The Dark Knight vs Before The Devil Knows You're Dead

It is tempting to write about The Dark Knight without mentioning that it’s a sequel, or that its characters have their origins in comic books. I’d love to write about the mysterious Batman and Joker as if you’d never heard of them. I’d love to call The Dark Knight “Christopher Nolan’s intense, elegant new thriller” and describe its elements of drama, fear and timing, much as I have for The Departed, The Silence of the Lambs and Collateral, films I thought of during The Dark Knight. This film, The Dark Knight, deserves not to be pigeon-holed into “comic book movie” or “action movie” or “summer blockbuster”, because it takes all those genres and launches the bar into space. The Dark Knight is an exhilarating action movie, a heart-racing thriller, a new interpretation of classic characters, and above all else, a movie directed, scripted and acted within an inch of its two-and-a-half-hour life. I think it might be art.

Some time has passed since Batman Begins. It’s unclear exactly how long it’s been, but long enough for copycat vigilantes to start appearing around Gotham City, Batman to have befriended Lieutenant Gordan, and for the criminal underworld to start organizing against the man they realize is their biggest threat. There are at least four criminal organizations in Gotham City, and they’ve all been called to arms by the Joker, who is one of the best screen villains and is brought completely to life by Mr. Heath Ledger. I won’t eulogize the guy here, because that’s been done for months. What I will say is that Ledger surpasses not only previous Jokers, but just about every other movie villain you might come up with. His Joker is terrifying, casually killing and encouraging others to do the same (a bank robbery with six crooks splitting the loot is handled brilliantly by the Joker to insure that the loot is not split at all). Ledger smacks his lips, stares from under a heavy brow, and drops his dialogue matter-of-factly in a mocking, flat Midwestern accent (it sounds a bit like a voice you might hear John Goodman or William H. Macy do, were they insane. What it sounds absolutely nothing like is Heath Ledger). This is a brilliant performance, the best part of which is that it’s in a movie that will be watched for years to come. As impossible as it is to recognize Ledger in the role (were you not informed of the cast ahead of time, you might have guessed Matt Damon or Johnny Depp were playing the part, but never anyone with a foreign accent in real life), it’s just as impossible to forget.

The rest of the cast is equal to Ledger (although, understandably, getting less attention). Christian Bale remains the true star of the series. If he contributed nothing more than the gruff, monster-Clint Eastwood voice he uses as Batman, he’d probably still win Badass of the Year. In addition, Bale is by far the most comfortable actor in the Batman suit (to be fair, it’s a much better suit, lighter and more flexible), and the first to truly nail the shallow face Bruce Wayne must put on his public persona to exist as Batman without suspicion. I shouldn’t have to tell you that Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are fantastic, but you might be surprised just how important they are to the plot this time. Two new additions fare even better. Maggie Gyllennhaal brings charm, sex-appeal and brains to the series as Rachel Dawes. She’s pretty much the heart of the whole thing; my only gripe is that if she plays Rachel she can’t also play Catwoman, and she would have been on my short-list for sure (Natalie Portman, I’m looking at you). Aaron Eckhart (once my choice for Batman) is Harvey Dent; I won’t spoil his character’s trajectory here, lest a few of you not know the comic book sources (or have memories of Batman Forever). Suffice to say, he’s more than just a romantic rival for Bruce Wayne, and Eckhart plays, um, both sides of his character brilliantly. I heard someone ask recently why Eckhart isn’t a star yet. Uh, you guys, he’s in The Dark Knight. He’s a star, trust me.

The Dark Knight was directed by Christopher Nolan (he wrote the script with his brother Jonathan), with an even more assured hand than he brought to his previous films. While Batman Begins was edited furiously (and at times, confusingly) during chases and fights, this time, the camera pulls back, allowing us to see every punch. And the chase scenes are a blast, with what appears to be actual streets, cars and explosions. I’m sure The Dark Knight has its share of CGI, but it goes by unnoticed, which after Speed Racer, Wanted and The Incredible Hulk is both a pleasure and a surprise.

The Dark Knight won’t leave you thinking about a sequel (although it’s set up for one, and I welcome it). And it won’t leave you thinking about fast food tie-ins, or action figures, or who was paid what salary. Shockingly, it didn’t even leave me thinking about its sadly departed actor (although there is a small, heartbreaking dedication after the film’s credits). I was left, instead, thinking about the story, the performances, and the execution of the action, all of which were as haunting and visually striking as I’ve seen since No Country for Old Men, a movie I declared my favorite of last year. And that movie? Comes in second to The Dark Knight.

So, after The Dark Knight, I recommend getting back in line and seeing it again. I think it’ll take me three times in a theater before I’m completely satisfied. There are two particular stunts I’d like to watch again, just because they blew my mind a little, as well as the scenes set late in the movie in a hospital, for reasons I cannot disclose here. Plus, there’s a moment of Gyllennhaal and Bale in formal wear on a windy balcony that looks straight out of the 1940s. I haven’t seen Old Hollywood aped that successfully since L.A. Confidential.

But the deal here is two movies, so get to it. Pick something bold and iconic. Something you consider a modern classic, like Pulp Fiction. Or watch Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. It’s a smaller movie, so it won’t inspire any debates about “best” this or that, allowing you to ride your Dark Knight high a little longer. However, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and The Dark Knight do have similar themes, including the extremes and dangers of loyalty, and the fine line between good and evil. At one point in The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent says you can either die a hero, or live long enough to become a villain. Watching Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, you might be inclined to mumble, “Same difference”.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke play brothers. I suppose they don’t look that much like brothers, but you won’t question it once you see them together. In a nice instance of casting against type, Hoffman plays a slick businessman with a hot wife and a short temper, while Hawke is a put-upon, broke deadbeat dad. They both need money—Hoffman for more shallow pursuits, Hawke to live—and Hoffman comes up with a scheme that will put them in the black: they’ll do a low-grade robbery, knock over a jewelry store and split the money. The problem? It’s their parents’ store, and the robbery goes off in the worst way possible. And so we’re plunged into a dark, dark morality tale, punctuated by black dialogue, bleak plot twists and some of the best acting from a movie last year. Hoffman and Hawke are as good as they’ve been anywhere else, but the real find here is Marisa Tomei, as Hoffman’s wife. Has any other actress ever gotten her groove back so effortlessly? Adult Marisa Tomei is one of the purest joys in movie-going today. Not only does she know her way around a coy one-liner (that was always kind of her thing), but she’s packed on emotional gravitas (check her out in In the Bedroom for more of that), and has, hands-down, the most smoking body in Hollywood.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead was directed by Sidney Lumet, who was born in the twenties and directed way too many good movies in the 1970s for his own good. This movie fits right in with that era, focusing on ugly human nature, gritty visuals and great acting. I think it’s the perfect chaser to The Dark Knight. I’d love to see what these two directors might do with each others casts.

The Dark Knight: A

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead: A-