The Dark Knight

What are the key themes and messages explored by this film?

Why are these themes and messages important to American Society in 2008

What do you think are the key themes/messages explored in this film?• Terrorism• Heroism• Love• Revenge• Death• Control and Power• Law Order and Chaos

Heroism

• What does it mean according to this film to be a Hero?

Batman Harvey Dent

• Saves people• Captures the bad guys• Dark and broody• Outlaw• Outsider• Vigilante • Quiet• Uses force usually• Living two lives

• Symbol for the law• Sensible• Good-looking• All American• White Knight• Good Citizen• Confident• Use his brain/intelligence to win• Transparent

Other Heroes in the Film?

• Gordon – he tries to get the Joker, fakes own death to protect family, took a bullet for the new Mayor. He lets Joker escape, lets old Mayor die, doesn’t look like a hero.

• Rachel - stands up to Joker, tries to negotiate with Lau, telling Batman what to do, intelligent. She dies, doesn’t look like a hero, love triangle issues.

Social Climate in United States 2008

• Huge recession – job losses, unemployment, poverty, stocks dropped, global decline

• Raids in Iraq, homophobic murder (small scale), small scale murders

• OJ Simpson goes to jail (held someone at gunpoint)• Presidential election – Obama wins, head of state Hilary

Clinton, John McCain/Sarah Palin lose)• Elliot Spritzer (governor of NY) prostitution scandal • Black Monday – big six of wall street downturn• Virginia Mass Shootings – large scale terrorist act

Heroism• Why does America need heroes at the moment?• Need role models like Obama• Crime rates high• Gov NY should be a role model but is dumb and sleeping with

hookers• Guns are everywhere• People are scared• Are men the only heroes? • No? Hilary Clinton became a hero for women• Who should our heroes be?• Anyone? Smart, have a goal, accept their weaknesses, ethics,

whoever we look up to – individuals may like different heroes• Heroes as role model for the rest of society.

Doing what is right and good for America

• Fighting against evil• Personal Sacrifice (Batman, Corrupt Cops, Harvey

Dent, Commissioner Gordon, the judge)• Doing what is right for society even if it is bad for

individuals• But how far should this go? (Batman

interrogating the Joker, Batman using phones to ‘spy’ on the world)

• Links to American context

Law, Order and Chaos

• Order/Civilisation is good (Batman, the police) • Chaos is bad (Joker/ Corrupt cops)• The One Rule• Good Vs Evil• But the criminals on the boat seem to be the

ones who are most civilised… do we underestimate the criminals and think they are part of the chaos?

What themes are explored in these scenes?

• Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne at Dinner 19:18• Power, Love, Heroism• Bruce and Alfred talking about the war lord in Burma 53:47• Chaos, terrorism• Harvey Dent and the Press conference 1:10:45• Fear, Heroism, Sacrifice, terrorism• The Two Boats deciding on whether or not to push the button

1:59:16• Righteousness, Chaos, Fear, Terrorism• The very end where Batman takes the blame 2:20:00 • Justice, sacrifice, fear, heroism, terrorism