BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT ANALYSIS By Joseph Scott

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT ANALYSIS By Joseph Scott

PLOT • Batman is continuing his normal job of fighting crime. • But a new criminal robs a bank and kills his team mates in the bank, attracted batman's attention • The new criminal is the joker, and he has a plan to throw Gotham into absolute chaos • Therefore leaving batman to figure out his plan and try to put an end to the chaos.

INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION • Production company: DC comics, Legendary pictures, Syncopy. • Naturally since it involves batman (one of DC charecters) DC had to be involved. • Meanwhile with the other two, they are both amazing companies who have helped in many amazing movies and all three have commonly worked on movies together.

WARNER BROS • DC comics (film industry) is strongly controlled by Warner Bros as they own DC entertainment, but they don’t own DC Comics however they do work together and when they are planning a movie they use their strong partnership with no problems. • Warner bros is an American entertainment company which is world renowned and produces films and TV series. Warner Bros. has several subsidiary companies, including Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Home Video, New Line Cinema, Castle Rock Entertainment, and DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. owns half of The CW Television Network. • Warner Bros didn’t take part in Production but they did distribute it • But basically warner bros has a deal with every production company in this film.

LEGENDARY PICTURES • Founded by Thomas Tull • Thomas Tull founded Legendary Entertainment after raising $500 million from private equity firms. It was one of the first companies of its kind to pair major motion picture production with major Wall Street private equity and hedge fund investors, including ABRY Partners, AIG Direct Investments, Bank of America Capital Investors, Columbia Capital, Falcon Investment Advisors, and M/C Venture Partners. Legendary Pictures, Inc. was incorporated in California in 2000 and in 2005 it signed an agreement with Warner Bros. to co-produce and co-finance up to 40 films over seven years.

SYNCOPY • In 2005, Christopher Nolan partnered with Legendary Pictures to produce Batman Begins, this was when there partnership created syncopy, which is primarily based around Nolans films and is basically Nolans very own production company as he holds the control over it and can be seen producing Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) for Warner Bros. Pictures. In 2013, Syncopy came out with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (2013). Syncopy's most recent production is Interstellar (2014).

DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN • Nolan was highly determined to create this film ever since “dark knight origins” as even while making the story of that, him and Jonathan Nolan already had planned out the story ark of the trilogy whilst they didn’t even intend on making it a trilogy. • When going to companies to fund the film, he had gone to warner bros for the funding. Warner bros absolutely loved his idea of a more serious batman film and how he became the super hero he is in the comics (even though Christopher Nolan was never a big fan of the comics) Warner bros instantly gave him the green light with the first of the trilogy and as soon as they heard about the rest of the trilogy they happily helped Nolan create the rest of the films. • Nolan was always a very talented director, so many actors and companies offered to help.

ACTORS • Christian bale – batman • Heath ledger - Joker • Aaron Eckhart - Harvey Dent • Michael Caine – Alfred • Maggie Gyllenhaal – Rachel • Gary Oldman – commissioner Gordon • Morgan Freeman – Luscious Fox

BOX OFFICE • The Dark Knight earned $534. 9 million in North America and $469. 7 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $1 billion. Worldwide, it is the twenty-third highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing film of 2008 and the fourth film in history to gross more than $1 billion. It made $199. 7 million on its worldwide opening weekend which ranks thirty-fourth on the all-time chart. • In order to increase the film's chances of crossing $1 billion in worldwide gross and of winning Oscars, Warner Bros. re-released the film in traditional and IMAX theaters in the United States and other countries on January 23, 2009. • Before re-release = $997 million • After re-release= film crossed the $1 -billion-mark in February 2009

FIRST SHOWINGS • The Dark Knight opened on Friday, July 18, 2008 in north america. It set a record for midnight showings, by earning $18. 5 million from 3, 040 theaters (a record first surpassed by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). The midnight opening included $640, 000 from IMAX screenings. It was then shown on 9, 200 screens at a record 4, 366 theaters (a record first surpassed by Iron Man 2). • In the rest of the world The Dark Knight is the highest-grossing 2008 film and the fourth-highest-grossing superhero film. It premiered in 20 other territories on 4, 520 screens, grossing $41. 3 million in its first weekend.

PROPP'S CHARACTER THEORY • Vladimir Propp concluded that all the characters could be resolved into 7 broad character functions in the 100 tales he analyzed: • The villain (Joker) — struggles against the hero. • The dispatcher (commissioner Gordon) — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off. • The helper (the police/ Alfred) — helps the hero in their quest. • The prize (Gotham city/ Racheal (kind of)) – Incentive for the hero/ villian • The donor (Luscious Fox)— prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object. • The hero (Batman)— reacts to the donor, gets the prize. • The false hero (Harvey dent) — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess. • The movie does follow Propps narrative theory but that is long, so I wont talk about it.

EFFECT ON VIEWER • This is a comic book story so naturally it follows the simple story of the hero saving the day. Therefore theory lets the viewer feel a connection to the comics and it reminds the viewer how much the enjoy the super hero. • It is a cliché that this story follows super heroes but that it why the viewer feels so familiar with the story and why they can enjoy it several times.

SCENE ANALYSIS: JOKERS INTERROGATION • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=xn. OLh. Xmhky. A • This scene follow the 180 degree rule • When you film a scene using separate shots, it's important that people understand where everything in the scene is. The 180 degree rule will help you do this • Imagine a invisible going between the two characters who are talking (in this case joker and Gordon/ Batman • The camera must not go over the line • If it does the camera should show the movement. • This is used well in this scene as they follow the rules. And at moments they switch sides of the line without showing the movement in order to confuse the viewer.

JOKER INTERRUPTS THE PARTY • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=u. Fbu 2 Qwqh. Cw • This scene includes Parallel editing or intercutting as it quickly switches between what joker is doing and what Bruce Wayne is doing. • They use this scene to fill in the gaps of the story which would have left people confused, and gives a good contrast on how different the situations are in only different parts of the building.

WHEN JOKER KILLS GAMBLE • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=MX 6 ar. Gq-w. M 8 • This isn’t using one of the methods we have done in class, and as far as I know this doesn’t have a name. • But what it does is genius as what they do is show you the killing, but not really. • Right before joker kills him the camera cuts straight to the guy reacting • This is used to physiologically scare the viewer, as it forces the viewer to imagine what happened and all the build up helps too. • This is commonly used in horror movies.

ROBBERY SCENE • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=DTx. Cc 1 S 3 Lc. M • Here is another example of parallel editing, as it shows different things happening in the same area. • However here it is used to show organized this team is with its continuity. As it shows everything in the plan coming together from beginning to end. • Therefore making the scene what it is and giving the viewer a perfect idea of what is going on.

MISE EN SCENE • Mise en scene is everything within the shot. • Usually used in order to create a more believable atmosphere for the user, to do this will involve using props, backgrounds and outfits to make it more believable • One example would be the Lamborghini that Bruce Wayne drives

CINEMATOGRAPHY • The cinematography involves the lighting and shots used. • In this film the lighting would be black and white (Low key lighting) • Not to mention colors • The colors are mainly black or brown (dark colors to fit theme)

WHERE I GOT MY INFO • Mainly wikepedia… • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=TTY 65 w-Vq. LI