Batman Begins

Batman Begins released in theaters 13 years ago today (June 15, 2005), and in a superhero saturated market, is still one of my favorite superhero movies of all time. It is the first entry into what is known today as the Dark Knight trilogy and was directed by Christopher Nolan. For this interpretation of Batman, Nolan gave us the first big-screen origin story of the character, and it's nearly flawless. He made us care just as much about Batman as Bruce Wayne, and the movie has received almost universal praise from fans and critics alike.

The story is both familiar and unique in how it is told. Nolan used his signature multiple timeline storytelling to show Bruce's childhood, his time seeking justice for his parent's murder, and presently as Batman. This creates a strong emotional investment that we as an audience feel for the character, giving us the ability to sympathize with him.

After Bruce Wayne's parents are killed, he disappears, seeking a way to fight injustice himself. In his searching, he discovers the League of Shadows. After some time being mentored there, he returns to Gotham City to his rightful place as CEO of Wayne Corp. Beyond this, he takes on a new persona: The Batman. As Batman, he takes on the criminals of the city he wants so badly to redeem, uncovering a new class of criminal that will change his city forever.

Each of the characters in Batman Begins has an actor with immense talent portraying them. Bruce Wayne/Batman is played by Christian Bale, who does a phenomenal job conveying the many faces of his character in a way that is both believable and compelling. Henri Duchard is the person who mentors Bruce, and Liam Neeson plays him in a powerfully unforgettable way. Michael Caine's Alfred was spot-on casting. I can't help but think of Alfred every time I see him in another movie. He plays an incredible role model for Bruce and is also a captivating moral compass for his character.

We also have Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Bruce's way of staying connected to the inner happenings at Wayne Corp. He gives us some good comic relief, while also being a little mysterious at times. And lastly, we have Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon. Oldman is a very well-rounded actor and was the perfect choice for this role. He acts as Batman's un-official partner throughout much of the movie and like Michael Caine's Alfred, I can't help but think of Jim Gordon whenever I see Oldman in a different role.

Batman Begins also has some of the most powerful lines of dialogue in any superhero movie. I've listed off some of my favorites below:

• Thomas Wayne: "Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."
• Henri Duchard: "If you make yourself more than just a man. If you devote yourself to an ideal. You'll become something else entirely... a legend."
• Batman: "It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."
• Rachael: "What chance does Gotham have, when the good people do nothing?"

Each of these lines is compelling and so much deeper when you really read into the context of when they are said. Most of them could even be reinterpreted into our own lives. 

One of my favorite aspects of Batman Begins is its themes. The film's hero deals with many of the same struggles that the average person does. This makes Bruce/Batman a very relatable character. From the time his parents are killed, Bruce combats with strong feelings of anger, especially towards the one responsible for their death. Not everyone has dealt with this exact struggle, but we can still learn from the situation. No matter what someone has done to us, we have to learn to forgive them. It can feel like the hardest thing in the world but allowing that anger fester only makes it worse. Ephesians 4:32 says: "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Fear is another strong theme throughout Batman Begins. As Batman, Bruce feeds off each criminal's fear of him, using it to dispense his own justice. But he was not always this way. There was a time when he had his own fears, and he had to learn to deal with and conquer them. This idea of fear reminds me of the familiar verse in Psalm 23 that says: "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

When Bruce is working to establish himself as his alter ego in Gotham after his return, he strives to be recognized as a symbol of hope for Gotham. Because of an accident he was involved in as a child, he has a fear of bats. When asked by Alfred why he chooses to be known as "Batman", he responds by saying: "Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies share my dread." A symbol is such a powerful and important representation. Just look at what the symbol of the cross means to Christian's. It represents hope, love, redemption, sacrifice. We are charged with being examples of that symbol, and the meaning behind it.

The best part of the themes of Batman Begins is that they all come full circle. Fear, anger, and symbolism, they all intertwine with and affect one another for Bruce's character. Through his anger, he is able to recognize his shortcomings. Then, because of those shortcomings, he chooses to re-establish himself as a symbol representative of something greater than just himself; and he embraces his fears to do this.

Even in its age and how much the superhero genre has evolved since its initial release, Batman Begins (and the Dark Knight movies that follow) still hold up as masterpieces not only for the superhero genre but for cinema as a whole. This movie showed Hollywood that a dark and gritty take on a familiar character can be widely successful, and still contain an in-depth and captivating story. Batman Begins shows us that superhero stories can be taken seriously and be compelling, they create an aspiration in us to become greater than we are, and show us that anyone can make a difference in this world.


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God bless! 😃
Austin