| USA, 2022 | Thriller | Mainstream | Trailer |
The discussion about the meaning of the term icon is analogue to the meaning of a classic. Both terms are intimately related, denotating eternal qualities that keep inspiring humans regardless of their lifetime, and therefore have carved themselves a well-deserved position in our intangible wall of fame of humanity. However, the inspiration people gets of them is subjective. An icon is fundamentally an image, a symbol, and so the lecture each person does on it is different; to ultimatively project their own mental structures over it. Any representation of an icon is also a glimpse on the soul of the creator that decided to reproduce and touch it with their dexterous hands.
The Batman, as the heroic figure, has for sure become an icon ever since his conception in beginning-mid 20th century. His figure is modelled alike of the great epic heroes of the past, and with time, he has been furtherly shaped by his own peculiar timely circumstances: the darker, formerly unseen and unconceivable side of that already-dying mythos of the American dream. Taking this origin and this setting, artists, creators and inspired peoples everywhere have fine-tuned the parameters of the Batman formula so the Dark Knight has shown different faces, aspects of the icon that have been stacked to further improve the richness of his legacy. This is a human process not inferior to any kind of other existing inspiring cultural manifestation.
Shortly said: The Batman, as any other icon, is composed of a plethora of analyzed faces and aspects that synthetically build him: as many as people who were touched by him and wanted to contribute to his mythos.
The Batman, the movie that occupies me today, is the latest facet, the latest polished shard that has been inserted in the mosaic of his persona, lovingly created by the latest addendum to the collective of inspired creators. So, what we have to expect is an unique manifestation, that does not need to have anything to do with any of the other existing facets, as it carries this icon’s spirit wholly by itself too.
As many of you know, I am not very fond of superhero movies. But, I FRIGGIN LOVED The Batman. And this happened to be thanks to what I just tried to express before.
Because, this movie is truly one phenomenon I barely had the opportunity to grasp when watching big mainstream blockbusters: a change of winds. This particular facet, this very interpretation of what The Batman is, takes a very particular perception on the position -physically and spiritually- of this figure in his surroundings -the city of Gotham-, and manages to convey it with expressive filmmaking to deliver the exact twist it wants to add. Whilst previous entries of the corpus arguably revolve around the main character as the axis of the presented world -probably reaching the pinnacle with Nolan’s series-, The Batman shifts the point of view just to present us a hero that is an intrinsic part of his world. We do not have a world revolving around the character, we have a character who is just another part of his world. This is so intense that even Robert Pattinson’s character’s alter ego has no epithet. He is not Batman, he is the Batman, just a masked vigilante with a recognisable bat-inspired armour. Furthermore, Zoë Kravitz’s character remains unepitheted, too.
This break of the character-world dichotomy that favours an absolute psycho-spatial setting contrasts with the main character’s fleshing out in the movie. We are not presented how he became to be -in fact, we all know it already-; he just is and acts. We are introduced in the middle of everything, just a week more of the life in the city that may have been important or less important to a fixed array of figures in Gotham. A Bruce Wayne that highly contrasts his persona -which consumes all his life efforts and leaves him stagnant- is fleshed out in a way we can silently perceive what the character is going through, even if it’s just another thing more going on in Gotham. Robert Pattinson’s expressions are terrific, and even as a minor detail in the action, we can perceive how his trauma makes him act: frustration, contained wrath, and contradictory feelings between his stagnation and questioning what he does. Nevertheless, he grows true, and with wonderfully symbolic elements we are shown that in the end of that fateful week he managed to understand what he in particular and also his world, as what governs him, fully need.
This new focus on the world also drinks from other iconic movie subgenres to shape the cinematography of The Batman. A fully realist, tenebrous crime thriller is what this film offers us. There exist no traditionally flamboyant superhero genre detail loans or resources that may break the perception of Gotham the creative team wants us to have. Mafia, terrorism, social issues, the unfairness of life and corruption of the political structures is what we get, much alike modern Western metropolis. To the point that you can change Batman with Sam Spade or any other realism-based lawmaker and the movie would fundamentally still hold its very essence.
Nevertheless, the movie knows well that everybody needs a spark of fantasy that may allow our imagination slightly soar to escape a bit the harsh reality that surrounds us. And, while Gotham surrounds and drowns The Batman in its thick tenebrae, he is still there, to help us with a bit of fantasy and guide us to escape holding his torch of red, warm light. Which, paradoxically, may make us understand ourselves a bit better.
Also, the music is killer here. Reminds of neo-classic masterworks. Go listen to it, too.
