I've been saving this for a few days, and it was a week old when I found it. Andrew Bolt's column in the Herald Sun (Australia) July 30, 2008, discussed a popular movie out of Hollywood.
FINALLY Hollywood makes a film that says President George W Bush was right.
But director Christopher Nolan had to disguise it a little, so journalists wouldn't freak and the film's more fashionable stars wouldn't walk.
So he hides Bush in a cape. He even sticks a mask on him, with pointy ears for some reason.
Sure, when the terrified citizens of Gotham City scream for Bush to come save them, Nolan has them shine a great W in the night sky, but he blurs it so it looks more like a bird.
Or a bat, perhaps.
And he has them call their hero not Mr Bush, of course, or even "Mr President", but . . . Batman.
And what do you know.
Bush may be one of the most despised presidents in American history, but this movie of his struggle is now smashing all box-office records.
Critics weep, audiences swoon - and suddenly the world sees Bush's agonising dilemma and sympathises with what it had been taught so long to despise.
As this superb Batman retelling, The Dark Knight, makes clear, its subject is a weakness that runs instinctively through us - to hate a hero who, in saving us, exposes our fears, prods our weaknesses, calls from us more than we want to give, or can.
And how we resent a hero who must shake our world in order to save it, or brings alive that maxim of George Orwell that so implicates us in our preening piety: "Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
I haven't seen the movie yet, but I plan on it. First, though, I'll have to watch Batman Begins again.
It will be good to see a movie about a man who chooses to fight evil even when it's hard, rather than taking the easy road avoiding conflict even if it means evil wins.
4 comments:
"...preening piety"
Love it.
Now I know why my son loves "The Batman" in spite of the hype over the "Joker" in this new movie.
In 2004 prior to the election, Nick, Christopher and I attended a luncheon where Michael Medved was speaking (about the up-coming election).
Anyway, Michael was circling the room and came to our table. He posed for pics, signed my book and "Medhead" T-shirt. Then, a 17 year old Christopher questioned Michael about his not-so-flattering review of Batman Begins. Michael defended his remarks, believing the movie was a "dark" depiction of the film. My son went on to express his views (saying something to the effect that we all like hot dogs but we don't want to see how they're made) that Batman is fighting evil and evil is dark. Michael agreed with his statement but said the movie could have made the point without being so depressingly dark.
Is it any wonder why we're so proud of him.....
Janice,
Definitely a son to be proud of!
Haha...nice.
Here's what I wrote after seeing it:
Although the movie isn't political, the line about "it's always darkest before the dawn" struck a chord in me, as I've used the line to describe Iraq. "Things will start to get worse, before it gets better." Same goes for medical treatments- there's that rough moment when surgery puts you through misery and pain in order to heal you.
And in the movie when people were finger-pointing their anger at Batman and those who have tried to protect them, rather than laying blame and responsibility squarely on the shoulders of The Joker....well, you all know where I'm heading with that one.
Yes, I couldn't help but draw parallels.
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