Why So Serious?

Last summer, The Dark Knight was released in theatres across the nation and was the highest grossing movie out of any superhero blockbuster ever made; bumping Spiderman 3 off the list. Maybe you are one of the few who hasn’t seen The Dark Knight movie yet, and if this is the case, you’re probably asking: what was all the hype about? It’s just another superhero action movie, complete with a Hollywood heartthrob who wears his underwear outside his tights and a baddie who wants to, ahem, take over the city. Those who haven’t seen the movie don’t understand how the Dark Knight went from regular superhero movie to outstanding box office smash, despite the bangs, booms, and sinister hissing of the creepy catchphrase “Why so serious?” You may write off the Dark Knight’s success on the passing of Heath Ledger, and in part, this is probably true. Many of his fans came to the theatre to gawk at his ghost and bid old Heath adieu. Ledger’s Joker has inspired many a Halloween costume and a few copycats. But I think that there is more to this blockbuster than meets the eye. It is a retelling of the classic good vs. evil storyline, revamped and ready to entertain an entirely new generation of young people longing, subconsciously or not, to see good triumph over evil.
The plot of the Dark Knight is too complicated to completely retell here, but here are the basics: Batman (Christian Bale) is helping rid Gotham of crime with the help of his butler/father figure Alfred (Michael Caine). Then the Joker comes along like a bat out of hell, with no name, no alias, custom clothing, and nothing in his pockets but knives and lint. He begins the fight for Gotham’s soul; doing anything he thinks will provoke chaos and performing his “magic trick” for people who look as though they’re going to be any sort of hindrance. He has never heard of a thing we mortals like to call soap, burns the billions of dollars he earns from the Mob, carves his face with a Glasgow smile, and douses it in Mary Kay products. This character may seem like just another homicidal freak, but the Joker is more than that.
He is the symbol of innocence lost; of the decay of morality. Even his makeup seems as though it is decaying. The Joker is not interested in killing Batman. He merely wants to bring the Caped Crusader down to his level, and has no consideration for his own life, as evidenced by the “C’mon…HIT ME!” scene from the movie.
“[The people of Gotham] are only as good as the world allows them to be.” The Joker says to Batman in one intense scene, “When the chips are down, these civilized people…they’ll eat each other. You see, I’m not a monster. I’m just ahead of the curve.”
The movie doesn’t disappoint. There’s plenty of action to keep the regular Joe’s content, while there is enough philosophical substance to satisfy a diehard connoisseur. And Heath Ledger is mesmerizing. I personally didn’t know whether to laugh at the Joker or shrink back in my seat. But the “decay of morality”, which the Joker symbolizes, is no laughing matter.
I won’t give away the end of the movie; let’s just say that it is worth it. And even if you don’t start spouting off the Joker’s creepy catchphrases, this movie leaves you with plenty to think about.