I started writing this piece a long time ago, desperate to try to communicate my love for the franchise. This morning, when the news of the Aurora, Colorado hit, I was worried that perhaps the points that I made were insensitive, which is not the case at all. My heart goes out to all of those affected in this senseless and horrific attack. I resent any discussion of how this will affect The Dark Knight Rises or any other aspect of the movie industry. This is truly a tragedy and regardless of the political aftermath, we must respect and honor the victims of such an act. This has nothing to do with movies and everything to do with support of all those affected. Additionally, on a slightly less professional and personal note, may James Holmes rot in hell for all eternity. 

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If you have read FilmOlogy any time in the last year, you know that I have a borderline obsession with Chistopher Nolan’s Dark Knight franchise. With the opening of the final film, die hard fans feel a pang of bittersweet emotions; happy that the finale is here, but sad to see it go. Finally the wait is over. For me, it incites these feelings and much, much more considering my intense respect and excitement for all things film. It’s not like I even read the comic books. I had seen previous Batman movies and rewatch them whenever they come across TNT on a Saturday afternoon. In college, I was educated aout Fellini, Woody Allen, the classics and upper crust of cinema. I respect these movies and they all impress and inspire me, but nothing has captured such intense admiration and fandom that the Dark Knight franchise has.

The three films are not just one of the most entertaining and successful series in history. It is a franchise born out of the journeys and triumphs of the movie industry, especially growing from the early nineties, when the summer blockbuster that we know today was born. Such detail to release dates created a chasm between Oscar season and summer movie season. This made the latter category flashier and more epic due to the huge strides that special effects and action sequences were taking. 

But these previous advances and primed landscape for the new Batman series wasn’t the only reason that the films became landmark successes all across the world. It was also due to Christopher Nolan’s exquisite image of a post 9/11 era and what that meant to us viewers.

I know, that’s a little heavy handed. But the reason why Dark Knight became an adjective in the film community ("It’s more like a Dark Knight-esque reboot" is thrown around a lot) is because we empathized with the city of Gotham and therefore already had personal stake in what happened to Batman, a man we all wished to be, and the people that he risked all to save. The villains were scarier than ever before, and Batman’s battles were similar to ours outside of the theatre. We had to take down the mastermind of whatever evil plot had incurred on us. I understand that this comparison may rub some the wrong way, but Osama or Saddam was our Joker, Bane and Ra’s Al Ghul- at least in the sense that the sensationalism and terror behind these men were very real.

This all goes back to the beginning of cinema, when the world was at war. People went to the movies to watch the most pressing news from overseas. Then, they were transported elsewhere, some place that would not necessarily end happily, but end in general. In these times of uncertainty and terror, it was not only important to receive information but transport the viewer elsewhere, for the pure diversion from pain. Entertainment was valued, the movie star’s charisma gave folks a chance to separate themselves for a bit- not in a disrespectful way, but in a safe and relieving way. Of course, the issue of film propaganda is important to keep in mind, but for the sake of this already weighty article I will table that discussion.

So it was necessary for us and the film industry to take hold of the trends in cinema and the trends of the international psyche. The reboot and superhero genre was in full swing by the time Nolan started Batman Begins, thanks to the re-imagining of Spider-Man. We can all agree there was nothing new about the superhero/action movie genre, but there was something new about us and about the other national pastime that we have all come to view with higher standards.

Even if you take away the sociological implications of the franchise, which no doubt some of you would prefer, the movies exist on a higher level of cinematic achievement. Nolan, his DP Wally Pfister, his producers and his team kept the projects shrouded in secrecy to thoroughly develop an origin story and a graceful and completed three act tale of redemption never before seen in theaters. The revolutionary work of celluloid film converted into IMAX, the integrity to refuse moving to 3-D for higher profit and the stellar casting all became the mark of the Bat, and Christopher Nolan.

Many have and will try to match what the Dark Knight franchise has done, but few, if any, will succeed. For this series is not just a mark of cinematic achievement but true international reflection and why film can be regarded in historical significance regardless of the presence of superhero feats or fancy gadgets. Academy Award winning or not (although I’d be surprised if it was snubbed) the legacy will forever remain in the hearts of comic book fans, film fans and every fan in between.

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Follow on Ology: Emily Cheever | FilmOlogy

Follow on Twitter: @EmilyFCheever | @Film_Ology

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