The Symbolic Meaning of The Dark Knight | Batman & The Tower of Babel

[@storytellers1]

💸Get access to part III. Support the channel & get access to non-advertiser friendly videos: kzbin.info/door/bphDfwSJmxk1Ny_3Oicrngjoin

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

The reason The Dark Knight will probably always reign as the definitive Batman movie, (or definitive live-action Batman movie, at least), is because the relationship between Batman and the Joker was perfectly, PERFECTLY, captured in Nolan's vision. In the old Tim Burton Batman movie, the Joker is just kind of this larger than life, absurd, over the top character who commits crimes, and Batman is just kind of a reserved, stoic guy who opposes him. But until The Dark Knight, no filmmaker had ever really analyzed what those two characters actually mean, and how they reflect and relate to each other. The thing that makes the relationship between Batman and the Joker so perennially intriguing, (and the thing that Nolan got right), is that underneath, they're the same! Both of them have come to the same conclusion about the nature of life; it's only their reactions which separate them. Even though Zach Snyder's Batman v Superman movie mostly sucked, there was one line in that movie that actually did the Batman character real justice. When Batman is preparing to kill Superman, he says, "My parents only taught me one thing; that life only makes sense if you force it to." And that's exactly what Batman does at the end of The Dark Knight by taking the blame for Harvey's crimes; he forcing life to make sense for the people of Gotham, by not making them see that their "white knight" devolved into a homicidal maniac. Both Batman and the Joker are nihilists, it's just that Batman chooses to (quite nobly) strive against the random, seemingly meaningless nature of life. The Joker simply embraces the absurdity of things. Batman throws punches; the Joker just rolls with punches. The line that the Joker says when Batman is interrogating him, the "You...complete...me!" line, (in addition to being a humorous allusion to Jerry Maguire), shows just how well Nolan really understood the material he was dealing with. Batman and the Joker are just different sides of the same coin, (much like how Harvey's coin shows one pristine, clear side, and one scarred and disfigured side. Make up you own mind as to which side is Batman and which side is the Joker.) The Joker's line at the end where he says, "This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immoveable object." perfectly summarizes their relationship. The Joker embodies pure chaos, whereas Batman embodies forced order. And that's why, I think, Batman remains one of the greatest heroes in popular culture; because he takes that stand against nothingness that we all kind of want to see. He holds the line against pure anarchy, even though he knows that his resistance is ultimately kind of futile. There's a certain nobility in that, I think...

[@jenniferle8294]

Okay this video was really good but so was this comment. Great analysis!!

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

@Jennifer Le Thnx! :)

[@Littlespooby]

WOW. Well said. This sums up the depth of the film. Very elemental film.

[@stipe9k]

Take my upvote. Brilliant comment.

[@gilletabdi8268]

What a comment wow

[@mr.excitement689]

“When the chips are down, these people , they’ll eat each other.” Soooo true , the last few years have taught this to most of us.

[@specialknees6798]

The chips are far from “down” my friend. Chaos is perennially on the horizon though, and who knows? Eventually we may see it actually arrive.

[@lefroste6370]

npc take

[@mikhacoffman4522]

Well these people didn’t eat each other at the end bud

[@mayipluginmycordless]

Glad you were finally able to learn this even if it were fairly recent.

[@utubefuku7132]

Civilization is a tiny veneer we cover ourselves with, and there be barbarians at the gates at all times. People often forget how fragile the built order around us really is, and how easy and quickly it is for us individuals to descend into barbarism.

[@redrabbitjohnson]

Can't wait for part three. For all of its controversies, The Dark Knight Rises is incredibly deep thematically and symbolically. It really takes all of the predominant ideas from the other two films and combines them to form some kind of cumulative end.

[@warbler1984]

What were the controversies?

[@stipe9k]

@@warbler1984 Bruce not suiting up until half way through the movie. Bruce making it too fast from the prison to Gotham. Bane being a decoy. Talia al Ghul being unimpressive and boring, and just a bad rip off of her father. False Batman death etc. Personally, I only mind Talia al Ghul. I don't take issue with anything else I just numbered.

[@dennisreynolds1341]

the controversy of everything about it being bad

[@Dohsoda]

@@stipe9k I don't mind any of those criticisms. Batman didn't show up until 50 minutes to 1 hour mark in Batman Begins. To be honest, its more interesting to see Bruce Wayne than Batman. Bruce is the character we connect with. Also, I found it to be the most entertaining of the 3 movies.

[@jasonshaneyfelt1039]

@@stipe9k Yes, it has its issues, but none of the issues really impact the thematic subtext of the film. Most of the issues are things that are going to bother the more casual crowd and people who see this as purely a comic book movie and nothing deeper. Like you said, "I didn't get to see the hero in the suit enough" or "the villain was too boring for me" are just surface level gripes that don't really impact the actual driving themes of the movie. Yes, it's nice to see more Batman, but it's not necessary here. The False Batman death is actually an enourmous positive of the film, not a negative. It ties up the themes of the entire trilogy perfectly and I love it.

[@daniel_netzel]

Fucking excellent stuff. The Dark Knight is a one of a kind film, the likes of which we'll probably never see again. A reminder that superhero stories work best when they're still fundamentally human stories, grappling with the larger questions that we all struggle to answer. And I think this film was particularly resonant in its time, and to this day as a commentary on how we as a society respond to existential threats that we don't fully understand, and how our own internal journeys can be muddied, our moral compass challenged, and what that means for the world around us. Beautiful contribution Thomas, and I eagerly await seeing Part 3!

[@wisemankugelmemicus1701]

Joker is pretty similar. Even if it's not, THIS Joker, god bless his soul.

[@Brandonhayhew]

The Dark Knight will never be forgotten. People still make essay videos

[@HarshAnalysis]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGKaoJuCbctmoJo

[@davida.quinnsr.8847]

Heath Ledger had it down packed, spot on, all the way! (Noone else could ever do it the way he did!) He is forever immortal! Too bad that there were so many "dark parts" in his real life..he must be channeling Batman

[@mikeexits]

@@davida.quinnsr.8847 He was channeling the Joker for sure. Some make a connection between that and his death interestingly. When I looked it up, it seems to have been ruled as a drug overdose that caused his death. I don't think I ever saw it mentioned which drugs though. But it was shortly before the release of the film, so it was definitely after his role was finished, leading me to thinking it could be plausible that he felt he needed to numb the pain of channeling the Joker for such a long period of pre-film practice to the filming itself, and maybe any ADR if he had any, to get back to some semblance of his "baseline". I won't say I believe nor disbelieve this line of thought, but it's interesting to contemplate at the very least. Definitely odd timing.

[@London_Mule]

Something a lot of people miss about the boat scene; The detonators likely DO detonate their own boat. This gives the Joker the ability to showcase the animalistic nature of either group. Not to deconstruct innocents and criminals, but as humans judging each other's worth. "A gangbanger, truck of soldiers, a mayor..." Remember, Joker thrives on exposing ideals like altruism as being fueled by self interest, and not a genuine want of helping others. Flip "for the greater good" on its head.

[@cardmaster8772]

I thought that their every detonator could blow both boats to show that their choice doesnt matter and punish them for being selfish or that their detonators work on their own boats.

[@blackscreennoiseforrelaxat1517]

These both are some great thoughts 💭

[@stevenlitak2464]

@@cardmaster8772 I agree. The detonators would have blown up both boats. This is further validated by the fact that the Joker only has one detonator with him when he's fighting Batman. If it was a matter of choosing one of the boats, then there should have been 2 detonators. There weren't.

[@stevenlitak2464]

The detonators would have blown up both boats. Remember the fight between Batman and the Joker. The Joker had only one detonator. The only logical conclusion is that each detonator would have blown up both boats. The destruction of both boats would have served Joker's purpose. When the boats would have exploded, the citizens of Gotham who weren't on the boats would have incorrectly assumed that those on the boats would've killed each other. This would solidify the Joker's climate of fear over the city.

[@tarnishedpose]

The way the movie goes it never implies that(tho Im not saying it wasnt that way, I'll explain later). The Joker tells the people in these boats that the trigger in their own boat will blow the other. So they have to choose to kill or be killed... And that goes in line with the theme of chaos, fake moral codes, acting like animals and all. One guy in the citizens boat even stands up acting like a dick and says something like "they had their chance, they made their choices. They decided to murder and steal... it wouldnt be fair for us". But it could be that the movie wants the audience to believe that's the case and in reality the Joker is just playing with everyone, like he did with Batman and the Rachel/Dent scene. So like it was pointed out here, maybe the trigger in one boat blows that same boat or even both boats... the last option also justified by Joker having one trigger instead of two. Regarless of what was real. The fact that the citizens voted to blow the other boat(and the hopeless faces you see when that guy couldnt press the button) just goes to show that deep down some people are exactly like Joker claims these people to be(and later proven with Dent himself, showing his true colours). "They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these... these civilized people, they'll eat each other." It all comes into place. I guess this is why we love this movie so much. It really is a damn good one.

[@englemachine]

This essay was absolutely fantastic!

[@basicbarks]

Rewatching this series, I do agree 👍!!!

[@drinkingmicstand]

Shut the fuck up bro you’re fucking annoying

[@brucecrawford4948]

@@drinkingmicstand I bet you’re fun at parties.

[@jerrygil1965]

@@drinkingmicstand Then stop living under a rock

[@souvik43209]

Villains of Gotham(Spectrum-wise) Scarecrow V Ras Al Ghul Poison Ivy V Mr. Freeze Riddler V Penguin Joker V Bane Harley Quinn V Talia Al Ghul

[@tturnquest1]

The Dark Knight is one of my favorite superhero movies. No take that back, one of my favorite movies of all time. Part crime thriller, part superhero movie, all batman. This is Chris Nolan’s magnum opus, up there with Inception and Dunkirk.

[@sole__doubt]

The Prestige is Nolan's magnum opus. :)

[@tarnishedpose]

That's why I truly think TDK is in a league of its own and cant be compared to any other comic book movie... because deep down it is not a comic book movie aside from the comic book elements. Take that away, and you still have a damn good crime thriller movie. You simply cant do that with other comic book movies. Maybe Winter Soldier? And it would be a spy thriller movie, but it cant stands against the Nolan's work with TDK. Also... The Prestige.

[@errwhattheflip]

@@sole__doubt The Prestige is excellent, but I feel that The Dark Knight is even better

[@dawaerbaguer2288]

Frick

[@spencermalley10]

Oh my god, This essay on TDK is among the best I've ever seen. Can't wait for the finale.

[@imperfect_dan7519]

I came from the future to tell you the finale video was gold

[@MrFraiche]

Aaron Eckhart’s acting was incredible and often overshadowed by Heaths once in a lifetime performance. He was spectacular.

[@Diamiratrapbeats]

One of the most striking elements of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" is its exploration of the dichotomy between order and chaos. This film, more than just a mere superhero spectacle, delves into the profound philosophical realms of morality, destiny, and the human psyche. At the heart of "The Dark Knight" lies Gotham City - a metropolis teetering on the brink of chaos, awaiting a savior or a destructor. This city represents our own societal construct, where thin lines differentiate between good and evil, right and wrong. Within Gotham's confines, we witness the play of two characters - Batman and the Joker - who both, in their unique ways, are a product of the very society they wish to either save or destroy. Bruce Wayne, behind his Batman facade, grapples with the tormenting shadows of his past and the burden of wearing the mask. For him, Batman is a symbol, an ideal. It's the very representation of hope in a city overrun by crime and corruption. This desire to restore order comes at a personal cost. We see a man constantly on the edge, battling his inner demons, choosing a life of solitude and sacrifice. On the other side, we have the Joker. With his smeared makeup and manic laughter, he epitomizes chaos. However, his chaos is not mindless. The Joker's anarchy has a philosophy. He wishes to demonstrate that, underneath the veneer of civility and morality, everyone can be driven to madness. To him, the world is a stage of unpredictable events, and he wishes to strip it of its pretensions, revealing its true anarchic nature. One of the film's most compelling scenes involves the social experiment on the two ferries. Here, Nolan exposes the thin veneer of civility that we all live under. Given the right push, will society succumb to its baser instincts or rise above them? It's the Joker's ultimate gamble to prove that, at the core, humans are chaotic beings. Yet, in this instance, Gotham surprises him. Alfred, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler, offers insights into this chaotic world with his parable of the bandit in Burma, suggesting that some people "just want to watch the world burn." The Joker is that very personification, challenging every preconceived notion of motive-driven crime. In conclusion, "The Dark Knight" isn't merely a tale of a superhero against a supervillain. It's a profound narrative of our own society, of the struggles between our better angels and our worst demons. Batman and the Joker are mirrors, reflecting the best and worst of us. Through intense character studies and gripping scenarios, Nolan challenges us to reflect on our own choices, our own morals, and the very nature of our humanity.

[@maximo5755]

Is this AI

[@kataimason3230]

I really wanted DC to keep on this theme. To take superheroes and reimagine them to fit in a real world setting, deal with real world concepts and consequences. It was going to set the DCEU apart from the MCU. This movie is IN MY OPINION the greatest comic book movie ever made!

[@ishaankumar3895]

I think they tried it with Man of Steel and Batman vs Superman. They weren't perfect but that is exactly what I imagine if a figure like Superman lived in our society. Batman vs Superman would have been gold if only the Martha scene could be excluded and people could realise that Batman wasn't actually killing anyone in the Knightmare scene because it was just a dream. Introduction of other characters except Wonder Woman was kind of forced and they could do Doomsday a lot better but other than that I found the Ultimate Edition quite good and symbolic.

[@kataimason3230]

@@ishaankumar3895 Outside of the nightmare scene batman was straight murdering people...(He literally pulled up on a bunch of goons with the bat car and had no mercy.) But that could of been fine if they showed us Robin's death pushing batman to abandon his no killing rule. Realistically speaking it could work and having superman be his light back to good could of been an amazing story to explore.

[@Ironcabbit]

Could you imagine a Man of Steel where Superman can’t fly ( only jump really high) and gets depowered at night after sunset?

[@raptor6145]

First! “The Dark Knight” (2008) is my favorite movie of all time!

[@grantwatson9992]

Mine too!

[@sole__doubt]

Definitely my favorite movie based on comic book hero. However its not even my fave from Nolan though, The Prestige is his magnum opus.

[@HarshAnalysis]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGKaoJuCbctmoJo

[@thiccboss4780]

Just as good as the previous one, my expectations were overwhelmed. Only now realized that you tackle these narratives always addressing the characters without referencing the actors's names, thought it was interesting to keep it grounded in the fiction concretized in the films, rather than a overview on the talent and staff of the production. Which is in no way to say this essay does't work as a perfect supplementary companion piece to be watched after the films, i used to watch David Rose's dvd shelf movie reviews about dark knight a bunch of times, always discovering something new everytime,but and now with just one rewatch of this i noticed and realized many things that you presented that i would've either not understood or completely missed. Your method of engulfing the narrative in your intellectual dissection whilst sampling as many interviews and commentaries as possible really helps this essay's function of illustrating a full blown message of what can be taught from the film, most film-goers watch something once, never touch it again, barely think about the experience, and let faulty memory scrutinize any future opinion on it. It's Film Essayers like you that usually get called out for being "pretentious" or "preachy" that truly add the biggest perspectives into someone else's work, specially if that perspective is fueled by a legitimate appreciation for the work itself. i Can't wait for Dark Knight Rises !! but....in case you're making extra sure it comes out as well as these....then i'll gladly wait for the epic conclusion to these essays. Thank you So Much for making these videos Mr.Storytellers

[@supercarolita81]

It's been how long already? And yet, talking about the TDK trilogy never feels old.

[@Raveger411]

This movie couldn’t be more fun to analyze on a symbolic level

[@wifine1951]

Damn, a movie which is being talked 11 years after. No marvel film is reaching that heights.

[@shhs1227]

Infinity war and endgame will be but definitely not because they're better movies. The dark knight is definitely better

[@rronaldreagan]

Marvel is a leftist storytelling org...and like every leftist org it is based on unrealistic and pinkcolored glasses of life, thus turning out to be unrelatable and boring

[@johnnycakemusic4069]

@@rronaldreagan k boomer

[@adamsaleh1987]

That's because there is no symbolism or themes. Unless you count "buy the action figure" a moral.

[@arthurfleck7034]

No mcu film

[@ryanh3635]

Watching it before it gets removed again

[@Enzo-si1it]

What I like about this movie is there's no filler scene every scene does something important you know?

[@brooklyngalaxy8222]

I CANNOT wait for Part III. This nearly brought me to tears, it was so good.

[@theyankeesamurai23]

I just finished reading the book Ordinary Men, and its kinda interesting the theme of men being capable of letting go their moral code in the face of chaos, or in Batman or Dent's case justice and order. The Dark Knight will become a classic. And Ledger's portrayal will never be surpassed.

[@danielokay3129]

Excellent video. You are so concise and articulate in expressing the different components/structure/characters of the story and how they interact to communicate the film's ultimate message. And to think this 20 minute video didn't even cover the filmmaking itself (use of cinematography, editing, etc.) or the film's political significance. The Dark Knight is a tremendous allegory for morality that is applicable way beyond it's own superhero narrative. Stellar stuff, you've made some impressive art of your own with this video.

[@storytellers1]

Thanks Daniel, appreciate the compliment

[@sanjaysingha8911]

You're like our English teacher that finds deep meaning of everything! I just love it..

[@SirHenryMaximo]

1:19 That police officer's reaction to the Bat-Signal always puts a smile on my face.

[@jenniferle8294]

Fantastic video analysis!! I like how you added Nolan's commentary to smoothly flow in with your analysis. I was young when this movie came out and wasn't into super hero movies at the time, but even I knew there was something special about the Dark Knight with the buzz around the movie and how people always kind of spoke about TDK with awe in their voices. And what,, 11 years later here we all are still discussing this movie's themes/acting. One of the best movies ever. And I hate that a lot of people say "for a superhero movie, it's pretty good" as if being a superhero movie makes it any less capable of being a good movie. It's still about human beings in the end. it's like saying a comedy or a romance movie can't strike deep emotions/ideas.

[@universal_wisdom3416]

I have headphones on and Banes voice at the end gave me chills 👀

[@Texx_OG]

can't wait for part 3

[@kevinhillary4057]

4:23 I love how Batman says this line

[@NATOnova]

Fantastic analysis on one of the best movies of all time. Your ability to articulate the philosophy of batman, harvey dent, and the joker and the overall themes are exceptional and help us come into a greater understanding of this deep masterpiece.

[@justinsullivan8250]

You guys are really rock solid with your analysis of the Dark Knight trilogy. This video was really well put together with you mentioning the film talking about the false godhood of the people at the top which included Bruce as well as Joker being a stand in for a jester who mocks the king (the system being in said monarchs place) over its rules that it’s servants have to follow is incredible. I wish I knew how to craft a story like that.

[@psychosocial6596]

Freud would say the meaning is Id, Ego, and Superego. Jung would argue this is more about archetypes from the persona, shadow, personal unconscious, self, & collective unconscious.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

Wow. Interesting. I just heard something that never really registered before in the scene where Rachel says to Harvey "He's using you as bait! He doesn't even know if he can get the Joker. He hasn't been able to before". This is what she's saying to Harvey after he says he's Batman and is being led away to the convoy. So this really underlines Rachel's scorn born of the fact that she feels Bruce deliberately put Harvey in harm's way when of course that was never Bruce's plan, it was Harvey's - but he did agree to go along with it by not stepping up and outing himself. Perhaps Rachel even thought Bruce was doing it somewhat with the hopes that Harvey would be hurt - he is the competition for Rachel. So right after that is when she cuts Bruce off.

[@storytellers1]

Society, discuss... UPDATE: FINAL EPISODE COMING SOON!

[@markant9534]

How do you think the society you speak of here compares to what the movie Joker says about society?

[@briansinger5258]

Batman, masculinity, authority, government...its ok to use cell phones to spy on people because terrorism? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@briansinger5258]

ShutEyeCinema You make me want to quit my job and join whatever cult you’re starting. It’s like if Kubrick and Trump worked on a youtube comment together.

[@michealvega1373]

@ShutEyeCinema big talk.

[@briansinger5258]

ShutEyeCinema Oh you want a sarcasm contest do you? ...seriously, your comment is satire, yes? Or some inside joke held among KZbin film essayists...?

[@cnseref1328]

Language, editing, philosophy, psychology - you have gathered these all well. This and your other videos I watched are reality high quality videos. You need to be appreciated.

[@storytellers1]

Thanks, appreciate it!

[@zeeklevell57]

Very well done. Although I want to point out a crucial point you missed; Bruce's use of the spying technology wasn't really a product of his own insatiable drive for excess, but was a temporary necessary evil, solely for weeding out and finding the Joker. Remember, Alfred said that in order for him to catch the bandit in Burma, he and his fellows had to "burn the forest down". This can be seen as the wise old man advising the younger to avoid his mistakes of fighting extremism with extremism. Therefore, Bruce uses the necessary evil of spying not as a way of "destroying the forest" - in which case that would be manifested as spying on as many people as possible for as long as possible, purely out of political or monetary gain or out of tyrannical paranoia - but for one purpose only; find and catch the Joker. Bruce knows the danger and perversity of such a technology, which is why he gives the permanent shutdown code to Lucius Fox, trusting Fox more than himself, telling him to simply "type in his name". He entrusts Lucius Fox, another wise mentor archetype, with the fate of the machine, (who rightfully tells Bruce/Batman that such technology is beneath them both). So, Bruce does engage in the excess and hubris apparent in Gotham, particularly of mass surveillance and invasion of privacy, but only doing so for one mission, temporary, and with a noble inversion. Bruce/Batman then further integrates another part of his shadow, without letting it get the best of him; the shadow Tyrant/the benevolent dictator, only using this archetype as long as it takes to defeat the Joker once and for all. By the end of the film, Bruce/Batman is more than willing to let his inner tyrant be deposed of. This is brilliant imagery because it exactly shows that despite all of Bruce/Batman's mistakes, he is still fighting for the greater good, and the greater good will triumph over both evils apparent in the film; chaotic evil and tyrannical evil.

[@quantummechanic6966]

I can't wait for your THE JOKER essay

[@titod.7012]

you mean Joker?

[@rubenc.842]

14 years of me hearing and reading essays on this film, this guy definitively nailed it

[@yutisima]

are you a cinema professor of some kind or just a person who likes batman a tad a lot?

[@rubenc.842]

@@yutisima I taught film and theology and showed my high schoolers The Dark Knight for a lesson on Morality

[@fernandobellido6951]

Man, great analysis. KZbin lacks video like this, but this kind of videos are unfortunately not for everyone. Great research and quality video.Keep it going!

[@SaurianStudios1207]

No marvel movie will ever top the dark knight.

[@davidkempf1271]

Perfectly said. They will never make anything that will even come close.

[@lakyak]

@@davidkempf1271 winter soldier???

[@Mignacca]

Uros Mujicic it’s good but even TDKR tops it.

[@tarnishedpose]

@@lakyak It is a pretty decent superhero/spy thriller movie and that's why I like this one the most out of the MCU, but it kinda stops there... It's not a bad thing tho. The movie is good and does what it wanted too... but with TDk, the Nolan's wanted more, did more and went as deep as they could for a comic book movie without ruining themselves with pretentiousness and symbolisms for the sake of it(exactly the same reasons why Man of Steel and BvS didnt do so well, aside from all the obvious points these movies failed at, of course).

[@Enzo-si1it]

@@lakyak 😂😂😂😂 you're hilarious kid

[@l34CoNCreepy]

i feel this movie is also an analogy of the aftermath of september 11th, the patriot act, security vs freedom, pushing fringe people and the reactions that happen, rich vs poor, - batmans spy equipment, overreach of govt to other nations via extradition by force, that shot of batman in the burning ruins etc

[@srijanagrawal255]

This is why i didn't particularly like the new Joker movie, because it sort of ditched The Dark Knight's joker. Because in this movie, there is no indication that anything bad ever happened to joker, he probably arrived at his conclusions through reasoning for all we know. It gives much more strength to his character. Instead, in the new joker movie, he is a troubled man who has bad things happen to him and he becomes resentful and wants to tear everything down. The question glaring the movie in the face is: if he was born nice and fine and didn't have all the horrible things happen to him, then would his philosophical position be different? It makes me feel like their msg was: if bad things happen to you, you're fucked up, if good happens, you'll be fine. TDK's joker is more powerful

[@speedracer2008]

I get your argument about Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, but I personally didn’t see the message as if bad things happen to you, you’re screwed, because, while the Joker did deal with a lot of crap from jerks, like his boss and the Wayne Enterprises businessmen, the film makes it clear that it doesn’t excuse his violent actions. Ultimately, the bad things he does out of anger at those who mistreated him are his choices, not to mention that his excuses for harming people who “wronged” him become more hollow as the film progresses. If he had recognized the dark temptations in himself and tried to address them constructively, many people wouldn’t have been hurt.

[@srijanagrawal255]

@@speedracer2008 i understand what you're saying but i never said anything about any excuse or justification. Of course nothing that happens can be excused. My point was that in tdk's joker, his ideals and motives or philosophies were much darker and more unsettling and more powerful than in the new joker. The new joker was one of the downtrodden of society and in his anger and resentment he lashed out against the people of the world that had rejected him. He was a loser, a victim of unfortunate circumstances, and he didn't like it. That's pretty much it. Tdk's joker was so much more than that. He sought to expose society before destroying it. Simply in the way he killed, with the boat situation and making batman chose between rachel and harvey, telling everyone to shoot the snitch or he's gonna blow up a hospital. These things were meant to tear down the mask of goodness and virtue that the people of gotham hid behind and reveal their true and sinful nature. That was his motive. The new joker's motive was you all treated me like shit and imma let you know how much i hate you for it. Don't get me wrong it's a great movie and a great character study of a certain type of person, but it's not the joker. It's not what the joker meant to me, it's not what he represented.

[@speedracer2008]

@@srijanagrawal255 Ok. I see what you mean there. I do agree that Christopher Nolan’s Joker had a more fleshed-out motivation than Todd Philips’ Joker.

[@ashtonarmstrong9778]

22:34 now I see why Grian loves mumbo so much....

[@andrewrivera190]

Aaron Eckhart doesn’t get as much credit for his folly as Harvey and Two-Face. From what I can tell, he really loves the character and wanted to embody the essence of him from the comics. He also wanted to make it very clear in his performance that Two-face was always a part of Harvey.

[@thexyayxmaker]

These essays are so good that I rather watch them istead of the films

[@psibarpsi]

So do I.

[@BigNoseDog]

The Oscar for Best Picture went to Slumdog Millionaire, a movie people barely even remember. The Dark Knight, which is still being dissected and analyzed and still having an influence on filmmakers today, wasn’t even nominated. This is what separates Nolan’s Batman films from other superhero movies. 10 years from now, will anyone be doing videos like this about The Avengers? I doubt it.

[@brokenfunnibones]

My origin story for The Joker was he was in the military, always joking around n his laugh, they gave him the call sign "Joker*. He came home, his wife was in debt to loan sharks, he couldn't find work. Then, when scarecrows toxins were unleashed....

[@ador7572]

The Dark Knight Trilogy is such a masterpiece that video analysis and documentaries about it are better than most movies and tv shows nowadays.

[@WrenchNinja]

Fantastic video essay. I've never seen the Dark Knight discussed in this manner.

[@storytellers1]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!:)

[@utubenoobie01]

That was beautiful! This is why Batman is the greatest Superhero and the Joker is the greatest Supervillain.

[@marcomacias3960]

i also notice something in the third act involving the ferries. had the citizens detonate the criminal boat then not only will they kill the criminals but also the innocent guards as well. but Im glad Nolan put that part in.

[@jamesmack8357]

the toung thing was actually improvised by the way due to the prosthetics slipping of heaths face what a guy

[@npcimknot958]

what’s funny is, when i was a kid i had allergic reaction and it would be around my mouth and i would lick it cause it was so irritating. so imagine scars that inflamed, ya, licking would be a habbit

[@diegobologna288]

my favourite trilogy, i love these videos

[@guitarhero8110]

"If they get anything on you, they'll be back out on the streets, followed swiftly by you and me." The mayor telling Harvey Dent the plot of the next film.

[@R3dD3ath]

you know how Joker during the Interrogation scene he says the law abiding citizens will eat each other they kinda do the same thing he said in the dark knight rises

[@jaysway9251]

And I thought _my_ jokes were bad.

[@WillJM81280]

Bruce was happy bc he thought Rachel was going to “wait for him”. One consistency through all the Batman movies is he gets whipped over every woman he encounters. Vicky Vale in 89 Batman. Tells her is identity after banging her a couple times. Catwoman in Batman Returns. Tells her his identity after flirting with her a few times, doesn’t even get with her. Batman & Robin, Chase Maridian. Goes after her as both Bats and Bruce despite the obvious risk. Batman Begins. Rachel, first too self-righteous for who she thinks he is, then somehow (through female “logic”) concludes that even though he vastly contradicts her initial reason for rejecting him bc she thought he was some irresponsible playboy, but now since he’s not the same as way back when, he’s wrong for her . Dark Knight. Rachel again. As if she wasn’t going to monkey-branch on and not “wait for him”. No woman is going to wait for you gents. They branched over to someone else the second you turned away. Dark Knight rises. Catwoman and Talia. Gets his ass robbed and betrayed by Catwoman (and still tries to be Captain Save-A-Hoe after), then gets with the daughter of his enemy too whipped to see that she’s clearly the wrong kind, and of course gets stabbed for it.

[@Senate300]

So Batman/Bruce Wayne is basically a simp or Captain Save a Hoe.😄

[@Rizky-Gumilar]

Amazing analysis. I really can't wait for the TDKR. Unpopular opinion i know but TDKR is my fav of the trilogy

[@h.b.smith_writer]

Many people named it their favorite in the trilogy, and it's my favorite too.

[@ryansims6171]

this video just goes to prove how absoultely genius chris nolan is

[@carsoncloud1858]

Unfortunately we never got that 3rd part love to see it

[@Bravo6goindark]

Whens the sequal comming out?

[@MegaWVU1]

I really wish your symbolic meaning of dark knight rises wasn’t taken down…

[@PhiliaSofia]

This channel and this video are criminally underrated.

[@Ch0cken]

Well time to go watch The Dark Knight for like the 10th time.

[@StefsFrameOfReference]

What happened to your third installment? It’s nowhere on KZbin anymore.

[@darthjekyll3648]

I love how at 18:59 the flag of Gotham shows itself with the boat carrying the Dutch settlers to the site of the city.

[@Supersonic...]

I'm currently binge watching ur amazing channel....keep em coming please..

[@shareefhaddad2377]

When will you cover “The Dark Knight Rises”?

[@JLaskles]

Another great video. However the tongue movements from heath is not meant to be a serpent which is a cool idea it was from the prosthetics being dry and turned into a tick.

[@storytellers1]

symbolism happens!

[@errarcoofficial7901]

before watching the essay, I see batman begins are the uprising of a hero showing that a city at its worst can be saved. then the dark knight contrasts it with the city reaching its highest point. plus a new theme with the joker challenging it, a city that is almost at its peak can be brought down while the hero fights this with the belief there will always be people that believe in good. just a little summary of my own

[@brucecrawford_17]

What happened to your The Dark Knight Rises video essay? 🥺

[@samoharachilds]

Excellent work

[@mohammadabushindi6739]

Great Work, wonderful video, will be waiting for Part 3

[@belllerofont]

Amazing series, thank you! One if the best films of 2010's from fresh point of view.

[@lakernation26]

This Film came out in 2008 bro lol

[@alteredbeast7145]

One of the things they got right, and one of the best performances I ever saw, was the joker. I remember hearing Heath Ledger would play him and scoffing. How wrong I was.

[@phantomfire8228]

17:56

[@jacksongladue9289]

So what if joker (the dark night) actually got batman to kill him or someone else. Would the joker have won at that point? Or would he still keep killing?

[@gamecokben]

Batman Begins isn't a flood. That's what happens in The Batman.

[@bolso4]

Great thumbnail. You killed it.

[@storytellers1]

Thanks man (and thanks again for the tip)! Going to see about changing the Batman Begins thumbnail as well

[@icecreaminc8013]

the only flaw with The Dark Knight... is the boats scene. In the real world, the prisoner ship would have been blown up by the civilian ship. Psychology has psychopaths tally at 5% of the worlds population (not sociopaths which are the serial killer type of Psychopath). to keep this short, there are 3 types of people who join the military, 1 the patriot (duty) who thinks evil should not be allowed to go unchecked. 2 the forced (family served for generations and or the conscripted). 3 those who want to kill legally. quick math would have at least 2 people on the civilian ship who would make the decision to save their ship, (not to save self) but because rationally, (emotion has no place in rational decisions of life or death) that is the right thing to do.

[@munkhtuvshinmt]

Exactly. Way too optimistic.

[@perpetualmoto]

Dark Night Trilogy is akin to the Star Wars Trilogy ---Game changer!

[@h.b.smith_writer]

Agreed!

[@scott96999]

Great analysis. The Tower of Babel is a great allegory for the inevitable end of any ideological possession. The Dark Knight's ending, with Batman choosing to propagandize the truth of Dent's death only reinforces this.

[@ashleightompkins3200]

I have a theory about the bombs on the boats. I think that the Joker lied about switching the detonators, like he lied about Harvey and Rachel's locations. But he'd be the only person to ever know that. That confusion would drive the people into the chaos he wanted because they wouldn't know what really happened. Did one of them push the button? If so, who? Cue the accusations, the arguing, the chaos.

[@antondietrich8104]

Fastest click of the West

[@marcuskane3187]

This movie made no sense when it came to detonators. Throwing one into water 90% would make a short-circuit and explode the other ship. In the most likely scenario both boats would get destroyed as setting one to explode would still make detonator on the exploded boat to get short-circuit and make the other ship explode too. The best outcome would be to not press on any boat and hope for the best

[@johncameron4118]

Thanks for that, bring on part III

[@tnfloose9023]

Speaking of John Pageau, he sent me here...Thanks!

[@himl994]

This was on my recommended videos. I saw the title and thought “hmm, symbolic. It couldn’t be pageau could it,” watched it and again thought, “yeah this sounds like pageau,” and then he mentioned him lol

[@corybernthon2885]

It's very interesting to me that a superhero movie trilogy can quickly question our morals and our fundamentals. I really truly believe that we are never going to have, get or see or possibly share this superhero trilogy or one like this ever again and I know, I know that I'm biased when saying this being a batman fanatic but most of those Marvel movies are flashy and don't require much thought of anything more than saying "geez I can't wait after seeing Ironman I can't wait til they put together the ultimate superhero team up together that being the MCU. And like I like to call it it's just crap summer blockbuster crap for children and not very thought provoking or having really any kind of metaphors or that of any kind of great acting. It's all just guns explosions action and heavily CGI ridden movies that I have to really say to myself you'd actually pay to see a movie where there is about 20% percent of acting and about 80% percent of CGI crap all over the place its as if they don't really care about making a movie any more they want to make "a theme park ride" for three hours or so like Martin Scorsese said. I don't think that we as a society are ever going to back from these movies which it seems in which the only reason we make them is to sell kids toys. Or at least that's what I see when I look at the newest Marvel movie coming out in to theaters and you don't know who's who. I truly think that the dark knight trilogy is a one of kind superhero movie trilogy. But I can't wait to see what Matt Reeves has up his sleeve for the Batman pt ll. Well done Christopher Nolan and crew they gave us one of the most iconic and influential villains in movie history and a very very big nod off to Heath Ledger for putting his heart and soul into his work one that cost him his life.

[@mrillis9259]

The joker did more good for Gotham by burning the money an breaking the remaining mob structures than Batman ever did by beating a few people up every night.

[@alexknowlton4038]

I turned on the bell and I’ve been sending videos to friends. Mostly this series and your Prisoners essay. Cheers.

[@storytellers1]

Thank you! Uploading a new video today, Thomas' 3d part of this series should be up next week - Lars

[@gvionnet97]

WHAT A GREAT SERIES OF VIDEOS, I LOVE IT

[@phantomfire8228]

16:25

[@phantomfire8228]

8:08

[@imperfect_dan7519]

Excuse me for asking this question. I think you might've answered this before but when is part 3 gonna come out?

[@phantomfire8228]

14:00

[@JGrizzle]

Which interview is that Nolan stuff from at the start?

[@neart2810]

Is there a part 3 to this?

[@marvinntale5336]

you over think this brother, more than most of us! 😂😂😂 saying at 7:26 that joker licks his lips like a "serpent" (animosity symbol) is laughable as he really did lick his lips to keep the prosthetic lip scars in place while filming so that they don't fall off and it isn't a "serpent" symbolism. 😂😂😂 More so the biblical allusion you try to force on this movies is delusional saying that TDK is alluded to the tower of Babel is misguided in a sense that batman isn't trying to be God, nor is Jim Gordon, they are trying all they can in sacrifice not in self glorification, and they haven't yet succeeded as the mob still operates and is not yet impeded organised crime exists in the entire movie, so it isn't a "tower of Babel" type of scenario. Your attempt to link Batman begins to the garden of Eden and your attempt to link TDK to the tower of Babel is just a result of symbolic interactionalism that you have had in relation to scripture and the word and superimposing that world on a story or mythos where it has no correlation at all. It's a great movie but don't overthink it!

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

7:26 or a fish a Joker Fish

[@nimbjack1962]

Excellent analysis. Best movie ever.

[@chrisdonate2930]

Does anyone knows where the Nolan’s opinions are taken from? Which video or interview?