The 2008 Best List: People: Christopher Nolan
Since 1939 “The Batman Brand” represented the epitome of protagonist stealth, prowess & escape artistry. From it’s original DC comics print form, to TV series & on to big screen film it has set the modern standard for superhero figures in mainstream culture. However, going into the new millennium & after a few poorly executed films there was a lot of skepticism surrounding what identity the brand was going to represent moving forward. Who would take on the daunting task to reposition this brand back to prominence? Director Christoper Nolan responded by saying, “let’s start from scratch!” Let’s examine a few cuff-links of Mr. Nolan’s…
Cuff-Link #1: Start From Scratch-The Man behind The Mask
At the close of the 21st century the brand had gotten overly commercial and watered-down. So, in his Batman directorial debut, Batman Begins, he put the strong emphasis on exploring the origins of the Bruce Wayne character. He explored the values, training & outcomes that shaped him into the protagonist audiences had grown to love. It was the most vivid and realistic depiction to date of the man behind the mask.
Cuff-Link #2: Keep it Simple-He’s Batman
Once he established a strong identity for Bruce Wayne, he didn’t neglect to focus on the comic book superhero traits we had grown to love. With a few technology upgrades to the “Bat-Mobile”, a new fighting style with weaponry to match, there were a few new touches, but only to equip the figure for his contemporary setting.
Cuff-Link #3: The Arch-Nemesis
Christian Bale was a formidable Batman in comparison to the early 90′s Michael Keaton. However, the true test is in replacing one the most violent sociopaths to ever grace the big screen- The Joker. The nemesis was most recently played by the great Jack Nicholson in the Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film & Nolan had some big shoes to fill. He responded by casting, the late Heath Ledger & to his credit they turned in the most gruesome and sadistic portrayals to date. It was a performance that begged us to question, “how do you stop villain who commits crime just for the sake of psychotic meaningless?”
In 2008 Christopher Nolan revived a Batman brand that had seemed to lose it’s cultural touch. By starting from scratch, Nolan was able to rekindle the story that has intrigued American culture for almost 70 years. We responded to his efforts resoundingly, by making Nolan’s “The Dark Night” the highest grossing film of 2008 and top 5 all-time. Let’s close hearing Nolan’s take:
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