Individual Scene Analysis

Individual Scene Analysis The Dark Knight

(I would have embedded the video onto the blog but it said "Embedding disabled by request" on YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1pyPY8w1TI

A conflict between two opposing forces is an essential ingredient of all action movies. The opposing views clash, and in the struggle for dominance the audience becomes engulfed in the story. In the movie The Dark Knight we see the classic idea of “good versus evil”, but the Director, Producer, and Writer (all three are Christopher Nolan) portray the Joker in slightly different ways to show the depth of his villainy. The antagonist in The Dark Knight acts with malicious intent and his lack of morals show his colors as a truly evil person. Through the interactions of the Joker with his environment, the Director reveals the idea of the Joker being able to corrupt and destroy the situation around him while bringing about a sense of chaos and confusion.

The Joker’s actions initiate conflict in the movie, and the way he carries out his actions are just as important to notice. The Director uses dolly-shots, close-ups, and sound-effects to help create the notion of the Joker being crazy. The Director chooses to use a dolly-shot in shots one and six. The movement of the camera flows perfectly while the buildings in the background explode. This creates a feeling of stability because the camera never loses focus and the smooth run of the camera pairs up nicely with the laid-back attitude of the Joker as he exits the hospital grounds. Then compare the dolly-shot to the reaction-shots of the civilians; the cameras in those shots are shaken rapidly to create a sense of chaos and confusion. Close-ups are another method used by the Director to incorporate the ideas of evil and immorality. In shot one the image of the Joker fills the entire screen. He has a calm expression on his face and even mimics the sound of the explosions to come. The Joker knows that the hospital will be destroyed and still carries out the actions in a humorous manner; this contributes to the idea of him being crazy because to us his actions seem unthinkable. In shot three the close-up reaction-shots of three reporters are shown, inviting the viewer to compare their expressions of terror to the Joker’s composed way of carrying himself. This builds on the idea of him being evil and crazy. The close-up at the beginning of the scene can also be viewed as expressing his dominance over the situation. The sound-effects add to the conflict. A large portion of the clip contains the sounds of the exploding hospital and this highlights the chaos and disorder brought about by the Joker. In shot six the explosions subside and the audience is led to believe that the blasts have ended. Then, after the Joker presses the detonator repeatedly the explosions start up again, The Joker, apparently surprised by the new blasts, hurries off. The idea of the Joker being startled by his own work demonstrates how chaotic the situation is. The juxtaposition of the sound effects of the Joker and the civilians contains vital information also. The scenes with the Joker in them are relatively quiet (aside from the explosions). He rarely makes any noise, and when he does, he does it humorously; compare this to the shot in the bus (4) with all the people screaming. The contrast between the two shots creates a disorienting mood and shows how the Joker differs from normal citizens; this sets him apart from the rest of society and creates the idea of him being the bad guy.

The environment surrounding the Joker plays a key role in the Director’s way of portraying him as a deranged lunatic. Through the use of aerial shots, costume, and location the Joker can be seen as a virus that infects the whole society of Gotham. In shot seven the Director films the explosion of a hospital building from an aerial view. This shows the enormity of the actions committed by the Joker and the disorganization he brings with him. The costume used by the Joker adds to the confusion of the situation. Throughout this entire scene the Joker wears a nurse’s uniform. A nurse assists people by helping them heal; this differs greatly from the way the Joker acts. The confusion of the costume he wears and the actions he carries out helps develop the idea of him being crazy. The Joker wearing the nurse’s uniform separates him from the classical “noir” and this change in the typical bad-guy brings about confusion. The setting of the entire scene contributes to the thesis statement of the Joker being able to corrupt the city. The Joker decides to blow up a hospital, a place where people go to become better, and this shows him to be a poisonous person. Near the end of shot six the Joker leaves the destroyed hospital scene by entering a school bus. The school bus (filled with innocent people) can be seen as a symbol of innocence. The Joker entering it and leaving the scene shows how he spreads throughout the city – much like a virus - spreading chaos and disorder.

Through the Joker’s interactions with his environment he can be viewed as an unrelenting antagonist who will stop at nothing to bring about chaos. The Director’s portrayal of the Joker differs greatly from the typical stereotype of a villain; this creates a disorienting mood and sets the Joker apart from the rest of movie villains because he can be viewed as someone who is truly evil and psychotic.