This week we'll be watching Batman Begins. Later this week I'll explain your next major assignment, which will be to write a critical essay (a "movie review" of a specific sort) about this film.
In the meantime, I want all of you to "discuss" the film online as we watch it. Post your thoughts twice this week, at least once before we finish watching the film. Aim for at least seven sentences for each post. And practice the film reviewer's skill of referring to specific details/examples from the film not as plot summary but as evidence of the points you're making (or the questions you're asking).
I love this film, because of how well done the story is. Christopher Nolan, who is the irector had a tough job because he was remaking the batman franchise, and started over with the whole story of Bruce Wayne. I like how there is flashbacks of his life when he was a child, to where hes trying to get revenge on what happened in his child-hood. Alfred, who is played by Michael Cain who is the Wayne house-old Butler but really is almost like a second father to Bruce. I love how Bruce in the beginning of the movie, is across the world fighting injustice by getting himself in Prison. It shows his character and the scar he still carries from his child-hood as he still seeks complete revenge.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen this movie. We watched this movie only for like fifteen minutes this morning, so I don't really know what the story is about yet. I think the first fifteen minutes of this movie was basically showing how Bruce is becoming the batman. I liked seeing when Bruce was a child and it shows how sad for him to lose parents. It also shows that Bruce doesn't like the bats because of the experience he had. I think this movie is about Bruce revenging the guy who killed his parents. I wonder how he will act and actions of the movie. It seems like an interesting movie.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bold film because it deals with a very complex psychological ideal right away. We can't run from fear. If we run from fear we will always be an empty person. The scene where Bruce lets the bats surround him is one of the most important scenes of the film because it shows how he is embracing his fear, making his fear part of his persona. It doesn't mean that we have to overcome our fears, but it shows how we have to recognize, respect, and use our fear to drive us. This is a part of the film that I hope they explore more in depth.
ReplyDeleteAlso the film wrestles with the fine line of justice. A big theme in this film so far has been vigilante justice vs. bureaucratic justice. It seems like bruce wane is trying his very best to walk the line, but I don't think that will be able to last for the rest of the film.
This is a great movie. There is so much material in the story of batman. The remaking of this story is very well done in this film. This movie can teach you a lot about revenge and violence. Taking revenge for something that happened to you is selfish and is not good for anyone else. It teaches us about fear. We have to face our fear to overcome it. I really like appreciate this movie. I think that it teaches us about some morals and ideas but it also draws you in. The story starts in Bruce Wayne's childhood. Doing this starts to get you interested in the character because you know what happened to him. Some movies just tell you what happened but this one shows you and that connects you to Wayne. The effects are great so far and I am sure that they will get better.
ReplyDeleteI like how this movie brings up the idea of revenge and how revenge is not the justice that bruce wants. If he had actually pulled it off and knocked off Chill, I don't think he would have been fulfilled. He needs to fight the cause of the injustice. He could do it by fighting the poverty that has caused people to become desperate, like his parents did, or he can fight the people who make it possible for the crime to grow like it did. This is the option that he chooses, which is not necessarily the best option in my mine, but it does make for a god movie.
ReplyDeleteOne part that really stuck out to me was the part where Bruce was in the diner talking to Falcone. Even though Falcone is an evil person, he is smart. He understands the system, knows how to manipulate it, and also knows how people are thinking or predicts what people will do. I like it when the villains are genius, not just brutes running around killing people. That is also why the Joker is so good too, because he mixes the best of both of those. He also said some pretty profound things. I believe he says something on the line of how Bruce thinks he is the only one that is damaged and how there are a lot of other people that have or are going through worse. It is a good deep line that comes from an unexpected person.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy watching this movie, along with the Dark Knight. I agree with topher that the villains in both movie are played well, because they are smart. One thing about the movie I didn't really enjoy was when the fire caused Bruce and Henri to go flying backwards. Maybe its just me, but to me it looked more like what happens to a person when the force is used upon them in Star Wars. But the rest of the movie I love and I think the characters are played well. I think Cillian Murphey was a good choice for crane/scarecrow. He has those intense eyes and an evil little smirk. I enjoy the action in this movie, but I also like how it ties in poverty and injustice.
ReplyDeleteI have seen this movie once before and liked it quite a bit. Watching it this time I am enjoying it even more. I really like the characters in this movie, from Batman, to the Scarecrow, to the good cop. I like the beginning a lot because it gives meaning to the Batman character. I like how they take his scare of bats from being a kid, and the death of his parents to create him, to create Batman.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that I like about this movie besides the plot is the editing. The way they put all the clips together and add all the special effects is amazing.
I think this is a great movie, and I enjoy how unlike most other superhero movies it really humanizes the main character. A good example of this is showing Bruce's personal flaws and tendency to seek justice through revenge, as well as showing that he is only human and has fears he has to face up to like anybody else.
ReplyDeleteFrom a technical standpoint, the film is very well made, well edited and they haven't spared any expense in giving it a lot of special effects.
I am absolutely loving this movie so far. I think that the plot is outstanding and all of the characters play their role to perfection. I really liked how they show at the beginning of the movie Bruce beating up some guys in jail and we don't understand why at first. But then they show us these flashbacks of his childhood when his parents were killed and then we understand that why he fights all of these criminals. I feel that violence may be the only way out for Bruce as he seems to have a lot of anger stored up inside. I am also very interested to see what happens between batman and the man that he saved as I can not exactly tell whether they are friend or foe. I agree with dopesauce on the special effects being amazing. I think it's awesome how when one of the characters get poisoned we can see the crazy distorted images that they can see.
ReplyDeleteI really like Batman Begins so far. I used to watch the batman cartoons as a child, but never really understood this superhero. It is great to get a background on batman and why he does what he does. Bruce Wayne is a well developed character. What I love about him is he has pain, scars, and fears. Not many Superheroes have these and that is what makes him so believable and profound. I think the visuals in this movie are great. They are believable when the need to be and mind-blowing when they are supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteI like how batman is a superhero without any super powers. True, he has a lot of gadgets and ninja like training but he is still just human. No spider bite, no meteor....It makes him more human and more relatable. It also explains that we may not be superheroes but as simple humans we can still make a difference. I also like how batman and the other characters are more 3D, they are not just black and white. You can see that the scarecrow is stil be forced and pressured. and that batman has a desire for some unhealthy revenge. the"broth of false and true" of these characters really makes them more relatable and makes the story come to life.
ReplyDeleteThe first time i saw this movie it was on tv. The reason i didn't want to go rent it was because i thought that it would be one of those dumb super hero movies but it actually is a really good movie. Its a lot different then most super hero plots because everything he is doing has nothing to do with some kind of powers. Most of it is extremely unlikely but its not as far fetched as most. I thought the whole story line of him being kinda of a snotty rich kid and actually being the batman is a good twist on the story and a good way to keep his cover concealed. Its a great movie and i think we should watch the dark night after this.
ReplyDeleteI love this movie it is one of my favorites I think that it shows the struggles that everyday people go through like revenge and just doing what is right even if it may not be what you want. The movie was very well done nothing really looked fake, another thing was that it shows that there are a lot of corrupt societies but that everyday people doing little things or big things can enforce change and that yeah there are not always good people in the world but it takes one person to stand up to them that makes all the difference. The actors do a good job of bring their characters to life and showing the emotions of the characters. This movie really can make you think about life and the sequel to this movie also does a very good job of showing emotion and they are both all around amazing movies I would give them a 10 out of 10.
ReplyDeleteToday we finished this film and I truly, really liked the ending. I thought that the ending of this film made a good conclusion to what was going on and the rising conflicts, but that the ending led to an opening so that there could be another movie made. It did this by at the end the cop told Batman to find and go after this, which is the Joker because he handed Batman a Joker card. Over all I really enjoyed this movie, its plot, its characters and editing. It was put together very well.
ReplyDeleteI thought that they ended this movie very well. It answers all are questions that we had earlier in the movie and it is the story book ending that we all want. It set it up perfectly for the next Batman as well. I thought that most of the stuff in the movie was realistic looking, there were a couple scenes that were a questionable but over all it was very well done. I thought the emotion they tied into at the end with Rachel and Bruce was a good ending to the movie and made you feel like the movie is more then just a action movie. Over all i liked it and thought it was very well made.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is well made. I love the film more and more every single time I watch it. I like how they focus on the main characters(batman) life, and how in depth it is. I also how like how that it's realistic, and not very fake. I like movies where the audience can relate to the stuff going on in the main characters life. This movie is does not seem unrealistic at all. Also I enjoy that there is no extra special effects in the movie, too much effects can ruin a movie or overdo it. Overall this movie is just plain awesome! My favorite quotes are "Justice is about harmony. Revenge is about you making yourself feel better. Which is why we have an impartial system."and "Your anger gives you great power. But if you let it, it will destroy you"
ReplyDeleteI liked watching this movie a lot. Usually superheroes have their own special power, but Batman didn't. Batman was a lot different than other heroes. I don't think heroes ever have fears of something, but batman had fears of some stuff like bats. This movie showed the both sides of Bruce being batman, and batman being a human being well. I was shocked when Henry turned to be a bad guy. He taught Bruce how to fight and all that, and all of sudden he was on the opposite side of Bruce. A master of a hero becoming an enemy of a hero was kinda shocking and interesting. There were a lot of scenes with dark backgrounds, so some parts were kind of boring, but I loved seeing the fast actions and seeing how Bruce's personality changes as he becomes a batman.
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ReplyDeleteI never really realized how much I liked this movie until now. I think that this movie, along with some other super hero movies, shows a good vision of how big of an effect on you it is to be a super hero. This is extremely evident physically, mentally, and with his relationships. One of the most obvious effects that is shown in the movie is all the injuries he gets and he really can't do anything about it, but stick through it. Mentally, he has to choose what to do. He has to stop himself from thoughts of revenge and anger, but at the same time, save a city from zealous justice-seekers, who he had a history with. Then with his relationship with Rachel has to be exhausting. For almost the whole movie, he knows he is doing the right thing, but she doesn't. It isn't like he can tell her anyway, at least until she finds out. I think this movie is just trial after trial for Bruce, which makes you know him more and makes a good movie.
One thing I noticed was was the vividly green land around the wayne house at the end (when they are around the rubble) and i realized that i had not seen much green. I want to see it again and pay closer attention to the colors but i think that is one of the few times that the movie shows other colors that black and grey or dark blue. I think that was on purpose, maybe simply to show the "good" of that place but also maybe for more reasons...i dont know, i was just something interesting that i noticed.
ReplyDeleteAs I thought more and more about this movie, I would believe that this movie is a perfect film to show what the difference is between Revenge and Justice. It hit me hard that there is a huge difference, between the 2 and that Batman kind of had a mistaken identity with what he really wanted and what was the right thing. Like that he wanted justice to be served. But he didn't realize that out of his frustration and cold anger that really wasn't the case. His anger and hurt caused him to believe he wanted justice, when deep down inside he wanted revenge for his parents death. But as he grew older and learned some things he realized that revenge is not want needed to be done, but justice was more the answer. Revenge will destroy everything your about, and justice will heal things. Also revenge is for those who are selfish, justice is for those who are looking out for others, and about putting yourself last, not first. Batman learns his lesson very well, and so did I.
ReplyDeleteI like this movie mostly, but i think they could cut down on the hallucination parts. for some reason that brings me out of the movie and I can no longer believe it as much. Batman crashing through steel and surviving shotgun blasts doesn't as much, but when the vision of the camera goes all blurry and horses breathe fire... that pulls me out. I could take it better if the people just muttered things like "scarecrow" or whatever their fears were manifested in. other than that =, i really do enjoy this movie a lt. What mark said about the colors in the movie isvery true, they only show colors when hope is arising. The dark knight does a similar thing, but there is also color in the darker scenes. I think that the dark knight sometimes uses the color to note the insaniy of the Joker and the events taking place. clownish colors, if you will.
ReplyDeleteI really like how this movie ended. They set it up perfectly and make you want to go out and see the next one and that is genius on the directors part. They also don' have batman kill the bad guy so that the killing does not seem so personal and that was another good move by the director. I think that it is a little dissapointing that once again the main character does not get the girl as it was in casablanca. But then again him not getting the girl is just a little more fuel to batman's fire and that is what makes him so great. The action in the movie was another thing that i was quite impressed with. Whether it was the seemingly never-ending car chase or batman flying through gotham attached to the train this film was very action packed. I really like how Batman is so human and we can relate to his problems and that the film is very inspiring and makes an everday normal person feel like they can make a difference.
ReplyDeleteThe end of this movie is a complete set up for another batman movie where The Joker is the Villian. But can this movie be better than Tim burtons classic batman with Jack Nickleson is The Joker? What i like about the end of the movie is that rachel Daws doesn't want batman at the end, she wants the old Bruce, which sets apart from other relationships in movies. But yes i love this movie very much, and The Dark Knight is even better.
ReplyDeleteI think that Chris Nolan had a huge task on his hands to remake batman and i think that he did an awesome job. The cast of this movie is perfect in my eyes, Christian bale IS batman to me now. The opening scene is one that was never seen before and Chris definentally knew what he was doing. One of the most simple shots is also one of my favorites, it is the scene where young bruce falls in the cave, right after he looks up and scene is of the camera zooming in real slow into the cave, it adds a lot of tension and a foreshadowing of something bad. i thought this scene was really cool.
ReplyDeletei thought that the end of this movie was the perfect end for it because it set itself up for another batman movie. it wasnt a cheesy setup for another film either and it definentally left you hanging. I also liked how the girl doesnt fall right back in love with bruce again, it isnt your typical response. You want her to fall back in love with bruce again but it cant happen. It doesnt all turn out perfect story book ending which i think is good. this movie was really sweet and we should definentally watch the dark knight....soon
ReplyDeleteThis is a very well thought out and well put together movie. It seems to take things and use them in a way other movies have not before. Such as how they use darkness as a way for the superhero to beat his enemies most movies use darkness to aid the enemies, also how they made Bruce Wayne's voice sound almost scary was again not something that is usually done with a hero. It is like the movies where they show a group of navy seals saving someone but instead of making the seals look not messed up they actually show how cruel and harsh you actually have to be to be a navy seal.
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