"When the menace known as the Joker emerges from his mysterious past, he wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, the Dark Knight must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice." (IMDb)
How does one define a Hero? A Villain? Are heroes "born" heroic? What about Villains? What kinds of life experiences and influences create the archetypal characters we know as heroes and villains? These thought provoking questions and many more frame our study of the academy award winning film, The Dark Knight. Ranked as one of the highest grossing films of all time and garnering over 150 award nominations (IMDb), The Dark Knight, with all of its subtext and special effects, is essentially a film about the timeless forces of chaos & order and good & evil.
Throughout this study of character and conflict, we will explore the flaws in human nature, the defects in society, the search for justice and the pursuit of hope. We will deconstruct the fictional place of Gotham and all of its citizens. In the end, we will discover much about our real world and our real potential to be heroes. The universe of a superhero with its symbols of good and evil is a world we all inhabit.
I
How does one define a Hero? A Villain? Are heroes "born" heroic? What about Villains? What kinds of life experiences and influences create the archetypal characters we know as heroes and villains? These thought provoking questions and many more frame our study of the academy award winning film, The Dark Knight. Ranked as one of the highest grossing films of all time and garnering over 150 award nominations (IMDb), The Dark Knight, with all of its subtext and special effects, is essentially a film about the timeless forces of chaos & order and good & evil.
Throughout this study of character and conflict, we will explore the flaws in human nature, the defects in society, the search for justice and the pursuit of hope. We will deconstruct the fictional place of Gotham and all of its citizens. In the end, we will discover much about our real world and our real potential to be heroes. The universe of a superhero with its symbols of good and evil is a world we all inhabit.
I