Mainly, though, the movie seems to paint it all in moral grays — like almost everything else in this Gotham City. This latest Batman is not exactly a hero — he is someone who fights evil while, in many ways, bearing an uncanny resemblance to it.
Societies get the heroes they deserve.
Seven years after Sept. 11, the United States is caught up in a misbegotten war in Iraq, is granting immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the Bush administration illegally spy on the public, and is unwilling to unequivocally renounce torture as a tactic.
That may explain why this summer’s box office sensation is not a white knight, but a dark one. Call it cinema verite.
Hmmm. I think this is why I like the Dark Knight so much. It’s much deeper than your usual popcorn cinema, and it has so many more options for thoughtful analysis.