The Dark Knight and Bangladesh « Mukti
Ξ August 9th, 2008 | → | ∇ Movie/TV |
The reader is almost certainly aware that The Dark Knight is the movie of 2008. It is breaking all box office records. The IMDB is calling it the best movie of all time. Pundits are calling it the first film of its type to be considered a genuine piece of art.
We watched it on Friday night. You know it’s a great movie when despite its length of 152 minutes, you never wonder about the time. I didn’t think it was as great as, say, Casablanca. But it is not that far behind. Action sequences rival anything I have ever seen. Heath Ledger’s Joker is right up there with Gabbar Singh. If you haven’t yet, please watch it in the big screen (but don’t take your kid - it shouldn’t be a PG movie).
In addition to being great entertainment, The Dark Knight (and to a lesser extent, Batman Begins, its prequel) is a study in politics. Its politics has been discussed enough in the blogosphere for the New York Times to notice. American bloggers discuss Batman’s relevance for the so-called war on terror, but the underlying political philosophy holds great relevance for contemporary Bangladesh.
Gotham City, the greatest megalopolis the world has ever seen, is on the verge of chaos. Violence, greed, and mayhem reign. Criminals own the justice system. Corridors of power reek with corruption. Gotham City can easily remind you of Bangladesh of recent years.
It’s this grim world where Bruce Wayne seeks to find a purpose. He meets Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Shadows. Ghul’s aim is to destroy Gotham, much like Rome was destroyed. ‘Gotham cannot be saved, it must be allowed to die’, he tells Bruce.
The Dark Knight and Bangladesh « Mukti.
