Megan Geall
The highly-anticipated release of Matt Reeves’ The Batman has become a worldwide box office success, earning $500 million. Featuring Robert Pattinson as Batman and Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, the film is the biggest post-pandemic release with Reeves’ reboot delivering an extraordinary version of Gotham City that honours the legacy of the Batman story while also providing a fresh and original vision.
Reeves’ Reincarnation of Gotham
After his success with transforming the Planet of the Apes franchise, Reeves was entrusted with rejuvenating Batman and Gotham City. Reeves combines the classic elements of the Batman core iconography— bat ears, gadgets, the Batmobile— with a darker and deeper personal character study of Bruce Wayne himself. It allows the audience to delve into the mind of both Bruce Wayne and Batman as two separate identities; one who is too consumed by pain and one who is determined to get revenge and protect his city.
Gotham itself is dark and mysterious with the streets slicked with rain and shadows, perfectly adding to the detective noir aesthetic. It is certain that Reeves has encouraged a darker, emotional side of the iconic character with Robert Pattinson portraying a very ‘emo’ version of Batman and Bruce Wayne. This gave the film a refreshing feel and reinvigorated the character in an exciting way.
“The film had a great voice and perspective behind it that was refreshing”
The storyline is relatively basic— Reeves follows a classic detective story with a central hero (Batman) having a moral awakening. The use of the riddles was interesting, but they also came across relatively simple at times, with some of them seeming almost as if they were added in as an afterthought. At a very lengthy three hours, the film surprisingly did not drag (I was expecting to be checking my watch to see how much longer I had left to endure). While the riddles at times fell flat, the length of the film didn’t feel unnecessary; the film had a great voice and perspective behind it that was refreshing and kept me intrigued right up until the end.
Personally, I am not the biggest fan of action films, so I was slightly concerned about whether this was going to interrupt my enjoyment of the film. However, the action was cleverly thought out and choreographed. The fight and chase scenes do not feel forced and really add to the narrative. The cinematography is the reasoning behind this, especially in the car chase: by attaching the camera to the steering wheel, the visual we receive is a close up of the intensity and fury behind Batman’s actions and decisions. The fight choreography had an emotional depth that also emphasised Bruce Wayne’s pain; every punch was laced with his rage and vengeance.
Pattinson Brings to Life a More Emo Batman
Using the characteristic costume, gadgets and gruff voice, Pattinson captures the iconic figure fantastically, bringing to life the character that fans know, and love. The shadows and noir setting of Gotham encourages a darker exploration of Bruce Wayne. Pattinson draws on the darkness and the shadows to embrace this ‘emo’ version of the persona, really driving home the sense of all-consuming pain and torment that follows the hero throughout the film.
Image courtesy of Peter Forster on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image.
I was apprehensive at first; the opening introduction: “They think I’m hiding in the shadows…But I am the shadows,” felt somewhat cheesy and awkward. While Pattinson’s portrayal was refreshing and original, there were parts of his performance that felt slightly strange. However I think this is, in part, down to the eerily powerful narration of Wayne’s torment, a side of the character that we haven’t seen before.
Kravitz: ‘This generation’s Catwoman’
Zoë Kravitz’s version of Selina Kyle is compelling, adding a sensuality and intimacy to an otherwise typically noir-style characterisation and plot. Her moves are elegant and perfectly cat-like, oozing beauty, grace and fuelling the sexual tension between herself and Pattinson’s character.
“She is not just a sexual object but a woman with depth and her own motivations for vengeance.”
Reeves’ plot allows Selina’s character development– she is not just a sexual object but a woman with depth and her own motivations for vengeance, she is a protector with great empathy and love for the people close to her.
The portrayal of Selina as possibly bisexual is a refreshing take on the character. The subtle plot references, such as Selina referring to her friend/roommate as “baby”, meant that this addition to her character didn’t feel forced; instead allowing a new layer to her harsh, dramatic backstory.
Finally, her talent as a fighter is not over exaggerated, Princess Weekes writes: “after years of watching female characters all have the same fighting style as Black Widow, it’s cool to see that Selina’s style is more stealth and doesn’t involve any over-the-top flip dynamics.” I definitely felt this while watching the film— there was the sense that Selina was just another person among the forgotten, struggling communities of Gotham, but her grit, determination and love for people gave her a skilful fighting technique.
Overall, I would highly recommend The Batman. Don’t be put off by the length: this powerful detective noir brings a dramatic but refreshing feel to the classic Gotham franchise.
Featured image courtesy Serge Kutuzov on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image.
Megan Geall
Megan is a 23-year-old recent English and American Literature graduate and aspiring journalist. Her interests include food, fitness, lifestyle writing and dance!