The Ideology of the Dark Knight
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The ideology of Nolan’s Batman trilogy
Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has been critically acclaimed and a huge success at the box office. Pete Turner evaluates its exploration of dark themes, and considers accusations of a reactionary ideology.
‘You have to become an idea’ "GUFS Joel Schumacher’s Batman and Robin XBTBEBZHMPEJTBTUFSJO BOZPOFXPVMEUIJOLUIFEJSFDUPSIBELJMMFE PGGDPNJDCPPLJDPO#BUNBOGPSHPPE#VU POMZFJHIUZFBSTMBUFS British director Christopher Nolan SFTVSSFDUFEUIFEBSL LOJHIU MPTJOHUIFTJEFLJDL OFPOMJHIUT BOESVCCFSOJQQMFTJOGBWPVSPG enhanced realism and contemporary relevance /PMBOTGPDVTPO#SVDF8BZOF UIF
NFTTFEVQNBOCFIJOEUIFNBTL IBE BOVNCFSPGDPOTFRVFODFTGPSUIF TVQQPTFEMZAGVOGSBODIJTF-FBWJOHUIF CBUTVJUPVUPGNVDIPGUIFUSJMPHZBOE TFUUJOHJUJOB(PUIBN$JUZTPIJHIMZ SFDPHOJTBCMFUIBUJUNJHIUBTXFMMIBWFCFFO DBMMFE/FX:PSL UIFEJSFDUPSTFFNTUPIBWF CFFOJOWJUJOHDSJUJDTUPNBLFcomparisons between the films’ events and their contemporary socio-political context /PMBOTUBUFEJOBRolling Stone JOUFSWJFXUIBUAUIFGJMNTHFOVJOFMZBSFOU JOUFOEFEUPCFQPMJUJDBMCVUNBOZIBWF BSHVFEPUIFSXJTF FOGPSDJOHUIFJSPXO JOUFSQSFUBUJPOTPOUIFJEFBTPGUIFUSJMPHZ %PVUIBU FWFOHPFTTPGBSBTUPBSHVF UIBU Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is notable for being much more explicitly right-wing than almost any Hollywood blockbuster of recent memory. "SFUIFTFBDDVTBUJPOTGBJSPSBSFUIFSF TPNFBMUFSOBUJWFJOUFSQSFUBUJPOTPG#BUNBOT NPTUSFDFOUSFJODBSOBUJPO english and media centre | April 2013 | MediaMagazine
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Some find the moral murkiness of the films to be more about criticising America’s behaviour than celebrating what was achieved through morally dubious tactics. Vigilantism, justice and vengeance
He is a force for ‘good’ who fights criminals by putting on a mask, attacking them in the dark and dishing out his own vigilante justice, uninhibited by the laws, restrictions and corruption that the local police deal with.
The Dark Knight USJMPHZIBTMFEUP DPOUJOVFEEFCBUFTUIBUIBWFMPOHFYJTUFE BCPVU#BUNBOBTa symbol of vigilantism, justice, vengeance and even fascism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just as The Dark Knight was a touching tribute to an embattled George W. Bush, who chose to be seen as a villain in order to be the hero, Rises is a love letter to an imperfect America that in the end always does the right thing. Nolte, 2012 *OUIJTSFBEJOH CFDBVTF#BUNBOUBLFT SFTQPOTJCJMJUZGPS5XP'BDFTNVSEFSTBUUIF FOEPG The Dark Knight IFJTDPNQBSBCMF XJUI(FPSHF8#VTI XIPXBTXJMMJOHUP EP"NFSJDBTEJSUZXPSLJOBUJNFPGXBS America is the vigilanteUIBUIBTUPGSFF JUTFMGPGUIFTIBDLMFTPGJOUFSOBUJPOBMMBXT JOPSEFSUPGJHIUFWJMXIFSFWFSJUGJOETJU BOENFUFPVUJUTPXOCSBOEPGjustice and revenge for the 9/11 attacks 5IFSFBSFNBOZXIPCFMJFWFUIBUUIF "NFSJDBOQPMJUJDBMBOENJMJUBSZFMJUFIPQFE GPSTVDIBOBUUBDL BTJUXPVMEHJWFUIFNUIF
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XJMMPGUIFQFPQMFPOUIFJSTJEFJOPSEFSUP TUBSUNPSFXBSTBOEBTTFSUNPSF"NFSJDBO EPNJOBODFPWFSUIFSFTUPGUIFXPSME $PNJDCPPLDIBSBDUFSTMJLF#BUNBOTJNJMBSMZ OFFEBOFOFNZUPGJHIUBHBJOTU Without an enemy, the virtuous warrior will lose his virile strength; without an uprising, the repressive capacity of the state will grow idle, and sterile. Bady, 2012 Batman needs disorder, chaos and enemies to attack. )FTFSWFTUIFTUBUVT RVP QSPUFDUJOHUIFdominant hegemony PGIJTTPDJFUZ4VQFSIFSPFT QBSUJDVMBSMZ #SVDF8BZOFXJUIIJTBCVOEBOUXFBMUI CFOFGJUGSPNNBJOUBJOJOHTPDJBMTUSVDUVSFT BTUIFZBSF PSBT.FHHT Q BSHVFT PGTVQFSIFSPFT protecting the status quo gives them countless opportunities to defend it from attack.
By any means necessary – the tactics of Batman $POTJEFSJOHUIFUBDUJDTPG#BUNBOPWFS UIFXIPMFUSJMPHZBMTPTIFETMJHIUPOTPNF DBVTFGPSDPODFSOPWFSUIJTEBSLFTUPG LOJHIUT8IJMF#BUNBOJTOPUBLJMMFSBOE DFSUBJOMZOPUBTDIFFSGVMMZGBTDJTUBT+VEHF %SFEETFYFDVUJPOFS IFJTPOUIFPUIFS IBOEAGPSDFEJOUPTPNFQSFUUZBCIPSSFOU BDUTPWFSUIFDPVSTFPGUIFUSJMPHZ*OThe Dark Knight IJTJOUFSSPHBUJPOPGUIF+PLFS CFDPNFTCSVUBM MJLFUIFUPSUVSFTPFBHFSMZ KVTUJGJFECZTUPQQJOHBDUTPGUFSSPSJTNJOSFBM MJGF#BUNBOUIFOVTFTBTDBSJMZTPQIJTUJDBUFE BOEDPNQMFUFMZJMMFHBMTVSWFJMMBODF
Batman needs disorder, chaos and enemies to attack. He serves the status quo, protecting the dominant hegemony of his society.
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UFDIOJRVFJOPSEFSUPUSBDLEPXOIJT OFNFTJT"T#BEZ TUBUFT Bruce Wayne became the terrorist and Batman became both torturer and operator of a mass surveillance system; it was exactly the point that in fighting the villain, he became the villain. 4PNFSFBEUIJTBTBOBUUBDLPOUIF CFIBWJPVSPG"NFSJDBXIJMFPUIFST .BSDPUUF JODMVEFE BSHVFEUIBU The Dark Knight AFOEFEXJUIBTFFNJOH FOEPSTFNFOUPGBVUIPSJUBSJBOJTN *OUFSSPHBUJPOTUIBUTUSBZJOUPCSVUBMJUZ BOEWJPMBUJOHQSJWBDZMBXTBSFKVTUJGJFEJO UIFGJMNCZUIFTFNJQPTJUJWFPVUDPNFT 5IF+PLFSJTDBQUVSFE UIPVHIUIFSFBSF UXPNBKPSWJDUJNTPGIJTDIBPT BOEHPPE BOEFWJMCFDPNFTVDINVSLZDPODFQUTUIBU JUJTOPXPOEFSTPNVDIPGXIBUPDDVSTJO The Dark Knight MPPNTPNJOPVTMZPWFSUIF FWFOUTPGThe Dark Knight Rises5IFUSVUI PG)BSWFZ%FOUTUVSOUPUIFEBSLTJEFJT FWFOUVBMMZVTFEBHBJOTUUIPTFXIPQMPUUFE UPEFDFJWFUIFNBTTFT .BSDPUUFFWFOTVHHFTUTUIBU by violating human rights to deal with crime, Gotham opened the door for Bane’s extremist reaction. 5IJTTVHHFTUTBSBUIFSNPSFQSPHSFTTJWF BSHVNFOUUIBONBOZIBWFHJWFOUIFTF SFDFOUBatmanGJMNTDSFEJUGPS4PNFGJOE UIFNPSBMNVSLJOFTTPGUIFGJMNTUPCFNPSF BCPVUDSJUJDJTJOH"NFSJDBTCFIBWJPVSUIBO DFMFCSBUJOHXIBUXBTBDIJFWFEUISPVHI NPSBMMZEVCJPVTUBDUJDT#BEZBSHVFTUIBU UIFGJMNTTIPXUIBU America has become what it says it fights in the process of fighting it – and made it impossible to distinguish good from evil.
Inequality in Gotham (PUIBN BMUIPVHINVDIJNQSPWFE CFUXFFO Batman BeginsBOEThe Dark Knight Rises TJNNFSTDPOTUBOUMZXJUI class tension#SVDF8BZOFJTUIFOPUBCMF SFQSFTFOUBUJWFPGVQQFSDMBTTBSJTUPDSBDZ 40MediaMagazine | April 2013 | english and media centre
Batman does not fight inequality or any of the other factors that might cause increases in criminality.
(PUIBNJUFTJNQSPWJOHPWFSUIFDPVSTFPG UIFUISFFGJMNT XJUIMFTTDPSSVQUJPO QPWFSUZ BOEPSHBOJTFEDSJNF UIFZBMTPlack any real suggestion that such fundamental inequalities in wealth are in any way wrong8BZOFNBZMPTFIJTGPSUVOFCZ #BOFTEFFET CVUIJTXFBMUIBOEBDDFTT UPUFDIOPMPHZJTOFWFSDSJUJDJTFE FWFOBT UIFZUBMLPGUIFBSNZMBDLJOHGVOETUPCVZ 8BZOF&OUFSQSJTFTIBSEXBSF PSUIFQPMJDF OPUIBWJOHUIFSFTPVSDFTUPDBUDIDSJNJOBMT 0OMZ#SVDF8BZOFDBOBGGPSEBCBUTVJU B CBUNPCJMFBOEBCBUQMBOF5IFBSNZBOE UIFQPMJDF GVOEFECZUBYEPMMBST XJMMIBWF UPEPXJUIPVU CVU#SVDF8BZOF WJHJMBOUF NJMMJPOBJSF DBODBSSZPOCFJOHUIFTBWJPVS 5IFGJMNTIBWFOPAOPUJPOPGBTUSVDUVSBM DSJTJTJODBQJUBMJTN #BEZ *OThe Dark Knight Rises’OVDMFBSCPNC the movie allows Bruce Wayne to invent a technological solution to poverty … and then discard it. Bady, 2012
BQMBZCPZNJMMJPOBJSFXIPJOIFSJUFEIJT XFBMUIGSPNIJTQBSFOUTBOEXIPLOPXT OPUIJOHPGUIFQPWFSUZPGUIFPSEJOBSZ QFPQMFPG(PUIBNVOUJMIFXJMMJOHMZBOE EFMJCFSBUFMZUISPXTIJTXBMMFUBXBZUPHFU BUBTUFPGXIBUJUJTMJLFUPGFFMIVOHFS5IF QFPQMFPG(PUIBNBSFQPPS TUSVHHMJOHBOE EFTQFSBUF5IFGJSTUSFBMDPOUBDUXJUIUIFN UIBU8BZOFIBTJTXIFOBDSJNJOBMSPCT UIFOLJMMTIJTQBSFOUTGPSUIFJSFYQFOTJWF CFMPOHJOHT%PVUIBU BSHVFTUIBU the Batman movies pretty consistently portray Gotham as corrupt, chaotic, unequal and unjust. 5IPTFBUUIFUPQdupe, intimidate and control the masses*UJTOPXPOEFSUIBU NBOZKPJO#BOFTBSNZCZUIFGJOBMFUPGJHIU BHBJOTUJOFRVBMJUZJOUIFJSTPDJFUZ.BSDPUUF BSHVFTUIBU watching the super-rich be pulled out of their homes and murdered can be read as a slam against the left, but it felt more like the ugly result of allowing the rich to gobble up too much of the pie in the first place. 8IJMFUIFUSJMPHZTIPXTMJGFGPSPSEJOBSZ
5IPVHIUIFSFBDUPSDPVMEIBWFCFFO VTFEBTBTPVSDFPGVOMJNJUFEDIFBQ FOFSHZ JOUIFXSPOHIBOET JFBOZPOF OPUBTXFBMUIZ OPCMFBOEXPOEFSGVMBT #SVDF8BZOF JUJTUVSOFEJOUPBCPNCBOE UIFSFGPSFNVTUCFEFTUSPZFE#BEZHPFTTP GBSBTUPBSHVFUIBU this decision to not end poverty because you might release a weapon into the public sphere – demonstrates the real driving force for the movie’s morality, sense of history, and its understanding of civic virtue: the violence within, which must be contained. Bady, 2012 #BUNBOJTBDPNJDCPPLIFSPBOEIJTKPC JTOPUUPCBUUMFJOFRVBMJUZCVUUPGJHIUFWJM WJMMBJOT5IFDBVTFPGDSJNFJTMFGUUPIJTBMUFS FHP#SVDF8BZOFUPPDDBTJPOBMMZUBDLMFJO DIBSJUBCMFEPOBUJPOTUPPSQIBOBHFTBOE UIFMJLF#BUNBOIBTBreactionary role GJHIUJOHUIFCBEHVZTXIJMFJHOPSJOHUIF TPDJBMBJMNFOUTUIBUDBVTFDSJNJOBMJUZ*OUIJT XBZIFDBODIPPTFUPJHOPSF more liberal, systemic changes that might have broader effects and challenge dominant institutions and ideology. Meggs, 2009 5ISPVHIPVUUIFUSJMPHZ /PMBOJTTIPXJOH UIBU(PUIBNJTTQMJUBMPOHDMBTTEJWJTJPOT BOEXIJMFIFBDLOPXMFEHFTUIFJOKVTUJDFTPG UIFSVMJOHFMJUF IFJTBMTP suggesting that both the revolutionary and anarchic alternatives would be much, much worse. Douthat, 2012
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Gotham’s people are seen as docile, useless and incapable of achieving anything worthwhile.
The masses Karl MarxCFMJFWFEUIFXPSLFSTPGUIF XPSMEXPVMEVOJUFBOEXIFOUIFZBDIJFWFE DMBTTDPOTDJPVTOFTT UIFZXPVMESFWPMU BHBJOTUUIPTFXIPIBEFYQMPJUFEUIFN GPSUPPMPOH)PXFWFS/PMBOTGJMNTIBWF MFTTGBJUIJOUIFNBTTFT"TJEFGSPNThe Dark KnightTDMJNBY (PUIBNTQFPQMFBSF TFFOBTEPDJMF VTFMFTTBOEJODBQBCMFPG BDIJFWJOHBOZUIJOHXPSUIXIJMFThe Dark KnightJTJOUFSFTUJOHJOUIBU the film’s ideological conflict seems to center around the fundamental worth of humanity, whether it is truly as corruptible as the Joker thinks it is or if it has an essential nobility as Bruce Wayne believes. Meggs, 2009
QBSUJDVMBSMZJOUIFGJOBMGJMN5IF QFPQMFPG(PUIBNBSFOPXIFSFUPCFTFFO EVSJOHUIFPDDVQBUJPOPG(PUIBN*UJT MFGUGPS#BUNBOUPSFMFBTFUIFQPMJDFGPSDF BOEGPSUIFNUPUIFOGJHIUUIFVQSJTJOHPG QSJTPOFSTBOEEJTHSVOUMFEQPPSZPVOHNFO XIPKPJOFE#BOF.BOZTFFQBSBMMFMTXJUI UIFOccupy Wall Street movementCVU #BOFIBTOPQFBDFGVMPSOPCMFJOUFOUJPOTPG GJHIUJOHGPSUIFSFEJTUSJCVUJPOPGXFBMUIUP UIF*OTUFBEIFJTTJNQMZBQVQQFUPGB DSJNJOBMPSHBOJTBUJPOUIBUXBOUTUPXBUDI UIFXPSMECVSO/PMBOIBTBEESFTTFEUIF TJNJMBSJUJFT BSHVJOHUIBUIFJTOPUDSJUJDBMPG 0DDVQZ8BMM4USFFUCVUDMBJNJOH if the populist movement is manipulated by somebody who is evil; that surely is a criticism of the evil person. You could also say the conditions the evil person is exploiting are problematic and should be addressed. 4PUIPVHIUIFNBTTFTPOMZQMBZB WFSZNJOPSSPMFJOUIFJSPXOEFTUJOZ UIF GJMNTTVHHFTUUIBUUIFSFJTTPNFJOIFSFOU EFDFODZJOUIFQFPQMFPG(PUIBN$JUZ
Conclusion: order vs chaos
The Dark KnightUSJMPHZJTNBOZUIJOHTUP NBOZQFPQMF*UUISPXTpost-9/11 concerns about terrorism, justice and retribution JOUPUIFEFDJEFEMZMFTTDPNJDCPPLMJLF TFUUJOHPGBWFSZNPEFSOBOESFDPHOJTBCMF (PUIBN$JUZ4PNFDPOTJEFSJUXJMGVMMZSJHIU XJOH FWFONPSFUIBOUIFJEFBPGBXFBMUIZ WJHJMBOUFFWFSGPSNFSMZTVHHFTUFE0UIFST DPOTJEFSJUNPSFbalanced in its ideology BSHVJOHUIBUJUTBQQSPBDIFTUPDSJNFBOE DBQJUBMJTNBSFGBSGSPNTJNQMJTUJD/PMUF QSBJTFTUIFGJOBMGJMNGPSCFJOH mostly about a rousing defence of an America under siege by a demagogue disguising his 'PSUVOBUFMZBUUIFFOEPGUIFGJMN 8BZOF nihilistic rage and thirst for revenge and JTQSPWFESJHIUOFJUIFSUIFQSJTPOFSTOPSUIF power as a noble quest for equality. PSEJOBSZQFPQMFPG(PUIBNDIPPTFUPCMPX .BSDPUUF BSHVFTUIBU VQFBDIPUIFSTCPNCMBDFEGFSSJFTBT5IF there are no easy dichotomies. By the end of +PLFSIBEIPQFEUIFZXPVME the third film, a clear argument for balance )PXFWFSUIFNBTTFTBSFNPSFPGUFO between authoritarianism in the name of order and an anarchist view of people power QPSUSBZFEBTABQPQVMBDFDPOUFOUUPXBJUGPS emerges. #BUNBOUPTBWFJUXJUIPVUEPJOHBOZUIJOH *UBMMVMUJNBUFMZDPNFTCBDLUP#BUNBO oHPPEPSFWJMoPOJUTPXOCFIBMG #BEZ
BOEIJTWJMMBJOTagents of chaos versus an agent of order#BUNBOEPFTOPUGJHIU JOFRVBMJUZPSBOZPGUIFPUIFSGBDUPSTUIBU NJHIUDBVTFJODSFBTFTJODSJNJOBMJUZ#SVDF 8BZOFJTBQSJWJMFHFEQMBZCPZXIPDBOEP BTIFQMFBTFT CVUDIPPTFTOPUUPDIBOHF UIFTZTUFNGPSUIFHPPEPGUIFQFPQMF"U UIFFOEPGUIFEBZ by not seeking to create a radically new system of government or social structure, he ensures that he will always be needed. Meggs, 2009 "OEXJUIBSFCPPUFYQFDUFEJO ZPV DBOCFUIFBMXBZTXJMMCF Pete Turner is undertaking a PhD at Oxford Brookes University, writes a film blog at http://ilovethatfilm. blogspot.com/ and is currently writing a book on The Blair Witch Project.
Follow it up #BEZIUUQUIFOFXJORVJSZDPN CMPHT[VOHV[VOHVEPOPUHPHFOUMF JOUPUIBUEBSLLOJHIU %PVUIBU .BSDPUUFIUUQQSPTQFDUPSH BSUJDMFNBTLFENPSBMJUZCBUNBOUSJMPHZ .FHHTIUUQUSBDF UFOOFTTFFFEVDHJWJFXDPOUFOU DHJ BSUJDMF DPOUFYU VUL@ DIBOIPOPQSPK /PMBOIUUQXXXSPMMJOHTUPOF DPNNPWJFTOFXTDISJTUPQIFS OPMBOEBSLLOJHIUSJTFTJTOUQPMJUJDBM JY[[+5X9&%; /PMUFIUUQXXXCSFJUCBSUDPN #JH)PMMZXPPE%BSL,OJHIU 3JTFT3FWJFX/PMUF
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