers created than with the obligatory villains. Along the way, those films found cathartic humor in their characters' secret identities, such as Peter's fight with the school bully and Clark's immortal line "Why would anyone want to make a total stranger look like a fool?"
Batman Begins' task is harder, because its hero comes at his career from the opposite direction. Bruce creates his own responsibility, rather than having it thrust upon him; and in so doing makes his own face the refuge from his mission. Nevertheless, even as Begins asks us to feel Bruce's hurts, it should invite us to experience the visceral thrills Batman's crusade provides. It is fun to be Batman, even if it's hard to be Bruce Wayne.
posted by Tom Bondurant @ 5:04 PM
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