Batman Begins

Director: Christopher Nolan
Release Date: June 15 2005

 

Cast:
Bruce Wayne / Batman: Christian Bale
Alfred: Michael Caine
Henri Ducard: Liam Neeson
Rachel Dawes: Katie Holmes
Jim Gordon: Gary Oldman
Dr. Jonathan Crane: Cillian Murphy
Carmine Falcone: Tom Wilkinson
Earle: Rutger Hauer
Ra’s Al Ghul: Ken Watanabe
Lucius Fox: Morgan Freeman

 

The Batman films have enjoyed worldwide success for over a decade in both box office and, sometimes, with critics. With this chapter, titled Batman Begins, we return to the beginning of the story. A young Bruce Wayne who is afraid of bats is deeply traumatised by the death of his parents and begins the slow development into Batman. Though other Batman films have touched on this formative experience we explore the implications more in this version. This film takes a very dark look at the Batman story, the overall feeling is of a realistic and human story being told. There is less emphasis on the gizmos that were prominent in some Batman films.

The film stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with an international cast including: Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson, and Rutger Hauer. There are some very powerful actors in this piece and the focus on the characters and story rather than the CGI effects. In this way the director has utilized this cast well and there are some remarkable performances. The director’s goal was to get the audience to care for both Batman and Bruce Wayne.

The film, which was primarily shot in England and Chicago, relied on traditional stunts and miniatures—computer-generated imagery was used minimally. The overall effect is a dark and disturbing place with fear being the preeminent feeling; it seems to soak through the film. The fear takes on a life of its own and is an interesting allegory for the times we live in now where fear and the anticipation of something terrible happening is always hanging over us.

 

 

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