Violence In Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight
JP
In Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight gothic elements such as suspenseful violence, mysterious heroic outsiders, and freakish villains are used in order to catch the attention of society.
The use of suspenseful violence in Nolan’s production is a significant contribution for the overall mood of the movie. For example, the Joker sets up a social experiment in which two ferries, one full of passengers and the other full of prisoners, each have a bomb rigged. The detonator for each bomb however is located in the other ferry. Given a set time limit, each ferry has the opportunity to save themselves by detonating the other cruise ship first. This scene makes the viewers tense and nervous as the Joker experiments on the true magnitude
of evil in human nature.
Being a follower nihilism, the Joker is labeled as a “freak.” Although the Joker may have interesting questions to ask about human nature, his ways of finding answers are far from the norm. The Joker truly believes his methods of finding answers are justified, as he says, “The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules.” To the viewers of the movie and the citizens of Gotham the Joker is nothing but a deranged maniac. Without the Joker, Nolan’s production of The Dark Knight would be bleak and empty. The Joker’s “freakishness” makes the viewers question true nature of humans.
Bruce Wayne, also known as the Dark Knight, is the hero and the outsider of the production. Harvey Dent, Gotham City’s “White Knight” had been corrupted by the Joker, who was trying to prove that even the best men can fall into darkness. Batman knew that the people of Gotham could not rely on a man wearing a mask to save Gotham City, it needed a public good man. Bruce Wayne knew that the people could not know that the Joker’s ideology was proven true, so he solely took the blame for all the charges against Harvey Dent as Batman. Although Batman was labeled as the criminal in the end of the movie, the people of Gotham City found hope in humanity once again, ironically making Batman the hero.
The Gothic elements used in the production of The Dark Knight, such as thrilling violence, “freakishness” of the villains, and the heroism of outsiders, made Nolan capable of reaching millions of viewers using these common traits found in gothic literature.
In Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight gothic elements such as suspenseful violence, mysterious heroic outsiders, and freakish villains are used in order to catch the attention of society.
The use of suspenseful violence in Nolan’s production is a significant contribution for the overall mood of the movie. For example, the Joker sets up a social experiment in which two ferries, one full of passengers and the other full of prisoners, each have a bomb rigged. The detonator for each bomb however is located in the other ferry. Given a set time limit, each ferry has the opportunity to save themselves by detonating the other cruise ship first. This scene makes the viewers tense and nervous as the Joker experiments on the true magnitude
of evil in human nature.
Being a follower nihilism, the Joker is labeled as a “freak.” Although the Joker may have interesting questions to ask about human nature, his ways of finding answers are far from the norm. The Joker truly believes his methods of finding answers are justified, as he says, “The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules.” To the viewers of the movie and the citizens of Gotham the Joker is nothing but a deranged maniac. Without the Joker, Nolan’s production of The Dark Knight would be bleak and empty. The Joker’s “freakishness” makes the viewers question true nature of humans.
Bruce Wayne, also known as the Dark Knight, is the hero and the outsider of the production. Harvey Dent, Gotham City’s “White Knight” had been corrupted by the Joker, who was trying to prove that even the best men can fall into darkness. Batman knew that the people of Gotham could not rely on a man wearing a mask to save Gotham City, it needed a public good man. Bruce Wayne knew that the people could not know that the Joker’s ideology was proven true, so he solely took the blame for all the charges against Harvey Dent as Batman. Although Batman was labeled as the criminal in the end of the movie, the people of Gotham City found hope in humanity once again, ironically making Batman the hero.
The Gothic elements used in the production of The Dark Knight, such as thrilling violence, “freakishness” of the villains, and the heroism of outsiders, made Nolan capable of reaching millions of viewers using these common traits found in gothic literature.