Comments on: The Dark Knight Review http://blog.spout.com/2008/07/15/the-dark-knight-review/ Daily coverage of what is truly interesting in the film world Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:43:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: The PHA : links for 2008-07-16 http://blog.spout.com/2008/07/15/the-dark-knight-review/#comment-114332 The PHA : links for 2008-07-16 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:13:37 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=3368#comment-114332 [...] The Dark Knight Review | SpoutBlog It’s unbelieveable how awesome The Dark Knight sounds right now. [...] [...] The Dark Knight Review | SpoutBlog It’s unbelieveable how awesome The Dark Knight sounds right now. [...]

]]> By: TV Comics http://blog.spout.com/2008/07/15/the-dark-knight-review/#comment-110568 TV Comics Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:17:58 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=3368#comment-110568 SPOILER ALERT: I had a really hard time feeling any emotion for Rachael when she died. I felt like I didn't care about her character at all. SPOILER ALERT: I had a really hard time feeling any emotion for Rachael when she died. I felt like I didn’t care about her character at all.

]]> By: John Machado http://blog.spout.com/2008/07/15/the-dark-knight-review/#comment-108413 John Machado Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:48:30 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=3368#comment-108413 SPOILER ALERT I wanted to add a bit to your TDK discussion on the podcast. I was right there with you when you started to discuss parallels with recent events of Iraq, terrorism, torture, spying, GW Bush, etc. I also felt uncomfortable with the idea that some would see this as support for the illegal and unconstitutional choices made my the American administration under the guise of "protecting" us. But then in the final act the film flips this over and rejects this way of thinking. But your review stops before you reach these important points. In the end we are offered choices. A choice between concluding that when dealing with terrorists you must act like a terrorist or realizing that rejecting this false choice is really the only way to beat terrorism. Terrorism wants to create just that, terror. If we become afraid and sacrifice the values (society, stability, rule of law, etc.) that the terrorists want to destroy, then what have we really gained? The first choice was the final choice made by Harvey Dent (Two Face). He became the evil he was trying to fight. Now the choice to reject the thinking of the terrorists and preserve civilization is embodied in the two boats on the harbor that are wired to explode. These civilians are given the option to possibly save themselves by giving into their fear of the unknown (the people on the other boat or the Joker) by killing others (in essence doing the bidding of the terrorist). In the end the choice to preserve civilization and reject the chaos and fear wins out, even if it means that there may be a higher chance of you or a loved one dying (people on boat or Rachel in the case of Bruce). In the end Batman also sides with civilization rather than Two Face and the Joker. He does not kill the Joker and the spying equipment is destroyed. [On a side note, I think there could also be an anti capital punishment thread here. On the boats there is the debate with the civilians over whether to sacrifice the criminals on the other boat in order to save themselves (society). In the end the civilians realize they would also be murderers and again no better than what they feared (criminals, terrorists, etc.). Even the criminals realized that killing an entire boat of innocent people because you are afraid was wrong (ie. bombing civilian populations in Iraq because someone said there might be WMDs in the country). This is once again paralleled by Batman not killing the criminal (Joker), even though the criminal killed those close to him.] Well that was longer than expected, but I felt that these were important "lessons" from the film that could be added to your original discussion. I enjoy listening to your podcast. Best, John SPOILER ALERT

I wanted to add a bit to your TDK discussion on the podcast. I was right there with you when you started to discuss parallels with recent events of Iraq, terrorism, torture, spying, GW Bush, etc. I also felt uncomfortable with the idea that some would see this as support for the illegal and unconstitutional choices made my the American administration under the guise of “protecting” us. But then in the final act the film flips this over and rejects this way of thinking. But your review stops before you reach these important points. In the end we are offered choices. A choice between concluding that when dealing with terrorists you must act like a terrorist or realizing that rejecting this false choice is really the only way to beat terrorism. Terrorism wants to create just that, terror. If we become afraid and sacrifice the values (society, stability, rule of law, etc.) that the terrorists want to destroy, then what have we really gained? The first choice was the final choice made by Harvey Dent (Two Face). He became the evil he was trying to fight. Now the choice to reject the thinking of the terrorists and preserve civilization is embodied in the two boats on the harbor that are wired to explode. These civilians are given the option to possibly save themselves by giving into their fear of the unknown (the people on the other boat or the Joker) by killing others (in essence doing the bidding of the terrorist). In the end the choice to preserve civilization and reject the chaos and fear wins out, even if it means that there may be a higher chance of you or a loved one dying (people on boat or Rachel in the case of Bruce). In the end Batman also sides with civilization rather than Two Face and the Joker. He does not kill the Joker and the spying equipment is destroyed. [On a side note, I think there could also be an anti capital punishment thread here. On the boats there is the debate with the civilians over whether to sacrifice the criminals on the other boat in order to save themselves (society). In the end the civilians realize they would also be murderers and again no better than what they feared (criminals, terrorists, etc.). Even the criminals realized that killing an entire boat of innocent people because you are afraid was wrong (ie. bombing civilian populations in Iraq because someone said there might be WMDs in the country). This is once again paralleled by Batman not killing the criminal (Joker), even though the criminal killed those close to him.] Well that was longer than expected, but I felt that these were important “lessons” from the film that could be added to your original discussion.

I enjoy listening to your podcast. Best, John

]]> By: Main_Street_Avenger http://blog.spout.com/2008/07/15/the-dark-knight-review/#comment-108382 Main_Street_Avenger Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:31:57 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=3368#comment-108382 Outside of the usual entertainment media, the consensus from the general public is that this movie is a plotless, terribly acted rip-off waste of money and 3 hours of your viewing life, so that tells me I should keep hold of my cash and wait for something else better to come along. No contest. Outside of the usual entertainment media, the consensus from the general public is that this movie is a plotless, terribly acted rip-off waste of money and 3 hours of your viewing life, so that tells me I should keep hold of my cash and wait for something else better to come along. No contest.

]]> By: futurefree http://blog.spout.com/2008/07/15/the-dark-knight-review/#comment-108373 futurefree Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:43:44 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=3368#comment-108373 Nice try, "Fallingstar," but I know Harry Knowles when I hear him! As usual it was the Baha'u'llah quote that gave you away, you sneaky man! Nice try, “Fallingstar,” but I know Harry Knowles when I hear him! As usual it was the Baha’u'llah quote that gave you away, you sneaky man!

]]> By: Fallingstar http://blog.spout.com/2008/07/15/the-dark-knight-review/#comment-108317 Fallingstar Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:13:34 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=3368#comment-108317 All great movies have highly central spiritual themes, and this movie certainly has not disappointed, the most central and pervasive theme that I found in my initial viewing was well portrayed in the figure of the White Knight , whose face was half burned off seemingly as a potent symbol of the unquenchable power of the flames of sedition (see footnote), and who was regardless remembered with kindness and mercy by his friends upon his death. This is a very good analogy for the plight of many people today, as many of us, due to our environment and lack of education no longer have eyes to see, nor ear to hear the spiritual melodies and beauty of the well beloved of the world, and this when it is when they are so abundant around us. Every person and their creation is a reflection of the divine, there is as much to be learned from the villans as the heros. If we are to be just to one another we must strive to be obedient to the councils of those stainless and luminous beings who manifest their teachings to us in mysterious ways, such as in very good movies. This is one small contribution to bringing back an awarness of the beauty of the Well Beloved, Happy viewing... "Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none can quench." (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 335) All great movies have highly central spiritual themes,
and this movie certainly has not disappointed,
the most central and pervasive theme that I found
in my initial viewing was well portrayed in the figure of
the White Knight , whose face was half burned off seemingly as
a potent symbol of the unquenchable power of the flames of
sedition (see footnote), and who was regardless remembered with
kindness and mercy by his friends upon his death.
This is a very good analogy for the plight of many people
today, as many of us, due to our environment and lack of
education no longer have eyes to see, nor ear to hear the
spiritual melodies and beauty of the well beloved of the world,
and this when it is when they are so abundant around us.
Every person and their creation is a reflection of the divine,
there is as much to be learned from the villans as the heros.
If we are to be just to one another we must strive
to be obedient to the councils of those stainless and
luminous beings who manifest their teachings to us in
mysterious ways, such as in very good movies. This is one
small contribution to bringing back an awarness of the
beauty of the Well Beloved, Happy viewing…

“Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition,
whose flames none can quench.”

(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 335)

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