Sunday, May 20, 2007

I Dunno, Just a Thought vol. 7

The Joker revealed

this site is for next year's sequel to Batman Begins entitled The Dark Knight. when the pixel from the defaced Harvey Dent campaign poster evaporate, you see a shot of the Joker.

i have to say...i dig it. i love how harsh the red and white looks; clownish, but in a frightening and ugly way, which fits in with Nolan's world. it looks painful and disfiguring without being to far removed from the classic look of the character. it's very reminiscent of the Ichi the Killer villain Kakihara, only with grease-paint (i'll go as far again as to say that Kakihara is a primary source of inspiration for the creators on this film, maybe as big an influence as the Joker himself). i like that horror-edge Nolan is giving the character. i think the Joker is at his best when he is done in a more ghastly fashion, and they've translated that fashion to the film. it may not look as if it was ripped from the pages of The Killing Joke, but it does what Nolan is striving to do; retain the essence of these characters while adapting it to his cinematic vision; a grittier (i won't say "realistic") world. I also like that you can't tell if it's Heath Ledger or not.

the popular theory is that the Joker is going to go through different phases in the film; starting out with a messier, more low-budget look that will progress into a slicker, more refined appearance. it makes sense...this is basically Joker Begins. he's not going to just fall into a vat of green stuff, come out looking like a clown, than suddenly have all these magnificent tailored clothes. He has to start somewhere. that's how (in cinema at least) you develop a character. cinema has different rules than comics, but Nolan has found a way to retain the integrity of both. I can't wait until next summer.

I dunno....just a thought.

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