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 genuinely 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 remained more than a film for me. As the film celebrates its 30th anniversary, there is no better time to look at the legacy it has created and how it is the most influential comic book film of all time.
Back in 1966, Batman 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 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 begin again. Then comes 1986 with the release of, in my opinion, the most excellent 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. The popularity of the story sparked Warner Bros. to take an interest in creating another Batman film and away we went.
Director Tim Burton 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 1980s.
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. Fatman Beyond 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.”
While Superman was the first mainstream superhero film of its time, the film was never marketed by Warner Bros. because of the fear of losing money on the film, Batman changed that. It wasn’t just a movie; it was a machine of anticipation, hype, and preordained success. Never before had a film created financial expectations the way Batman did. Not only were hardcore fans of the franchise excited, but Hollywood as a whole was on the edge of their seats in anticipation for this film.
As seen in this Entertainment Tonight clip, Hollywood’s biggest stars at the time commented on their expectations and love of the character before the world premiere of the film.
Its release followed an unprecedented wave of cross-promotional marketing saturation unlike the industry had ever seen at the time. The summer of 1989 was named “Bat-Mania,” and quite frankly, the name fit. An enormous amount of toys, T-shirts, fast-food tie-ins, and other assorted merchandise flooded the marketplace and made Batman the de-facto movie of the year and quite possibly the decade. Warner Bros. went on to sell over between $500-$750 million worth of merchandise. Essentially, Batman created the blueprint for comic book films of the future.
Along with incredible legacy it created, Batman was the first of its kind to cross promote with the music industry. The inclusion of Prince’s music was a huge get for Warner Bros. as the popularity of Prince in the 80s was at an all-time high and his addition just brought more eyes to the film.
While Prince brought more eyes and attention to the film, Danny Elfman’s score is the glue of the film. In my personal opinion, Elfman’s Batman score is one of the greatest film scores of all time. The “Bat March” which opens the film 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 1980s 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.
Jack Nicholson provides an over the top iconic performance as the Joker – a performance only topped by Heath Ledger’s 2008 breathtaking 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 moonlight,” 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 Vicki 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.
Despite the hype and attention films attain in today’s film industry, there will never be another Batman. When Doc Brown asks me what year would I want to go back in time, the answer is quite simple, take me back to the summer of 1989 and let Batmania run wild.
