Every cinephile has that one film that started it all. The one film they can go back to again and again that not only brings back memories but always puts a smile on their face. The film that started it all for yours truly combines two of my biggest passions: film and Batman.
What started as a love for a character based on the “cool costume” and villains became an admiration to the psychology and duality of the titular character. 1989’s Batman was and remains more than a film for me. It is the beginning of a passion that has grown over the last 20 years and brought me here today. Today’s #TBT Reel Review concentrates on what I consider the most important Batman film of all time, Batman.
Traveling back to 1966, the character became well known for being a satirical comedic character with the release and popularity of the TV show starring Adam West and Burt Ward as the caped crusaders. While the show was popular, the portrayal was contrary to what the Batman character was originally created to be. After the show concluded in 1968, it would be more than 20 years before the idea of bringing the Bat back to the screen would arise again. Then comes 1986 with the release of, in my opinion, the greatest Batman story that has ever been written, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. The story brought back the darkness and grim persona associated with the character. That sparked Warner Bros. to take interest in creating another Batman film and away we went.
Director Tim Burton, despite not being a fan of comic books, took the task of bringing the dark knight to the screen.
“I was never a giant comic book fan, but I’ve always loved the image of Batman and the Joker. The reason I’ve never been a comic book fan — and I think it started when I was a child — is because I could never tell which box I was supposed to read. I don’t know if it was dyslexia or whatever, but that’s why I loved The Killing Joke, because for the first time I could tell which one to read. It’s my favorite. It’s the first comic I’ve ever loved. And the success of those graphic novels made our ideas more acceptable.”
After Burton was hired, Michael Keaton was cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The best thing that could have happened to the film and Michael Keaton was the non-existence of the Internet and social media. The backlash Keaton received was not as widespread as it may have been today. Keaton was known for more comedic roles at the time and the idea of him playing Batman made fans worry as they felt that the film would go the campy route perpetuated by Adam West’s Batman. Finally, the cherry on top was the casting of Jack Nicholson as the clown prince of crime, The Joker. The pieces were set to bring the bat back to life and what followed was one, if not, the best marketed film of the 1980’s.
In today’s comic-book film world we live in, Marvel and DC billboards can be seen all over Times Square in New York City. In 1989, that was not the case and to see the simplicity of a bat logo in the middle of Times Square showed that Warner Bros. meant business. Over $750 million worth of merchandise was sold.
Fatman on Batman podcaster and film director Kevin Smith remembers the marketing,
“That summer was huge. You couldn’t turn around without seeing the Bat-Signal somewhere. People were cutting it into their fucking heads. It was just the summer of Batman and if you were a comic book fan it was pretty hot.”
Was Batman any good?
Yes, it was. The film opens with one of the most iconic themes ever composed by Danny Elfman, the “Bat March” starts your journey and takes you on a glorious ride for 2 hours that is not only dark but extremely fun and entertaining. The backdrop of the timeless art deco set design took the film away from the 1980’s and created an atmosphere that at the time, felt like it spewed right out of a Frank Miller book. Now, we are spoiled with more “true to the comic” films, but at that time, this was as good as it gets. Superman may have started the comic book film in the 1970’s but Batman brought it full circle and has been a perfect example of a film and its marketing.
Jack Nicholson provides an over the stop iconic performance as The Joker. A performance only topped by Heath Ledger’s 2008 breath taking Academy Award-winning portrayal. There are not many comic book villain portrayals on film better and more entertaining than this one. With lines like “This town needs an enema” and ” You ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light,” Nicholson made lines in this film that would usually make you shake your head as to what they mean, and turned it into an “Ok, the Joker would say something like that”. A legendary performance by a legendary actor.
Michael Keaton has remained my favorite portrayal of Batman of all time. His subtleness in the role and look as Batman has really stood the test of time. He shut all the nay-sayers up and brought the character to life in ways we never thought imaginable.
Of course, this film is not perfect and full of issues including the atrocity of Alfred bringing Vicky Vale into the bat cave. In any other situation, that would be Mr. Pennyworth’s last day on the job at Wayne Manor. Another flaw was Batman’s utility belt lowering noticeably down his abdomen as the Joker taunts him from up above. It’s a blooper that fans of the film talk about and remember time and time again. You can watch it here at the 6-second mark. An additional flaw is the film’s narrative that the Joker killed Batman’s parents and has proven to be the most controversial over time as it changed the mythology of the character. At the time, those blunders can be overlooked, but as a fan of the character, despite my love for the film, I felt those were things that could have been done in a better fashion.
What else can be said about Batman?
It is a true joy to watch every time I can. It has stood the test of time and has become one of the timeless films of this era. From main characters to my favorite minor character of all time, Bob the Goon, it is hard to sit here and not smile as I write this review. If you have not seen Batman, then you all have some homework to do.
Reel Talk gives Batman 3.5 Reels
