Two Films About New York...
Sep. 10th, 2008 08:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhythmaningI’ve recently seen two movies which were about New York – more or less.
Last week, I went to the Dark Knight. It was more or less everything I was expecting: violent (I looked away), exciting, very funny (in places), and very, very dark.
Heath Ledger as the Joker really stole the movie – an amazing performance: quite terrifying in his psychosis. He was helped by having all the best lines – from the very start (warping Nietzsche with “I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you... stranger!”). I grew up with the loveable Joker in the 60s’ tv series “Batman”, and the cruelty of Ledger’s creation was at times hard to take.
Gary Oldman was excellent; Christian Bale was wooden by comparison. Michael Caine’s and Morgan Freeman’s cameos rather outshone Bale as well.
It was however far too long; and despite my very willing suspension of disbelief, the idea that having lost half his face in a fire wouldn’t affect someone’s breathing or ability to speak was somewhat stretching credulity.
The chase scenes were excellent (and made full use of that suspension I was talking about). New York – sorry, Gotham City – is of course the backdrop to all this, and it looked great.
I have just seen another film about a crazy, charismatic sociopath let loose in New York: Man On Wire, which I think I enjoyed much more: it was humorous, scary, and very tense (despite knowing what happened in the end).
It was the story of Phillipe Petit, a French juggler and high-wire walker who decided to walk between the two towers of the World Trade Centre in 1974. The absence of the towers (not helped by a deep awareness of the date) underlay much in the film, although it wasn’t mentioned.
It was clearly a crazy endeavour, and quite terrifying to watch – and yet Petit charmed his team to go along with him, despite them knowing that he was crazy to try it, too. At one point, Petit says, “It's impossible, that's sure. So let's start working!”
The reaction of the police sent to bring him down – their admiration at what he had achieved despite the illegality of his act (the charge sheet described him as “man on wire”) – and that of the crowd gathered below was great to see.
This really was crime as an artistic act – worthy of Christopher Brookmyre. The press and the police wanted a reason - “why did you do it?” they asked, much to Petit’s irritation: he had just created a wonderful; he didn’t need a reason.
The film made New York look great, as well, with footage both from Petit’s expedition and from other events at WTC.
Last week, I went to the Dark Knight. It was more or less everything I was expecting: violent (I looked away), exciting, very funny (in places), and very, very dark.
Heath Ledger as the Joker really stole the movie – an amazing performance: quite terrifying in his psychosis. He was helped by having all the best lines – from the very start (warping Nietzsche with “I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you... stranger!”). I grew up with the loveable Joker in the 60s’ tv series “Batman”, and the cruelty of Ledger’s creation was at times hard to take.
Gary Oldman was excellent; Christian Bale was wooden by comparison. Michael Caine’s and Morgan Freeman’s cameos rather outshone Bale as well.
It was however far too long; and despite my very willing suspension of disbelief, the idea that having lost half his face in a fire wouldn’t affect someone’s breathing or ability to speak was somewhat stretching credulity.
The chase scenes were excellent (and made full use of that suspension I was talking about). New York – sorry, Gotham City – is of course the backdrop to all this, and it looked great.
I have just seen another film about a crazy, charismatic sociopath let loose in New York: Man On Wire, which I think I enjoyed much more: it was humorous, scary, and very tense (despite knowing what happened in the end).
It was the story of Phillipe Petit, a French juggler and high-wire walker who decided to walk between the two towers of the World Trade Centre in 1974. The absence of the towers (not helped by a deep awareness of the date) underlay much in the film, although it wasn’t mentioned.
It was clearly a crazy endeavour, and quite terrifying to watch – and yet Petit charmed his team to go along with him, despite them knowing that he was crazy to try it, too. At one point, Petit says, “It's impossible, that's sure. So let's start working!”
The reaction of the police sent to bring him down – their admiration at what he had achieved despite the illegality of his act (the charge sheet described him as “man on wire”) – and that of the crowd gathered below was great to see.
This really was crime as an artistic act – worthy of Christopher Brookmyre. The press and the police wanted a reason - “why did you do it?” they asked, much to Petit’s irritation: he had just created a wonderful; he didn’t need a reason.
The film made New York look great, as well, with footage both from Petit’s expedition and from other events at WTC.