Crowds cheered Batman this past summer as he vanquished the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”
But did the Caped Crusader have the love of all movie goers?
Caught this fascinating reader comment over at Kyle Smith’s indispensable movie site:
“I saw the film twice in Berkeley this summer, and the audience cheered when the Lucius Fox character (Morgan Freeman) denounced Batman’s surveillance tools …”
Now, the debate over surveillance circa 2008 is a healthy one, and one the public should be engaged in. But in the context of the film, Batman was clearly trying to stop the Joker before hundreds, if not more, were killed. Yet audience ideology trumped morality.
Anyone else experience similar reactions to the film, which comes out tomorrow on DVD? Or perhaps another film which tried to pull your emotions one way but the audience went the other?
(Photo: Audiences loved “The Dark Knight” this summer, but a few in the crowd felt Batman went too far in chasing the Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger)
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I saw a bunch of left-wing fans of the film try so hard to twist the film’s ideology to fit their end of the spectrum. I’m not entirely convinced that the film was supposed to have any political inclinations, but if it was, then they definitely lean right.
I went to the Imax theater in NYC with my brother. With the surveillance scene I did not hear a peep against Batman.
No one cheered Morgan Freeman’s indignation.
Since I am a republican, I looked and listened to hear any snickering or boos in that particular scene, and I heard nothing. I think I did hear some snickers at Morgan because he was being stupidly philosophical when people’s lives were in danger. My brother and I also snickered as well.
I think the audience realized Batman was right.
A movie can persuade an audience to see scenarios where the Right’s position on surveillance is necessary to stop evil from perpetuating to catastrophic levels.
The only applause I heard was the end of the film and the dedication to Heath.
Jenny, thanks for the feedback. A good movie should cast a spell, and cast aside ideological differences.
James — I’ve seen some righties do some pretzel-like maneuvers to claim a film’s angle as their own, but I’ve seen it more often from liberal film critics (likely because they outnumber their conservative peers like 20-1.