What Writers Should Learn From Batman Begins

[@spacecowboy883]

"What's the main theme in Batman Begins?" Me: (Starts humming Batman theme) "Fear" Me: oh

[@brianboardwell1986]

Lol

[@MetallicAddict15]

DUM, dum-du-du-DUM, dum-du-du-DUM, dum-du-du-DUM DUM DUM!

[@megumi6499]

na na na na na na na na na na BATMAN!!

[@shawncharron4769]

I was so sure that it was ''justice'' :(

[@alexdurazo7404]

This cracked me up lol

[@greg4629]

"the movie is 15 years old" oh that hurt

[@CalebRichardsChannel]

it did come out in 2005, so it's only 12 years old... but still!

[@SilverAutumnMedia]

I had to pause and calculate cause ...that couldn't be right! 12 years.

[@Birdsummit39]

someone who can do math. I though t fifteen was hyperbole. :)

[@iutopian9322]

Nolan's films are for 15 year olds.

[@DharavSolanki]

It's just 12 years old. Though, granted, I had just cleared my tenth at the time.

[@thewayfarer8849]

His brother Jonathan doesn't get enough credit. Memento was a novel he wrote before Chris' film, the man's behind every one of his movies, and Jonathan worked on the Westworld series.

[@vaginalarthritis1753]

And also Person Of Interest, that show was way better than it should've bin.

[@JustWrite]

Agreed. Jonathan is brilliant too. Small correction: Memento was a short story. And Chris only got the idea from Jonathan before writing the screenplay. He hadn't read the story itself.

[@109Tyler]

Scytale of Riviera also, he wasn't behind Inception or Dunkirk. But agreed, he doesn't get enough credit..

[@hoilet6999]

the nolans are damn talented ppl

[@l3oeyeof]

I'm almost afraid of Westworld Season 2 because the writing for the first season was so amazing that I'm afraid they will fuck it up hahahahahah

[@13jonash]

Interesting how BB did certain aspects better than the Dark Knight and is better than Rises as a whole, yet it is the least talked about out of the trilogy.

[@j.t.thomas1859]

It's THE best Batman film EVER made. BATMAN BEGINS that is!!

[@hunterhunter5906]

@@j.t.thomas1859 Yes! I loved The Dark Knight but Batman Begins is simply haunting.

[@j.t.thomas1859]

@@hunterhunter5906 personally I enjoy all 3 films BUT BEGINS is by FAR my favorite.

[@KelliHeitstumanTomko]

Part of that is because both of the second movies were marked globally recognized tragedies -- The Dark Knight had the death of Heath Ledger, and Rises was marred by the shooting in Colorado. It's not so much the movies that have overshadowed BB, but the events surrounding them.

[@j.t.thomas1859]

@@KelliHeitstumanTomko Didn't think about it like that. Damn good point.

[@anubisxelt6895]

3 Main Themes Batman Begins - Fear Dark Knight - Chaos Rises - Pain

[@gandurk]

I would say Begins: fear Dark knight: order and chaos, rules and anarchy Rises: masks

[@tripathiashutosh874]

@@gandurk the dark knight about Nobel lie watch this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpnTm36OZs9ggbM

[@gandurk]

@@tripathiashutosh874 what? Its about a lie about the nobel prize?

[@tripathiashutosh874]

@@gandurk ?? Watch link video and decide

[@gandurk]

@@tripathiashutosh874 no thanks bud. You liking your own comments?

[@phantomstrider]

There's just something beautiful about Batman Begins. The building from loss and the rebirth of Bruce's resolve. I actually still prefer it over the Dark Knight personally even though Dark Knight is probably the "technically" better film.

[@spencermalley10]

Perfectly valid opinion, man.

[@MrChickennugget360]

if i were going to compare the two i would say that Dark Knight is built around its villain while Batman Begins is built around its Hero.

[@ezscootrr]

I watched Batman Begins before Dark Knight and I like the former more. The story built is just perfect. Dark Knight isn't bad though.

[@cloudwalker9572]

Take out Ledger performance, change it with a good performance not outstanding and the dark knight is half the movie it is. To me dark knight is an average/good film not an amazing one because it’s a one man show in a story of multiple characters.

[@marcemarc6516]

PhantomStrider ledger performance doesn't carry the movie. It's a perfectly written and balanced story. Harvey dent/two-face brings just as much to the over all themes as the joker does. Take the joker performance out and trade it with a good actors and the movie would still be great because it's so much more then just one guys good work. It's directed incredibly.. the opening scene in IMAX (before it was the norm) story structures, themes of good and bad not being black or white, reveals that have major payoffs plus actually consequences. It's so much more then just heath ledgers performance and though it was amazing, the movie would still be amazing without it. It's why it's one of the best comic book movies every made and one of my favorite movies of all time

[@joeschmoe3665]

I always liked the lesson dialogue between young vengeful Bruce and Falcone as it showcases Bruce´s misplaced sense of entitlement wanting to stand up against injustice and a crime boss, but really he is a spoiled young man with no sense of the world outside of his sheltered rich bubble and personal loss.

[@applejuice5635]

John Gunnerek Best scene in the movie. The moment that birthed Bruce's alter ego.

[@notbot8830]

“I could shoot you right here in front of the judge and police force and they wouldn’t do anything. That’s power you can’t buy”

[@kunalpradhan6166]

@@notbot8830 the power of fear.

[@dcmarvelcomicfans9458]

@The Bearded Weirdo coaster freak. Can I have your anti sjw stop bringing your politics into this

[@BuddhasMiddleFinger]

In Asia in general and East Asia specifically, these kinds of people are simply known as Westerners.

[@alexanderwolf7514]

When you showed that 2x2 graphic about the four motivations I was like "damn this movie is absolutely genius". This is the reason I watch this kind of videos, good job.

[@Phil-du7zc]

Alexander Wolf batman is depicted as a criminal there and falcone as a civilian is that a mistske

[@Fami_Salami]

@@Phil-du7zc its more like vs criminals and vs civilians

[@Phil-du7zc]

Fami Salami thanks

[@sunnywoo1015]

That"s so true When I was watching the movie, I thought those four ppl are different in a certain way but I just cannot explain what the difference is via 2x2 matrix It might be the traditional superhero movies that had implanted an idea into my mind that there's only a form of binary opposition (or right and wrong; moral and immoral) The multidimensional analysis makes me realise why this movie was so impressive to me at first

[@tickedoffnow]

The Dark Knight Trilogy is a work of Genius

[@henrique-3d]

@@arthurmorel1943 these 2 morons should never be in the same sentence as Nolan

[@willburdbath9273]

yeah but he dark knight rises is definitely the worst one

[@kevinw712]

It is almost certainly still the best single, cohesive take on the Batman character in any medium outside of actual comics, but I can't deny, sitting here some 7 years later, The Dark Knight Rises only gets worse to me with each subsequent viewing. It's ironic this author's intent here is about praising Nolan's structure work in BB, because I think pacing is directly related to structure, and the pacing of TDKR is just a mess. Especially the second half. That aside from the fact that Bruce KEEPS saying "I think there's more to you" about Catwoman solely because the plot needs him to. Taken by itself it makes no sense, she repeatedly screws him over. I suppose it's a testament to how great the first two are that it's considered one of the best trilogies ever.

[@somerandomdude5844]

@@kevinw712 I like the point of repeating "I think theres more to you" to catwoman. It tells us a lot about Bruce/Batman, and its not about Catwoman. Its not about him turning Catwoman into a hero, its about him never having stopped believing in the goodness of people, despite everything he has gone through. Catwoman, prior to being a hero, was a criminal/thief, with an incredible skillset. Bruce was just trying to push her into making the selfless decisions, like he had after he took on the mantle of Batman.

[@I0515-d4b]

I just didn't like the last one. Seemed choppy. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@atthecore4560]

Because of the structure of Batman: Begins, no one is going to touch a Batman origin story as a movie until after the film has been out for over 20 years. It's so perfectly put together that it's not easily forgotten. That puts a huge damper on living up to the standard it set. It's not something you want to compete with as a writer or director. Btw; great analysis!

[@dbzrulz100]

AT THE CORE that’s only 2024

[@atthecore4560]

@@dbzrulz100 Yeah, and have we had one since then? The answer is no.

[@atthecore4560]

@@lifelikelu Indeed. As I predicted, 20 years later lol.

[@rachelm.r.1878]

I'll not argue against the fact that The Dark Knight is better, but I am so glad that someone is acknowledging just how fantastic this movie is. As a story, I like it more.

[@JustWrite]

Both fantastic films, but Batman Begins doesn't get enough love.

[@rachelm.r.1878]

Just Write SO true! I love the whole trilogy, but I always go for the first movie if I want to watch just one.

[@GladFyr41]

I love Heath Ledger in TDK as much as anyone, but I think he's a big reason TDK gets more love. To me BB might be a better overall movie, and if Ledger hadn't given the performance of a lifetime the two might be seen more as equal.

[@BoUrnNe26]

Kaleigh Chamot I agree completely. BB was almost just as long as TDK but because how the story flowed, it was a more complete film imo. I've said this multiple times but the scenes overall in BB felt like they had the correct length individually to where they felt complete and smoothly transitioned into one another. In TDK, it felt like it was 4 whole action scenes or so with a whole bunch of other short scenes thrown in between that just went all over the place. Plus like you said, there was enough of a sci-fi/fantasy element in BB for it to feel like a Batman film. I just wish they had actual Lazarus pits in it. Lol

[@myenemysenemy1043]

Rachel Rozow I usually turn to Batman Begins if I’m in the mood to watch just one of them - I guess that’s because out of the entire trilogy, it’s the only true self-contained, complete movie. Dark Knight is probably better paced, but the entire film is essentially a central act in a three-part story. And Rises doubly so. Even though all the films can be enjoyed on their own merit, Begins is the only one that - subconsciously, at least - feels whole.

[@buckybarnes2026]

i discovered you yesterday, and I can't stop watching ! thank you for your quality videos, good sir.

[@JustWrite]

Thank you, kind gentleman!

[@slamsaad1]

Bucky Barnes so true

[@Dkyj]

Longing Rusted Daybreak Furnace Nine Benign Homecoming One Freight Car

[@reng935]

True.

[@nm56342]

i found his channel while searching for "why the last airbender movie was bad" and he just explains it so well. since then i've kept watching more of his videos.

[@c.b.5535]

Finally! Someone else likes Batman Begins.......people online ever talk about the Dark Knight, but this one is my favorite

[@galactic85]

Begins is my favorite too. I love it way more than the Dark Knight. Every time someone mentions the Dark Knight it seems like the only explanation they can give as to why it's "good" is that Heath Ledger is great as the Joker.

[@Duiker36]

I love Begins, but I still think TDK is better. I don't think it takes anything away from Begins that it has a sequel that could outshine it. It *is* good to have someone talk about Begins properly, though.

[@alangeorge5592]

Batman Begins Is one of the best superhero movie ever made and The Dark Knight is the best superhero film ever made.

[@CavemanJesus4Life]

I love Batman Begins, this guy is spot on about the story being amazing. The Story does continue in the Dark Knight, only difference is the Joker & Harvey Dent are the main ideal focused characters with Batman just being Batman in the film. Both their motivations drive that film.

[@varunemani]

With Cristian Bail (pun intended) SOOO WRONGLY cast ..And BLAH.. BLAH.. BLAH...!!

[@jscottupton]

I'm so old I was reading Batman comics in the 50's. Batman Begins was a VERY important film for me. Not only was it about BATMAN but it was done in a near-perfect fashion. Perfect music. Near perfect acting. It had a big enough budget to make everything look utterly believable. In short, it was the movie I had waited for my whole, long life.

[@manhphan7027]

Glad to know that man

[@CanadianHoneybadger]

"Whats the main theme of Batman Begins?" "JUSTICE!" "Fear." "Oh yeah, that too I guess..."

[@butcherjsy8]

I said justice as well...

[@applepie1272]

I start to notice... They're many fucking themes

[@jessemockler616]

Purple flower gas

[@christianpaystrup4427]

Both Christopher Nolan and his brother are fantastic screenwriters, and I've been blown away by his films since I saw Batman Begins.

[@betobenavides4868]

This not only inspired me to add an important plot point to my screenplay but it also motivated to revise and continue writing my screenplay. I seriously can't thank you enough.

[@BurstShotzX]

My Favorite scene is still Bruce and Alfred in the hallway talking about He burnt that letter. Intense moment in The Dark Knight series.

[@jakobwulk6159]

Dark knight would have made 3B if it came out today

[@maul5578]

Jakob Wülk if they could make good dc movies marvel wouldn’t stand a chance

[@jakobwulk6159]

@@maul5578 fact

[@johncalhoun9444]

Right? It was the first superhero movie to make a billion before china and other international markets joined the hollywood craze.

[@CaptainCre3pzz]

Closer to 2B probably. Only reason Endgame got 2.7B was because of the cinematic universe/franchising surrounding it. If the DCU was just as big, 3B no doubt

[@3Rayfire]

Here's the twist though, billion dollar superhero movies might not even exist without the Dark Knight Trilogy. Blade not withstanding.

[@MrQuinceJam]

Batman Begins is conceptually and stylistically a classic in the neo-noir genre. Excluding the obvious omission of a femme fatale, it has almost all of the thematic and stylistic conventions of a noir, which is not something that can be said of TDK and TDKR. This alone is remarkable, because it is easily the most overlooked of the three. The very slight Dutch tilt when Bruce picks the blue flower with the non-diegetic sound in the background, the shot of pre-depression era Gotham’s skyline that is a mixture of modern and German expressionist architecture (very Metropolis 1927), the flashback of the anonymous mourners underneath the black umbrellas at the funeral, the chiaroscuro lighting that is used in the shot of Bruce’s face when being mentored by Ra’s al Ghul during the latter’s explanation of vengeance, the mise-en-scène in the interior of Falcone’s bar during his speech to a vulnerable Bruce of “the ugly side of life” (very Force of Evil 1948); just a few of the moments that mean so much more than what’s on the surface, and all of them in the first half an hour of the movie. I love its substance and integrity. With it, Nolan gives us something honest; a history lesson on noir cinema, not to mention its emotional resonance. I could go on, but great analysis of this underrated masterpiece.

[@vinayseth1114]

'just a few moments that mean so much more than what's on the surface'- could you elaborate please?

[@cj2375]

@@vinayseth1114 What I meant was that the moments work like illustrations of noir film. As a whole, they suggest that Nolan knows this genre, as the film is like a history lesson into pre-noir, film noir and neo-noir, in all of their features and subtleties.

[@fakhrirhizadi5585]

please keep creating content man. out of all of the "movie analyzed" videos, yours are the best. your explanation is clear and simple yet it reveals so much. Please keep creating.

[@JustWrite]

Will do!

[@olgunyolcinar3969]

Fakhri Rhizadi amen to that..amazing channel

[@felipemarsal2899]

every frame a painting is also quite good. I suggest you check him out also 👍

[@antediluvian99]

You never mentioned the fourth and most notorious villain in the film - Shaky Cam.

[@UnfamiliarIntimacy]

Chandler Gerald Shaky cam isn't really a problem in these types of movies because it was meant to convey a sense of fear. You have to remember in that scene it was meant to illustrate what was going on in the criminals point of view, and they had no idea what that 'big black monster thing' that dropped on them actually was.

[@TryanaTheGoober]

Hahaha. Sadly true

[@jamesrelich8210]

@@UnfamiliarIntimacy Shaky cam never works to convey anything to me except that I'm watching a movie. It doesn't convey fear, chaos, or anxiety, it just reminds me that someone is holding a camera and that everything is fake. The only time it works is in a found footage movie, because the person holding the camera is part of the story. I get what they're trying to accomplish, but there are better ways to do it.

[@somerandomdude5844]

@@jamesrelich8210 Well thats you, buddy.

[@jamesrelich8210]

@@somerandomdude5844 Well, yeah. I'm the one who wrote the comment. Who else would it be?

[@TheHylden]

Another amazing aspect with the writing, especially in this day and age, is how tight the screenplays are in Nolan's Batman trilogy. They can be dark, they can have heavy themes, yet not one, not even the smallest, curse word is said by any character. There might be one in Rises, but I don't recall one. Yet the dialogue all feels natural.

[@MrTimeless101]

Batman Begins is hands down the best superhero film of the last 25 years. The production, directing, acting, writing, pace, tone, soundtrack all just masterful. I never get tired of watching it.

[@jameswhitley4101]

0:55 _YES_ These are my thoughts exactly (about Batman v. Superman). They were trying so hard to explore some brilliant and awesome questions and ideas, but didn't understand how to do it properly.

[@dylanthejoel2331]

Another (possibly better?) counterpoint to the structure of Batman Begins might be Spiderman 3. The biggest problem with that movie (by most people's standards) was that it had far too many villains. And yet, Batman Begins managed to juggle the same number of bad guys without anyone batting an eye. Nobody complains that Batman Begins has too many villains, even though it has 3! This is what's always puzzled me about Nolan's Batman, but I think your essay explains this phenomenon beautifully. S3 felt like it had too many villains because each bad guy explored a different theme at overlapping times. In BB, each villain explores the same theme at separate times, in a clear linear fashion. There's a progression, or at least a feeling of progression, to the theme of fear in BB due to its 4 act structure. S3 lacks that feeling of progression and thus lacks any clear payoff. Great essay, as always. Leaves me wanting to go write. 😃

[@JustWrite]

Yup! It's not the number of villains, but how they're incorporated into the story (to an extent!)

[@CavemanJesus4Life]

Each villain was used perfectly for each act. Don Falcone was used to push Bruce Wayne to seek out Justice by becoming a criminal, and living in their world leading him to Ra's al'Ghul. At the end of Act 2 he catches Falcone, but finds someone else is behind it. Scarecrow was used a the frontal focused villain needed to fight Batman. You think he's the guy in charge, but really is the mercenary, or hired gun. Ra's al'Ghul was the Big reveal villain pulling the strings. The difference between Batman Begins and Spider-Man 3, was that the villains were used properly within the structure of the story. Having Harry Osborne as the villain in the beginning was a good choice, and having him turn hero at the end was also a good choice, it was just the story was wrong one to tell. Spider-Man 2 did it brilliantly with Doc Oc. It should've stayed with just Venom, seeing that Sandman wasn't really a villain. He had a more moral motives for what he was doing. He was trying to save his daughters life. So really he wasn't a villain either.

[@inevitabledeath]

Sam Raimi did have a central theme in mind with Spider-man 3. But he couldn't explore it due to studio interference. This theme was of revenge & forgiveness. Harry Osborne struggling to take revenge on peter. Peter facing the same dilemma with sandman. Realising that he was his Uncle's killer. In the end, there's the scene where peter forgives sandman. And harry sacrifices himself for peter. Which supports this theory.

[@GlareBoxTV]

The Amazing Spiderman 2 also struggled juggling 3 villains as the film couldn't decide whose story was more interesting to tell - Electro's or Harry's (Rhino was shoved to the end of the movie).

[@PrimeTime__]

Nick Wilkinson those were issues too but as u said, bad writing. A story doesnt have to be "complicated" but not developing characters within the story will always lead to a bad film

[@bleeneo101]

"I never got the chance to thank you." 🦇- And you'll never have to 🦇

[@therealarien]

It's such a damn good film. Good job on articulating at least partly why it just "feels" so good. It just flows so well and is very satisfying. It's my favourite superhero movie for sure

[@Alpha-bt9bh]

Arien Van Stralen I’ll go as far as saying it’s my favorite movie of all time, it’s such an amazing movie

[@RealCocaCola]

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."

[@TheNightshotBR]

I have the soundtrack on my phone and listen to it almost every day. Masterpiece.

[@thomascatty379]

Arlindo Melo same, amazing soundtrack, one of my favorite of all-time 🤝

[@sebastiangomezletelier1367]

Solid Screenplay > Profound sounding Ideas

[@JustWrite]

Great summary!

[@sebastiangomezletelier1367]

?

[@Kedanjt42]

what

[@CerberusGX]

Don't do cocaine, kids

[@revanthreddy3266]

HAVE CHILDREN - species movie?

[@acnbk]

The majority of Nolan's films are structured with four acts, probably influenced by Kurosawa

[@taylormurphy2840]

Hey Lou.

[@MarcillaSmith]

Good catch! In the history of film, Kurosawa is a pretty big guy

[@user-pp2kn1jq7s]

@@MarcillaSmith For you

[@lhd23]

@@user-pp2kn1jq7s You do know that was the guy whose films inspired directors like George Lucas and Francis Ford Copolla, his movies inspired movies like Star Wars and The Magnificent Seven, and even some famous Westerns by Clint Eastwood, so I would say he is quite important.

[@user-pp2kn1jq7s]

@@lhd23 Dude i know about him i was just quoting Bane from Dark Knight Rises..you know..4 U m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWrammOZhdeIarc 😁

[@HxH2011DRA]

That 4 corners thing is really interesting! I'm look out for it more

[@jameswhitley4101]

My reaction as writer was to immediately try to implement it into my own work.

[@Adrian-yi8fl]

John truly is a genius. You should buy his book.

[@widggman]

"Intimidation games" was the working title for "Batman Begins", I always felt like it could have been a good title for that movies in some ways. And with "fear" being the theme, and intimidation being a way to put fear in people, which is what all the four corner characters do in that movies in their own ways.

[@mankuqhapaqii4798]

Fear games

[@aasirthegr8]

This is honestly exactly the type of content I want to see when I open up KZbin. To people who aren’t in to movies this seems a little much but really it’s amazing bc there is a discussion about one of my favorite movies that I actually learn from. Thanks so much for this type of content! (Also I love the way this video was structured too. It wasn’t boring for a single second!)

[@Cutshort]

Wow, this is a genuinely really well made video. Can't wait to see more!

[@JustWrite]

Awesome to hear you enjoyed it! There are more videos on the way!

[@FirstLast-cf4mi]

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." - Batman - White Male Cisgender.

[@simonpaulchristian3100]

As it turned out in the end, the trilogy was structured in a perfect 3 way structure. 🤯 What a legend. Nolan!! 🙌🏻

[@CJPooz]

Best Batman story. That’s what always keeps it rewatch able. And the flow of it. Nothing can beat it.

[@burtmacklin1880]

I revisit this video every so often, great analysis. Makes me want to pick up The Anatomy of Storytelling.

[@ArmanNobari]

Watching this 6 years later, and it still stands up. Also amazing to see the progress of the channel, going from 40k 6 years ago, to 697k today!! Congrats on the amazing trajectory, and thank you for creating stuff that is valuable year-after-year.

[@Ramenb0ssRamenmofo]

10 years later and im still learning new things about this movie

[@brandonthomas3187]

He’s literally one of my favorite directors and screenplay writers!

[@Austinator0630]

It was pretty obvious that Christopher Nolan was doing the right thing when he rebooted the caped crusader with Batman Begins.

[@_JACK.]

About 13 days ago, when this video come out, this channel was at 40,677 subscribers (7:14). Right now that number has more than doubled, it's at 90,162. I think that is incredible. Keep it up Just Write!

[@write2pras84]

The quadrants you made @4:40 is brilliant!

[@Buenomars]

Movie was released 12 years ago, but was planned, written, produced, etc. all for 3 years prior. In fact, Warner Brothers rejected Joss Whedon's pitch in December 2002 and hired Chris Nolan in January 2003. So, yeah, it's not totally wrong to say the film is around 15 years old, just that it was released 12 years ago. Still, I must admit all this doesn't come to mind immediately when one says the film is 15 years old. Cheers.

[@chin5983]

thank you

[@CabezasDePescado]

whedon is a hack

[@yanhanlu9559]

O horror! Horror! To think the director could have been Whedon...

[@117Awesome]

@@CabezasDePescado Whedon is an accomplished director that has written many comics himself. Easy to hate from a youtube comment section when you haven't accomplished anything close to what he has in the field you criticize him in.

[@CelestialDraconis]

@@117Awesome You don't have to be accomplished in the field to criticize someone. Otherwise, very few criticism would exist in this world and progress would be slow. Also, it's easy to claim "Whedon is an accomplished director" in a youtube comment section, but make such claims without reasoning to back up said claim in real life? You're bound to get laughed at like the clown you are. Just food for thought, mate. Cheers.

[@PeterSodhi]

This is an absolutely outstanding KZbin video.

[@TheDorkKnight727]

How did I just find you? My life basically revolves around Batman. Thank you for this. Your videos are addicting ❤️

[@robinsonsonic]

Found this video in my suggested feed and I'm so glad that I clicked on it. Your videos so far have helped me gain a greater depth of knowledge for my own writing purposes and have taught me act structure, character development, and a few other things. Definitely subbed! Keep up the great work!

[@juliarosetwamley]

This was incredibly insightful and engaging thank you 😊 🙏

[@Knux999]

Wow. This was very impressive. I'd certainly like to see more of these videos. Would you ever consider looking into The Count of Monte Cristo? Obviously the classic 'Revenge vs Justice' story; and there are also a lot of different versions which have their own spin. I'd be very interested to hear your analysis and opinions. Thanks for the video. Have a great day :)

[@JustWrite]

The Count of Monte Cristo might be my favourite novel, so I'm absolutely going to talk about it at some point on this channel. Thanks for the recommendation either way!

[@jonathanbiamdecarvalhosouz3767]

I just arrived in your channel and i'm amused. Would be so good a explanation about The Count of Monte Cristo, and it's adaptations :D

[@CavemanJesus4Life]

Henry Cavill played the son in Count of Monte Cristo

[@jonathancampbell5231]

Bruce Wayne is pretty much based on the Count of Monte Cristo archetypally anyway- young man is a victim of a terrible injustice, disappears for years then comes back rich, trained, hiding secrets and bent on revenge, but risks his vengeance going too far? Which one am I talking about here?

[@Nkanyiso_K]

*I really like your new branding & videos focus on writing techniques*

[@JustWrite]

Thank you!

[@matthagen67]

This was so well-spent 8 minutes!! A really insightful video.

[@elixanova]

Thanks for pointing out the strengths of this film, it helped me step back up during the hardest time of my life and I've never been able to pinpoint for people exactly what about it is so inspiring

[@TheScientist408]

Fantastic video! I love ‘BATMAN BEGINS,’ and this really gave me an even greater appreciation for its narrative, story structure, characterizations, and themes.

[@Thedarkside02]

I don't necessarily believe that argument for BvS. The theme is about power and consequence. Finch believes that having power means you can indeed be good, Lex believes that having power means you cannot be good, Bruce believes that being a hero is not possible without being aggressive, and finally Superman believes that being a hero is possible without being aggressive. What they and we all come to find out is that there are always consequences regardless of how you fall in on the morality spectrum. Whether you are a superhuman or are a regular human, it's what you use those abilities to do that defines you and you better believe that you need to learn to live with those consequences.

[@HeyIntegrity]

Excellent

[@machr293]

"...and you know what to do" in the end, finally a youtuber who doesn't feel the need to tutorial people on how to subscribe!

[@77777Spooky]

This is brilliant. Thank you very much.

[@JustWrite]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@goranmilic442]

@@JustWrite IMO, 4 characters in BvS had an interesting mixture of shared or conflicted motives. Senator is the only one who believes in rule of law. Luthor is the only bad guy. Superman is, obviously, only one who isn't against aliens/immigrants. Batman is the only one whose acts are not publicly viewed. In Batman Begins, Batman's ideology survives. In BvS it's much more interesting, because all 4 characters are partly wrong and partly right. Batman and Superman are good guys because they realize they are mistaken. In today's world with many ideologies collide, that is a good reminder that none of us can be always right. That's about motives, too bad BvS had, as you well said, poor story structure.

[@CJPooz]

“Fear is a tool. And when that light hits the sky, it’s not just a call. It’s a warning.”

[@SergeantBiffy]

What the hell, how do you not have more subscribers your videos literally open my eyes to something I never even considered

[@PaulR94]

Could you do the same with The Dark Knight?? Especially the motivations/targets thing! Thank you! :)

[@giovanimans4ni]

Talk about Interstellar !

[@TylerDietz]

Giovani Cygnus and inception. It would be very interesting to here his perspective on both

[@TylerDietz]

Giovani Cygnus and inception. It would be very interesting to here his perspective on both

[@KookiesNolly]

Giovani Cygnus wow you are giving orders now? At least be polite

[@miguelpereira9859]

There is nothing to talk about Interstellar's script.

[@reneiloe_m]

a batman film which is perfect in every aspect is Batman :Mask of the phantasm

[@b.lloydreese2030]

Reneiloé finally someone else agrees

[@brianboardwell1986]

It's supposed to come out on blu ray this month which I'm super excited for, but I don't know when and it's frustrating.

[@justalonelyblobfish8440]

Reneiloé YES!

[@NelsonStJames]

Animation rarely gets any respect.

[@Pazuzu4All]

I don't think another movie has perfectly captured what the average modern Batman story is supposed to be like.

[@guyclykos]

I've just discovered you recently while trying to find writing tips. I was not disappointed. Been binge watching your videos while I write. It's great for cooking up ideas. Thanks. :D

[@ryanadamson1610]

I gave a talk at my church a few weeks ago and your video helped me so much! I was struggling with how to structure all of the information I needed to get across. Your video inspired me in a lot of ways and ultimately led to a successful talk :) Thank you!

[@theTruthLifeNWay]

Best of the Trilogy by a country mile

[@Rikku147]

Huh. Now that I think about it I can name a few movies and books that are interested in mentioning some intriguing themes/concepts, but they never actually address or develop them. They're just... Mentioned. I've heard Show Don't Tell all the time, but the story structure is one of the best ways to explain it. And while I was very very forgiving of Batman V Superman, but not knowing how to properly develop themes is sadly a staple of Zack Snyder, I feel. I'm super forgiving of him as a director too but his flaws as a filmmaker are a bit hard to overlook. Great video!

[@ala-lash3710]

"The movie is fifteen years old" /flashbacks to watching it in gym before my eighth grade Halloween dance lmao reality time check 😱😂 Edit: /realizes this video is almost three years old 😱😵

[@SaberRexZealot]

You can relax. This movie was actually 12 years old when this video released. It’s 15 now. He got it wrong.

[@Equinox1066]

@@SaberRexZealot nah, he didn't get it wrong, he was just talking to us people watching it three years later.

[@chinuaalibatya7345]

Hes a time traveler

[@isaywhateveriwantandyougot7421]

Except he was wrong, it was 15 years when you posted this comment

[@raajivtadepalli8284]

i don't know if nolan have thought through the story this way but it's astounding analysis and understanding. very very helpful brother thank you

[@gmasterff97]

Just the way you explained the different Acts helped me understand what it even was considering my teacher hadnt explained it very thoroughly

[@poeticnation6251]

Great video - Profound, intelligent, intriguing! I just subscribed.

[@MovieBuffConnorJamieson]

Batman Begins > The Dark Knight I've always thought this Batman begins is just so much tighter

[@nicolasleroux5302]

Batman Begins is a great movie, but the philosophical war between Batman and Joker in Dark Knight is unmatched.

[@Jefnam]

Batman Begins is a great alternative to Batman v. Superman, but I hope DC keeps fixing there mistakes like they did with Wonder Woman. Great video :D

[@solaceboy]

Jason Friend I think DC's movies might pick up now. After being hired by the WB, Geoff Johns, help write Wonder Woman. He should have started the DCEU without the dark New52 garbage.

[@ThoughtGaze]

yeah they should keep fixing their movies by making them more simplistic, more formulaic, more predictable. you're so right jason friend.

[@thenewyoutuber4798]

ThoughtGaze I don't see the DCEU every being formulaic or episodic because if you look at the characters individually Batman, Superman, The Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Shazam, and Green Lantern each have there own grand mythologies. Each character has his own corner of the universe and are pretty unrelated to the others characters for the most part.

[@Jefnam]

I never said they had to be cookie cutter similar, I said they gave Wonder Women more life and quality that was seen as better then the previous 2-3 movies

[@trevordavis6830]

ThoughtGaze It's a whole lot better than taking a piss on beloved characters/stories, making everything super "dark" and "edgy", and stuffing too many characters and stories into one film.

[@tajhaw348]

your channel is incredible. your content is always so rich and well thought out it's really refreshing to see something so lovely.

[@drewgieman]

I think the main theme of the movie is "It's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you." Fear just plays an important role in that, because it causes you to do things that are against your character. But this movie teaches that you show your true character through your actions, not your thoughts or your ideology when there is no external pressure.

[@leonisstudios3219]

Isn't it actually 12 years old? It came out in 2005.

[@jobiggle4039]

You are correct sir.

[@JustWrite]

Good thing this isn't a math channel. :| Thanks for the correction!

[@leonisstudios3219]

It's not a big deal to be honest, errors like these happen sometimes. By the way, I just wanted to say that this is really great content. I learned some interesting things from this video that I never knew.

[@mackrac]

*Just Write* hey, at least it'll be right in 2020

[@Spreadshit101]

It's actually came out in 2004. So yeah, it's 13 years old

[@sufoneislamicapps5696]

"An act is a unit of story when a character makes an irrevocable decision"

[@servicessundered]

Thank you.

[@osiancoleman8447]

So fear should be used wisely what a gd message just realised that’s the hole message of the film 🎥.

[@getabhirup]

I've been waiting for such an analysis for the last 12 years

[@jameswhitley4101]

I just discovered your channel and been sorta-binging it (I can't full-on binge things like I used to), but I've got to say, this is one of the _best_ KZbin videos on writing that I recall seeing (and I've seen a lot of them, some bad and some _really_ god). Well done. I think that in future generations, Christopher Nolan will likely be very well remembered as one of the greats. Maybe not a Shakespeare or Michaelangelo, but at least a Carl Emmanuel Bach or Handel maybe.

[@mightymouse5930]

“Act One” was more of a prologue.

[@AliothAncalagon]

Isn't a "prologue" just an "act" you are trying to define out of the act structure by giving it a different name?

[@JoshuaFagan]

Anyone else get a Dunkirk advertisement before this video?

[@MrChickennugget360]

Times Running OUt..

[@JacobMcAllister]

Nolan could have made an oscar worthy BVS but instead...

[@isorozco511]

Josh nolan is hard to get if youre a snyder groupie, all fight scenes, no plot.

[@KookiesNolly]

Jacob McAllister zack Snyder is Michael Bay pretending to be Nolan.

[@KookiesNolly]

Josh the DCEU doesn't need story telling, it needs action? Are you Snyder? Because that's the kind of retarded shit that he would say and even put on screen with no sense of remorse. The reason why the DCEU has been failing so far is because they focused more on Action than story telling. When they finally understood that story telling is important they pulled out one decent movie out of their ass: Wonder Woman. Yes it's just decent! It's obvious that in comparison with what preceded it, it looks like a master piece but it's not. It's basic and even cliché and predictable but it works because it has some good Story telling. Movies NEED good story telling, because MOVIES TELL STORIES. No matter how "intelligent" your ideas are, if they aren't clearly explained then they aren't even clear in your head and you should shut up and think again. Do know why kids prefer any Disney animated movie over let's say the minions? Because of story telling! Even if you want to make movies for kids, it's not an excuse to throw random shit on the screen with no structure because even a Jellyfish would find it annoying and boring, and they don't have brains!

[@NelsonStJames]

Nolan, has said all he wanted to say on Batman, and we fans of comic book films thank him for his contribution. He literally resurrected a dead franchise. Now he wants to do other things, and I can't wait to see what he has for movie goers. If DC screws up, it's on them.

[@KookiesNolly]

Josh Jesus fucking Christ! Your last sentence literally blew my mind. I don’t even know what to say. If you really think a movie doesn’t need story telling, you either don’t know what story telling is, or you are a jellyfish.

[@TomSwiftProductions]

Great thoughts and informative commentary from a writer's perspective. Great job

[@nchershey]

This is the first video I’ve seen on your channel. I liked, subscribed and turned on notifications to show support because of how good this video is. The Dark Knight Trilogy are my favorite movies. I love Marvel and they have some movies that are at the top but the brilliance in storytelling that you describe in this film is what gives these films the edge. I’ve watched the Dark Knight over 100 times. I saw Dark Knight Rises 11 times in theaters. I would love if you did a video on those 2 films as well

[@givethanks9850]

Batman Begins > The Dark Knight There, I said it. In my opinion, each movie of Nolan's trilogy has a villain to match it's theme: Batman Begins = Fear; villain = Scarecrow The Dark Knight = Chaos; villain = Joker The Dark Knight Rises = Pain; villain = Bane

[@givethanks9850]

I would disagree with "you" and say that the theme of The Dark Knight is corruption, not chaos.

[@baller8332]

shehbaz but that’s what makes it more chaos themed, that almost everyone’s corrupt.

[@ThaOvernightCelebrity]

Honestly, BBand TDK are two different films. One's a character origin story (BB) and the other is a an engrossing tragedy, crime drama, action Thriller (TDK). If we're going to be honest, TDK is overall a better movie, considering all aspects, but once again, they're two very different films. My uncle likes BB the best, and I like TDK. Honestly, I can see why people like BB the most: It feels more heroic. At the end of the movie, you want to be Batman. Whereas at the end of TDK, you want to be the Joker / Batman seems a bit insignificant, since the entire movie was spent tearing his life apart. But both, as well as TDKR, are wonderful films that have really well written stories.

[@tobe.moemeka]

I found Batman begins to be the worst of the three

[@vinayseth1114]

Shouldn't The Dark Knight Rises's theme be 'control' though? Both Batman and Bane are fighting for control and surveillance of the city in that one. Batman goes as far out to monitor entire Gotham through whatever GPS-esque tech he uses in his basement, resulting in his falling out with Lucius Fox. Bane and his minions could be seen as a terrifying version of social justice warriors in this movie.

[@LTR432700]

I like the way you lay out your videos. clear, concise...awesome stuff. But i think you should cover the flip side of this as well...cause there is far more that a writer can learn from Batman Begins, the act structure is very nice, especially when compared to the time bending plots of Nolan's other films...but...as much as there are things done very right in this film like the effort to make it "real" and to build a world around batman more than just a love interest and a villain and so forth...there are also a couple things that were done wrong, briefly hit on one mentioned in the video...the theme of fear, then you cut to the actors saying the word...which is because Nolan bashed the audience over the head with that theme again and again...its a good theme, and was good to include since it is what grounds the whole film, but the actions of the characters should tell that tale, not over exposition with actors rambling on about it over and over. He did the same thing in Dark Knight even worse with the "hero Gotham needs/wants/deserves/has". Nolan is good, and Begins wasn't bad...but most his films are hyped up far beyond where they should be, i end up sounding a bit overly negative than i intend trying to show this...and i am sorry, just trying to ground the conversations.

[@DamjanPlamenac]

Do a What Writers Should Learn from Paul Thomas Anderson!!!

[@matttazbin2642]

Damjan Plamenac Yesss!!!!

[@CavemanJesus4Life]

That they will never be him?

[@KaizerMan]

That John C Reilly will fit any role 😀

[@1_percent_upgrade]

Every Nolan fan must watch this to realize there is someone out there whose analysis is stunning and comprehensive than the movie itself. Thank you for decoding the fabric of my most favorite movie in english. Like the idea of merging Hans zimmer in the background.

[@luisminervinovlog330]

I just stumbled upon this channel. Instant shared to an actor friend. This has truly helped me with a short script i am working on. Thanks for this channel and such quality breakdowns!

[@zciliyafilms5508]

This is an amazing video, since I love BvS for all of the same reasons that I love Batman Begins. This is way too big a thesis for me to try to tackle here, but there was one error that I saw that I think I need to highlight as a way of injecting some alternate analysis into this question. Your reason for excluding BvS from your 4 quarters opposition model has a flaw in it. In fact, what you say about the morally justified use of violence does apply to all four characters. Senator Finch is a representative of the United States government, and all modern states are accepted monopolies on violence. The only time it comes out (if the system runs right) is when one runs afoul of the law, but its threat is always underneath the surface. This is not a small or ideologically driven point, as the tension this creates with superheroes is one of the quiet unresolved problems in any universe that has superheroes in it. By the letter of the law, Batman, Superman and the rest of them are all equally criminals. So why aren't they arrested? Furthermore, if they cannot be controlled, then aren't they beyond the purview of these governments, setting up a crisis of multiple masters fighting for the sole moral use of violence? This is another point which has been made repeatedly in superhero stories of various media, and which is made with no ambiguity as the moral driving force of all three of the four corners opposed to Superman in BvS. I appreciate that you put this together and that you approach this subject intelligently. But having studied this topic pretty much from the moment the movie was released, I see these two movies having far more in common than in opposition.

[@CoolioAintGotShiONMe]

Zciliya Films LOVED BVS too, more than the Nolan trilogy 🤩

[@danielwadford3699]

So you make his point even clearer by saying that all 4 characters: Superman, Batman, Lex, and Senator Finch are the same person, therefore making the conflict even more meaningless?

[@Olderaccount17]

Batman Begins is hands down THE BEST movie in Nolan's trilogy and I will defend that statement till the day I die. If you disagree, that's fine, it's your right to be *WRONG.*

[@mkaleborn]

For a more fun, traditional Nolan take on a super hero...and just a cool enjoyable way to spend 2 hours BB is my go-to. TDK is just a 'heavier' film emotionally. More a character study, and seeing Harvey Dent fall from grace is a gut-churner. It's the movie that left my head spinning at the majesty, and even profundity, of what I'd just seen as I left the theater. It's definately the story Nolan and Bale wanted to tell, and where they wanted to take the character. Having one of the most legendary villain performances on film also helped take it to another level. But BB I would say is a more 'enjoyable' experience in many ways. I didn't like TDKR very much at all to be honest. Everything they did in that movie they pretty much already covered in the first 2.

[@motor4X4kombat]

nolan: subtance over style snyder: style over subtance

[@Gloria_Cook]

motor4X4kombat I think you aren't giving the Nolan Films' cinematography because they're gorgeous. They don't rely on flashy, Gothic style but they definitely have a strong sense of style it's just more realistic

[@thenewyoutuber4798]

Well Man of Steel is a nice balance of Style and Substance but that's the only film from Snyder's arsenal that's has done such a thing..

[@ThoughtGaze]

wrong. i know this idea may be beyond you but for snyder, style is substance. they are not mutually exclusive.yet for nolan fanboys like yourself, you enjoy pretense over honest storytelling.

[@ThoughtGaze]

you probably havent even seen his other films you dolt.

[@thenewyoutuber4798]

ThoughtGaze Have you seen SUCKER PUNCH. That films was nothing more than style.. And I'm in no way a Nolan fanboy kid. I actually like Snyder films better.

[@barbaranicol6797]

Brilliant man!

[@houston-coley]

Loved this video, man! Your channel is growing fast and you really deserve it.

[@ohogan5525]

Quick question: At 4:31, you put the four characters in a sort of chart to outline the conflict, but at the top, you have Bruce Wayne and Dr. Crane/Scarecrow under "Criminals" and Ra's Al Ghul and Falcone under "Civilians". Is this a mistake? Or did I miss something?

[@feurenard]

wow, I had to scroll down a lot to discover someone who also spotted this! :D I totally agree with you, "Criminals" and "Civilians" should swap position.

[@baselious92]

that part of the video is where he organizes them by who they choose to use fear against, that's why batman and scarecrow are under criminals because they use fear against criminals, and ra's al ghul/falcone both use fear against civilians

[@ohogan5525]

Ah, yeah, that makes more sense. Thanks! I still think he should have labeled the graphic differently to make that more clear, but that could just be me not paying enough attention

[@blizz3975]

I was just scrolling too to find this comment.

[@mazharsrk26]

Who are they against? Or rather who they use fear against.

[@chriscorley6478]

BVS: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition has excellent structure -- Love Batman Begins too. Great stuff beginning to end. ☕🐢

[@TravisTrixta85]

Thank you!!

[@cabrondemente1]

no, it doesn't, sure it improves from the theatrical release but that's not saying much. for instance: the act imbalance is still there and the lack of moral conflict is still there.

[@andrewdeburghfilmmaker]

Christopher Nolan was one of my biggest inspirations to become a filmmaker, which I did 2 years ago. I also inject complex narratives into my stories and have been lucky to have had relative success at it. My first film "Just One Drink" got a 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the story structure. My second film "The Twisted Doll" was also compared to Nolan's first film "Following". Trailers for both films are on my channel!

[@miguelpereira9859]

Andrew de Burgh That's awesome! Are you both the writter and director on those films?

[@andrewdeburghfilmmaker]

Miguel Pereira Thank you! Yes I wrote and directed both films!

[@DaBezzzz]

More Nolan analysises... analysi? analyses? I really enjoyed this one and your comment on this being the bare bones of his least complicated film left me hungry for more.

[@JazzAK6969]

Love your videos but this might be the best one. Your breakdown was astounding and concise. Thank you!