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| Absolutely no portions of the artwork on this page may be used, reproduced, or copied in any way without expressed, written permission from the artist. Failure to comply will result in legal action. All artwork, prose, and poetry (unless otherwise noted) is copyright © 2007 Jorge Gonzalez. |
| THE MANY SHADES OF JORGE GONZALEZ ESSAYS |
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| Batman has had more feature length films created than any other leading comic book character in our time. The two most popular films in the Batman franchise are Tim Burton's gothic 1989 film, "Batman" and Christopher Nolan's 2005 epic, "Batman Begins". Two films essentially about the Dark Knight, yet both are completely different in terms of storyline, character development and style. These movies have nothing to do with each other yet do share a common bond in a sense that they both try to tell the origin of the Batman character. In this essay, I will examine both Batman films in terms of storyline execution, actor's performances, as well as style and visuals while trying to determine which the two films is the better one. The storyline in both Batman movies are pretty different from one another. For instance, in Tim Burton's film, the movie is about how Batman needs to defeat his archenemy, The Joker. In Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" he shows you the transformation of how Bruce Wayne turns into Gotham City's masked savior. To execute the storyline, Tim Burton seemed to focus a lot more on Batman's antagonist, The Joker. In fact, the movie seems all about The Joker and Batman is placed as more of a secondary character. In Nolan's 2005 film, the movie does not do this and instead focuses on Batman, and only Batman. Additionally, Tim Burton's movie looks as if he is trying to show off his trademark imagery rather than trying to tell a Batman adventure. He uses his signature gothic and shadowy visuals to try and distract the viewer from his very plain and simple storyline. In Mr. Nolan's picture, there is a very detailed explanation on Batman's past and story. He never tries to take away the attention away from the Dark Knight, which I believe is a very important factor in making a great film. Another essential aspect to creating a fun and fantastic movie is the actor's performances. The storyline just wouldn't seem believable if the film's actors didn't give off a convincing performance. In the 1989 film actor Michael Keaton played Batman, and did some justice to the Dark Knight, however, the way he portrayed Bruce Wayne was a little disappointing. It seemed Keaton knew how to pull off Batman but not Bruce Wayne. Seeing the film now, Mr. Keaton seems as if he didn't exactly know how to go about to play the billionaire playboy. The opposite could be said about Christian Bale, who played the masked avenger in "Batman Begins". Bale had the perfect balance of darkness and charisma to pull off both Batman and Bruce Wayne. He even reinvented the way Batman was ever portrayed in a film by totally taking a very aggressive and angry approach to the caped crusader. Before Christian Bale ever donned the mask, no other actor really brought anything new to the Batman character, so it was so refreshing to see Bale's excellent acting bring life back into the stale comic book hero. Another great performance in the "Batman Begins" movie was Liam Neeson's portrayal as the antagonist, Ra's Al Ghul. While his character may not be as famous as other previous Batman villains it was definitely well played show. But it must be said, that the better of the two villains was Jack Nicholson’s interpretation of the insane, homicidal maniac; The Joker, that really stands out as extraordinary. His devilish, dark-humor persona was unmatched as Nicholson wore the make-up to establish one of Batman’s most fearsome foes. Despite the bland plot, Jack Nicholson’s performance is worth watching. One of the more exciting aspects about blockbuster movies are the stunning visuals and stylized action. Tim Burton’s Batman film goes for a very 1950’s experience, as well as an enormously murky, bleak, and gothic atmosphere. Chris Nolan’s 2005 epic, seem slightly more bare-bones, than relying on a heavy gloom and doom style like Burton went for. A major problem that Tim Burton’s movie suffered from is that he relied so heavily on cinematics and style that it often overpowered the actor’s performances or took away from the story itself. Christopher Nolan knew better and thus had some darkness to his film, but also a very clear sense of truth and reality that doesn’t distract the viewer from its compelling story. I have to admit though, that Tim Burton and his production team did an amazing job on the Batman costume. It looks slick and seems very moveable, as oppose to the bat-suit Christian Bale had to wear which looked very heavy, bulky, and look as if it was more armor than a Batman costume. With that said, the fact that everything seems to be more natural and realistic in “Batman Begins” beats the original 1989 film because it didn’t feel “over-the-top” (an element that tends to ruin a lot of great cinema). Though at the end of the day both films are very unique and have been praised by fans all over the world. Nevertheless, while there is a mixed reaction from mainstream critics on Tim Burton's adaptation, there is only praise with Christopher Nolan's picture. Also, despite that the 1989 film did make more money in the box office than 2005’s “Batman Begins”, the real winner in this is Nolan’s vision of the Dark Knight. “Batman Begins” has a lot of raw, deep, emotion that many of the previous films failed to capture. “Begins” is unlike any other Batman film because of its honesty and heart, an element that is rare in the comic book genre of films. Tim Burton’s 1989 will always be a classic, but to call it a masterpiece is taking it a bit too far. Masterpiece should best be reserved for a film like “Batman Begins”. |
| "Batman (1989) Vs. Batman Begins (2005)" Written by George Gonzalez |