Heavy footsteps echo in approach from a pitch-black hallway. Gradually a tall, imposing, armored figure emerges in bulletproof armor. A thug goes to attack, but the figure quickly beats the thug to the floor and delivers several punishing blows to their head. He looks to the others, “I am vengeance.” The Batman’s introduction of the title character establishes early the dark visuals and violent action that permeate the film. And it only gets better.
The Batman is set early in the superhero’s career, only two years after Bruce Wayne / Batman (Robert Pattinson) donned the mantle. A series of murders of city officials by the intelligent and mysterious Riddler (Paul Dano) forces an investigation by Batman into the criminal underworld ruled by Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and his lieutenant Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot / Penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell). Over the course of his investigation, Batman allies with Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) to uncover buried secrets that could shake Gotham to its foundations.
The plot is surprisingly easy to follow despite the unraveling conspiracy that includes many characters and their connections. And although almost three hours, The Batman never loses momentum and steadily reveals new information and twists. There are predictable plot points that do not dissuade engagement with the film as well as genuinely surprising reveals that recontextualize earlier scenes. The ending is possibly overextended and unnecessary, but it is still enjoyable and places an emphasis on the conclusion of Batman’s character arc. Robert Pattinson suitably portrays a Bruce Wayne struggling with the consequences of his family’s legacy and non-desire for personal relationships. Narration is used to bookend the film: it serves to establish the setting in the opening but explains obvious character growth in the conclusion that is probably unnecessary.
The Batman is a beautiful film with masterful shot composition and balance of lighting. Several high contrast shots silhouette characters without concealing details and a fight scene illuminated purely by gunfire does not prevent it from being understandable. A stellar soundtrack and sound design excellently support horror, tension, and fight scenes. The car chase involving the Batmobile is the perfect example of The Batman’s audiovisual elements working in tandem to create a masterful action sequence.
Selina Kyle exudes a dangerous seductiveness but exists as more than just Batman’s romantic interest in the film. She has agency: her own motivations that occasionally intersect with Batman, but she takes her own actions; both are using each other to their own ends.
The Riddler’s fetishistic costume, creepy breathing, stalking, and means of violence position him as an unnerving villain reminiscent of the Zodiac Killer. The Riddler’s scariness is supported by connections drawn to contemporary domestic extremist concerns including radicalization on the internet.
Interestingly, the Riddler’s motivations align with Batman’s: to punish criminals. However, an implication arises that Batman is not investigating or dismantling the broader issues supporting Gotham’s crime. The beginning of the film highlights street criminals as Batman’s target of vengeance, but Riddler’s actions target a conspiracy that enables the deep social rot. The Riddler possesses “sound motivations and grounded criticisms of structural inequality” (Mutore). A comment by mayoral candidate Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson) about the capability of Bruce Wayne to assist the city with his fortune further supports the notion that Wayne’s efforts are limited in scope. Thus, one of the themes of the film is how to induce productive societal change. Pure intentions can be undermined by faulty means and focus on the little things may mean ignorance of the bigger picture.
Connected to the issue of the means of addressing social inequalities is the upbringings of the characters. The three main characters, Batman, Selina Kyle, and the Riddler, are all orphans with varied upbringings. The Riddler critiques Bruce Wayne for not being a real orphan, for having grown up sheltered and rich, while the Riddler endured a troubled childhood. The Riddler addresses the corruption of the Gotham’s wealthy elite while Batman tackles the crime perpetrated by the already downtrodden. Selina Kyle has a more nuanced view, critiquing the elites’ privilege, but still focused on helping the individual. Via these details, The Batman highlights an underlying class conflict in Gotham that is misguiding the efforts of those seeking to address it (Zachary).
The car chase sequence with the Batmobile alone is worth seeing The Batman for, but the entire movie thankfully exudes the same quality. The Batman is a beautiful film that balances detective work with intense action and moments of character drama. It is possibly a little overlong, but it never loses engagement and asks important questions about how a society can address systemic issues and reconcile with alienated social outcasts.
-Dylan O’Connell
Mutore, JM. “How The Batman (sort of) examines Bruce Wayne’s true powers: Wealth and privilege.” AV Club, 17 Mar. 2022, avclub.com/matt-reeves-the-batman-wealth-and-privilege-bruce-wayne-1848661503. Accessed on 22 Mar. 2022.
The Batman. Directed by Matt Reeves, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2022.
(The Batman). upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/ff/The_Batman_%28film%29_poster.jpg.
Zachary, Brandon. “How The Batman Explores Class Warfare.” CBR.com, 6 Mar. 2022, cbr.com/the-batman-class-warfare-explored/. Accessed on 22 Mar. 2022.
Dylan O'Connell's Writing Corner 