Saturday, November 28, 2009

What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon?


Alfred Pennyworth: A long time ago, I was in Burma, my friends and I were working for the local government. They were trying to buy the loyalty of tribal leaders by bribing them with precious stones. But their caravans were being raided in a forest north of Rangoon by a bandit. So we went looking for the stones. But in six months, we never found anyone who traded with him. One day I saw a child playing with a ruby the size of a tangerine. The bandit had been throwing them away.
Bruce Wayne: Then why steal them?
Alfred Pennyworth: Because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.

Lt. James Gordon: Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.

Bruce Wayne: People are dying, Alfred. What would you have me do?
Alfred Pennyworth: Endure, Master Wayne. Take it. They'll hate you for it, but that's the point of Batman, he can be the outcast. He can make the choice that no one else can make, the right choice.

Batman: What happened to Rachel wasn't chance. We decided to act! We three!
Two-Face: Then why was it me who was the only one who lost everything?
Batman: It wasn't.
Two-Face: The Joker chose ME!
Batman: Because you were the best of us! He wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall.
Two-Face: [bitter] And he was right.

Batman: You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I can do those things because I'm not a hero, like Dent. I killed those people. That's what I can be
Lt. James Gordon: No, you can't! You're not!
Batman: I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be.

Alfred Pennyworth: You spat in the faces of Gotham's worse criminals. Did you not expect casualties? Things were always going to get worse before they got better.

Harvey Dent: The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.

I love this movie because its theme of this movie of putting what is best for others above what is best for yourself is so powerful. I love how it portrays human nature as intrinsically good instead of intrinsically selfish and evil as the Joker would have us believe. The symbolism of light vs. dark, Two Face/Harvey Dent, the juxtaposition of Batman's work in secrecy and darkness vs. Harvey's use of the law, Harvey's deterioration from symbol of hope to agent of chaos and terror is all so awesome.
And you know, it's always a plus that Heath Ledger plays the most horrifying villain of any superhero movie and Christian Bale is incredibly attractive...

5 comments:

Josh said...

"Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight."

First time I heard this quote I thought nothing of it, simply let it slip past me and took it as poetic beauty to be understood cinematically. Now... today... I connect with this line. I understand its meaning. I feel somehow a part of what Chief is saying, and in turn feel a part of who Batman is within, his true identity that is so much more hidden than by a mere mask.

Great movie...

Laura C said...

I watched Dark Knight last night, too! My friend Clayton just got back from his mission and it was the first movie he watched :).

This is random because I was actually planning on posting some of the great quotes from the movie, but you beat me to it!


ahh I love it! :) Especially that last quote.

Kimkidoni said...

Love it! I need to watch it again.

kyliebrooke|s said...

oh my gosh. favorite movie. i love it. it's SO good. it's well-made, the acting is incredible, the plot is great, and the message is beautiful, i would say. love.

Jody Lynn said...

this film is right up there next to slumdog millionaire for me. such a good movie!