Batman Begins

This is a great movie that is immersed in many levels of conflict.  The film has a well unified plot and storyline, expect for a few flashbacks; but these only aid to understanding the present in the movie.  As far as being “simple and yet complex” (pg. 48 of text), Batman Begins does a descent job at doing this.  I would say it only lacked a little on the complex side of things.  I didn’t have to think real hard about what was happening and why, but the movie wasn’t anywhere close to being a bore for a complex movie lover. 

As I said earlier, I feel this movie explores both internal and external conflict.  On the external, simple side, of this you have Batman fighting against Ra’s al Ghul and his attempts to destroy Gotham city where Batman, Bruce Wayne, grew up and whose father tried ridding of corruption.  The external conflict (pg. 58 of text) is also seen in a few noble city officials who are struggling against the corrupt policemen and government officials who are easily bought out to “look the other way” by the mob and other bad characters.  

The internal conflict of Bruce is seen in the flash backs of him seeing his father and mother gunned down by bum who wanted their money.  He lives with the guilt of their death for many years.  He comes back from college to see the trial where the bum who killed his parents is found guilty of the murders.  Bruce is so full of revenge that he plans on shooting the bum as he walks out of the court house, but before he can, another person shoots the murderer.  Later he and his childhood friend, Rachael, are talking about the trial in a car when he reveals the gun to her and his intention to kill the man.  Rachael immediately slaps him on the face because of how childish his idea was even though he must be at least 21 at the time.  She slaps him hard again to reinforce the point of how awful and ridiculous that idea was.  Revenge from a wrongdoing is never the best way.  Repaying evil for evil would only stoop his own character to the level of a murderer.  

Later in the film, Bruce learns to harness his fear and regrets of the past to fight for his city and its good people.  Even when his master of fighting, Ra’s al Ghul, tries to get him to show his loyalty to him by beheading a criminal, Bruce refuses to because he doesn’t want to be a murder, like Ras was. 

Bruce is defiantly the dynamic character in the film. (Pg.68 of text) He undergoes many changes internally through the movie.  A good example of a static character (pg. 69 of text) is the butler, Alfred.  He is the same from beginning to end, always helping Bruce as much as possible and challenging him to be a bright light in the dark city of Gotham.  He is probably the most influential static character of the film. 

Symbolism (pg. 71 of text) is seen throughout the movie.  Believing that good can prevail even if it’s outnumbered is very evident in the movie.  The good vs. evil symbolism is probably most widespread, and yet the strongest symbolism there is.  Irony (pg. 81 of text) is thrown into this movie but I don’t feel it adds a whole lot to the actual ending.  When Bruce is training under Ra’s, it seems that he has beaten Ra’s in a fight when Ra’s states that he isn’t being mindful of his surroundings. At this moment Bruce falls through the ice and looses the battle.  At the end, when they fight again, the opposite happens.  Ra’s seems to have won when Bruce repeats his words back to him about being mindful of the surrounding, and Ra’s dies because of it.  All in all this is a great film for most movie goers because it has a lot of great elements of a great story.