Ethical Adversity In The Dark Knight By Christopher Nolan

Batman contradicts his morals while he is fighting the mutant leader and when he is about to shoot him he stops himself with “though that means crossing a line I drew for myself thirty years ago”. While Batman did not kill the mutant leader, earlier on Batman shoots a mutant grunt with a machine gun and faded blood is splattered behind the criminal holding a baby captive (Miller, 64). Later on in the novel Batman says to the joker “a gun is a coward’s weapon, a liars weapon” (Miller, 149). Batman has power to stick to his morals, to take on the evil of Gotham City, and to make the decision to deliver justice no matter whose side of the law he is. However, in the novel he has clearly stated that killing someone crosses his morals and that he despises guns yet he uses them to kill criminals. Batman crosses his golden rule of not killing criminals and shows that he will go above his own moral code of justice.

The Dark Knight (2008), directed by Christopher Nolan, demonstrates the idea of good versus evil. Batman is known as the protagonist, and Joker is known as the ultimate villain. The representation of crime in the film is seen from the actions of both characters. The film essentially depicts the act of deviance meaning, “behaviour that violates social norms, including laws”. In normality the government would have the greatest amount of power, but in the Gotham city, power is complex. There is minimal structure of law and order in Gotham city due to powerful people like Batman and the Joker. Citizens of Gotham city can no longer fight for themselves in a world filled with supernatural powers. Therefore, the only hope that citizens have rest in the hands of Batman. Although Batman attempts to save Gotham city from Joker’s criminal intentions. Batman, however, also plays a role in deviant activity while attempting to catch the Joker. Realistically, Batman violates the moral code due to destructive behaviour, and putting the lives of citizens at harm. He does not care for social norms, nor whether his acts are of legality. He is devoted to combat organized crime with Harvey Dent, a district attorney in Gotham city. Batman is in fact, the definition of crime, he understands but does not abide to individual rights and social contracts which make up the rule of law. In addition, the man behind Batman, Bruce Wayne also portrays a form of deviance by disguising himself as Batman.

Heroes have the tendency to fight crime or serve the public without having to have a personal reason, this is not the case for Batman. Batman regularly, if not constantly, fights crime for his own benefit. While Batman was still Bruce Wayne, his parents were killed by a soon to be supervillain, this caused him to have an alternative motive to become a “hero.” Even if he does not directly advance on his parent’s murder, he still attacks ever villain that he thinks did him an injustice. “He smashes any and everything in his way while pursuing his ends,” (Wilson). While Batman smashes through his own intentions, Captain America fights crimes/serves the city for the people not for his own benefit. Batman might seem to be doing what a hero is supposed to do, but he is merely trying to avenge his parents death. “ Police are perplexed, worried the group will turn into vigilantes and doubt that the superhero policy is ever stopped any crime,” (source A). This is the same with Batman; the police do not know what to fashion of him, but are worried that he will insert himself in trouble. Batman might seem to be doing activities for others, still he does them for himself.

Vilja Johnson. The Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 47, No. 5, 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. “Its What You Do that Defines You:” Christopher Nolan’s Batman as Moral Philosopher. Pg.

Throughout the movie, Bruce Wayne continues to distance himself from society as Batman. While attending the hotel party Rachel confronts Bruce about doing more for the city. He tells her he is now a better person but doesn’t allow her to know he is Batman. Even the closest to him he chooses not to let know what he is doing for the city. Next when in the warehouse with Jim Gordon they team up together to stop Gotham from being cut off completely.

Explain the difference between internal and external conflict and provide an example of each from a book or movie from outside this class.

Throughout “The Dark Knight” by Christopher Nolan crime and deviance is seen throughout the film. Crime and deviance in The Dark Knight has two faces as society accepts crime for those whose are helping them and at the same time punishes those who are punished. Society in Gotham accepts crime when the Batman commits it to help for the betterment of society; however, crime is not accepted when it is committed by mob bosses, gangs, criminal cops, and most importantly through the joker. The forms of deviancy/crime which are seen throughout the film is the Labeling Approach, Human Rights Approach, and Human Diversity Approach.

In a movie where good and evil are divided by a very thin line, the Dark Knight rises up to fight against injustice and corruption in Gotham City. An action sequel to the original Batman Begins, this installment is a lot darker filled with more explosion, twists, and suspense. For the first time, a comic has been integrated into the issues of the real world. With the help of District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Gordon, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining mob members and clean the streets of Gotham for good. Their success is only short-lived when they encounter the Joker, a mysterious mastermind who is out to prove that nobility cannot hold in a world of anarchy.

The artistic representation of the Batman myth is an important cultural artifact of our time because it represents modern society's thirst for heroic ideals in popular entertainment. Since his creation, readers and viewers have admired Batman's unique ability to battle villainy, transcend the law and administer justice. As cultivators of the noir genre in film as well as in literature, Americans have always identified with this enigmatic hero, who exists on the margins of society and yet represents one of the largest corporations in the world. The evolution of Batman in particular and the superhero genre in general (from comic book to television to film and back again) has seen in the latest adaptation from Christopher Nolan's Batman revamp a veritable tilting point for the character once known as the World's Greatest Detective. This paper will analyze why Batman is an important cultural artifact of our day, how he came into being, what he means for society, and how he will be treated in the future.

Another way in which Batman displays himself as a Byronic hero is his function as a subversive character which refuses to submit to demonic forces. He tries to appear to be a man who is morally upright. However, Batman is unable to separate himself from the pain of his parents ' untimely death, which gives him a new identity as a mysterious masked crime fighter. In most books and films, he tries to put this tragic incident behind him without much success. As Peter J. Tomasi indicates, “instead we see a presentation of Batman’s powers by exacting strange acts in the name of justice like teleporting hotheaded” (1).

The world of a common superhero always starts off with their origin story, on how they earn their powers, and use that to save the world and humanity, but not all heroes could be as powerful as the one and only, Batman. We never stop and think that this superhero actually has no superpowers, yet he goes against villains like the Joker, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy, fights for justice and his origin story is like no other. He grows into the bat-masked hero we know today with the still image of his parents gunned down right in front of him, when he was at the age of realization that he will no longer have a family. A child that goes through such a tragic moment, it leaves an empty mind and heart just wanting to be filled. Batman’s background contains darkness and terrible memories that lead us to ponder, how does this experience fuel his thirst to become the hero of today. Batman’s life shows that the worst can happen, but there is always hope and that justice is served.

When someone says “superhero,” it is automatically assumed that one is talking about someone who saves others using extraordinary powers or someone who is there to protect and make others feel safe. For decades, superheroes have been around fighting crime and saving civilians from the villains that reign. These superheroes create a light and give the viewer some kind of hope. Although a superhero is seen as someone who is god-like, there is one hero who defies this stereotype. His name: Batman. Batman has been around for nearly seventy-five years and has evolved into a a very controversial character. Some people may see Batman as a dark figure who is not a hero, but a nuisance, while others may see him as something greater than a superhero. In Christopher Nolan’s, The Dark Knight, released in 2008, Batman is a character who is seen in a different way than previous iterations. Instead of just a crime-fighting hero, Batman is presented as something greater as well as something some may overlook. In Nolan’s 2008 film, Batman portrays a character that not only relates to society on a person level, but also parallels the Bush administration post 9/11.

Christopher Nolan: The Dark Knight (Reading 2: Technical) A key element of Christopher Nolan’s purpose throughout his film The Dark Knight is the development of mood in the viewer, more so the development of fear and uncertainty. Christopher Nolan successfully employs technical production elements into this film to achieve his intended purpose. Through the use of these elements he has succeeded in setting a mood for the audience, the audience’s interpretation of the character of the Joker is formed.

Very soon after his parent’s death, he realizes that his calling is to protect people, and he spends his time striving to do this and this continues to motivate him throughout life. Bruce even has to make the choice between love and his job of protecting the people of Gotham, and because of his life’s instinct, he has to choose to protect. Over time, Bruce also learns that this option could save the love of his life and later on, this creates a

Batman’s violent actions in Frank’s Miller comic book demonstrated the darkness of his heroic personality. After ten year retirement, Batman became more troubled to Gotham City turning to a crime-ridden and a fugitive. According to Joseph Campbell words “everything begins with a story”. The beginning of Batman’s story started after the death of his parents. They were shot by some criminals because they were going to steal and hurt them. Having to experienced this horrible scene on his childhood, traumatized Batman