"The Dark Knight" (Themes and Quotes)

THE DARK KNIGHT (THEMES)

I've seen The Dark Knight four times. Yes, I think it's that good; guess what? I'll probably see it one more time before I settle down and leave it alone. Why leave it alone, you ask? Well, because I have to move on to the next highly-anticipated, over-hyped thing: BYU Football 2008, my friends. Buuut this post is for The Dark Knight; BYU Football will have to wait until August 30. The cool thing about The Dark Knight is that I got something new out of it each time I saw it. Check it out:

Viewing #1 (Midnight Showing): After watching this movie the first time, I learned one thing: "Some men just like to watch the world burn." It's true, my friends. The Joker was just insane in this movie. And you know what's sad? There are people in the real world who are almost as crazy as him--terrorists!

Viewing #2 (24 Hours Later): I was more excited to see this movie the second time than I was to see it the first time. That has NEVER happened to me with a movie before. Watching it the second time was interesting because you already knew what to expect, but guess what? I noticed some things and figure some things out that I didn't realize the first time. It was sweet. Anyways, what I learned after watching it the second time: There is at least a little bit of good in each of us--even the bad guys (except for The Joker). There is one part in the movie where a criminal does something you wouldn't expect a criminal to do--he steps up and makes a righteous choice, and in the process, he saves many lives. That was huge for me, because I don't even know if I would have had the guts to do what he did--And I ain't no bad guy!!

Viewing #3 (The Free, Early-Morning Showing): What I learned here is simple. The Dark Knight is the greatest Batman movie ever. This one movie re-kindled my love for Batman. (It has died down a little bit over the last year.) It was also during this viewing that I realized just how great Heath Ledger did as The Joker. Wow. I never liked the guy, but DANG--He sure did an awesome job with my favorite villain! Another thing I learned: Chris Nolan is going to have to give it all he's got in the next movie if he's going to want to make a movie that is even better than The Dark Knight. (Is that even possible?)

Viewing #4 (The IMAX Showing): TEH HUGE SCREENZ!!! I think what I learned during the fourth viewing is the most valuable of them all: Even the greatest men can fall. In the movie we have two heroes--Batman and D.A. Harvey Dent. They both love the same girl, and they both go through the same horrible things brought about by The Joker. The Batman pulls on through and doesn't ever fall and become one of the bad guys. It was different for Dent, though, and he eventually becomes the villain Two-Face. So my question to you, my friends: When Satan (A.K.A. The Joker for short) tries to destroy us and make us fall, are we going to endure like Batman? Or are we going to fall and become miserable like Harvey Dent?

THE DARK KNIGHT (QUOTES)

"My father...was a drinker. And a fiend!"-The Joker

"What would you have me do, then?"-Bruce Wayne"Endure."-Alfred

"You see--to them, you're just a freak. Like me!"-The Joker

"Some men just like to watch the world burn."-Alfred

"You complete me."-The Joker

(If anyone (AKA Brent) can think of any other good quotes from the movie, post 'em!)