Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, is a stunning film of magnificent proportions, and the most satisfying Batman movie to date.
It begins simply enough with a boyhood experience, a dream sequence of a memory, from which Wayne wakes, finding himself in Communist Chinese prison camp, mixed in with the criminal population. There he meets Ducard, played by Liam Neeson, who informs Wayne that he’ll be released the next day and advices that he seek out a rare flower and take it to a hill top where he might find the answers he seeks.
True enough, Wayne is released the next day, and follows Ducard’s advice, finding the flower, and finally arriving at a remote mountain top, where he finds Ducard and a group of warriors, ninjas. Ducard trains Wayne to become one of them, so that Wayne may battle injustice, which all these ninjas, who belong to the League of Shadows, are sworn to do.
It is during this time frame that one of the truest lines in the film occurs, when Ducard says to Wayne: “Criminals thrive on the indulgences of society’s understanding.”
When Wayne completes his training, he learns the League’s dark secret, and in a wave of violence, departs, returning to Gotham City, where he rebuilds his life, and gathers the tools he needs to battle the criminal underworld and the corruption of society that has taken place.
Equipped with proto-type equipment from his corporation, provided to him by a scientist named fox (Morgan Freeman) and assisted by his butler, Alfred (Michael Caine), Wayne takes on the persona of the Batman, and thus the Dark Night is born.
Wayne faces many challenges, reminiscent of the hero’s journey as described by Campbell in his book The Hero of a Thousand Faces with the people in Wayne’s life playing many roles as Wayne develops, learns and overcomes the obstacles set before him in his quest to save Gotham City.
A magnificent film, well written by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, and directed by Nolan, splendid performances are turned in by this well cast film, that also included Rutger Hauer and Gary Oldman.
All the elements of acting, directing, story telling combined to make this a suspenseful film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is a must see on the big screen, and I believe the bigger the better in this case.
