The Dark Knight came out in 2008, when George W. Bush was President, so I was 14 at the time and Emily was 12. I remember going to the theater the day it came out because I was never more excited for a movie. I have been a fan of the Batman franchise since I was a kid; my older sister and I would constantly watch the Batman VHS's that we had until they were too scratched up from use. Emily watched the film with all of her boy cousins because they wanted her to see it with them. I was so intrigued to see a new interpretation of an already golden performance by Nicholson, and since this role was different than anything Heath Ledger had done before, I knew it was going to be either incredible or awful. Emily noted that the powerful emotions between the characters and the brooding cinematography created an intense viewing experience for the audience, which helped them connect to the story.

The scene that we chose is an essential part of the movie. It is one of the first and most significant interactions between the Joker and Batman. To set the tone, prior to this scene, the Joker was finally in police custody after wrecking mass chaos in Gotham, and Lieutenant Gordon begins an interrogation with the Joker to try to find information regarding the disappearance of District Attorney Harvey Dent. However, the Joker is unwilling to provide any valuable information, so Gordon leaves the rest of the interrogation up to Batman, who of course had been hiding in the shadows of the dimly lit room. The scene begins as an aggressive conversation, and after the Joker toys with Batman, jabbing at personal points, the tone changes from an abrasive interrogation to a brutal and edgy beating. Batman was being tested by the Joker, and eventually the Joker won by getting under his skin. The power of this scene was the synthesis of so many cinematography elements. It begins as a traditional interrogation: a dark room with someone getting the third degree. But when Batman is exposed under the bright lights, it completely changes the aesthetic of the scene. Under the lights, the viewer can see the gruesome and decaying texture of the Jokers makeup and scars, and understand that his psychotic nature is reflected directly into his personal appearance. Batman had a new batsuit for this film, and the harsh overhead lighting allowed for an incredibly detailed look at just how precise and functional this suit was. Unlike the majority of the movie, this scene is close-up with controlled drifts of the camera. The camera follows the Joker as he converses with Batman, tracing his rocking motions and physically strange mannerisms. This scene is critical because is shows Batman just going too far and losing control of the situation. Although Batman's purpose is justice, this scene shows him effectively torturing someone for information, allowing his rage to spill over, and Batman of course places such importance on his rules, his morals. It’s what distinguishes him, in his mind, from a common vigilante. The Joker is able to twist him around and make him question his own approach and his own actions. By the end of the scene, when Batman is just attacking the Joker, Heath Ledger managed to find the exact essence of the threat of the Joker and who he is: He’s being pounded in the face and he’s laughing and loving it. As he tells Batman, “You have nothing to do with all of your strength.” Batman is faced with a sense of weakness, which is rare for the armored and the very muscular Batman; he’s powerful, but there’s no useful way for this power to be exercised on someone who thrives off conflict. He has to confront that.

The Dark Knight is the Academy Award winning, epic sequel to Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. Heath Ledger's sinister interpretation of the iconic Joker is a definite match for Batman, a reprised role by Christian Bale. This engrossing tragedy challenges the detrimental shift between hero and villain with order and chaos.