But, besides the (bad) copies I of other composer's themes and styles (some of this can be found on the "My compositions" page), I feel that my music is more and more becoming "my own", the more I write and the less I look to others for inspiration. And I don't know, but I think after now 8 months of composing music you can see the difference between my first and my current compositions. 

However, there are still other composers that inspired me and whose music I love and admire. If people think of film music, most of them will think of Hans Zimmer. And he is really a talented composer, though I think he could have done better on some of his scores. It was, in fact, his music that aroused my interest in film music. First, through the Score of The Lion King, then through the whole Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which is like the pop music of film scores. ;-)

But what impresses me most about him is how he got in the business without having a classic education. That makes him really sympathic to me, because I basicly taught myself the guitar and the little technique necessary to play the notes I need on the midi-keyboard. 

Now it are other composers, too, besides Hans Zimmer, who I admire. For example the beautiful, unmistakable style of John Williams, the "master" in the business. Or the darker tunes of Danny Elfman. The intelligent, almost classical music of Gabriel Yared. The epic Lord of the Rings scores by Howard Shore (some of the best music I ever heard). And whose style I almost like the most is Harry Gregson-Williams. His Kingdom of Heaven score is one of my favorites.

So finally, I hope with all that major and minor influences, I will still be able do develop something one could consider an individual style, and I think there's still hope for me. ;-)

Today I want to present you one of my unfinished pieces. It is called "Panda" and was created before the german cinema start of the film Kung Fu Panda. What I wanted to do is write my own piece of music just based on what I read about the plot and then compare it to the score that Hans Zimmer and John Powell would come up with. Well, after I couldn't get the composition finished before Kung Fu Panda was in cinemas in Germany and after I bought the (by the way awesome!) Score from Hans Zimmer and John Powell, I gave it up. Of course, there was no comparison between Zimmer's and Powell's brilliant and dynamic work and my little piece, but for me it was a nice exercise and I had a lot of fun while trying to fake asian instruments with my very european software instruments.

So what I want to do now is to give you a closer look on how I developed this piece (as far as I got). I want to show you the development in the order I did it, so if you want to listen to the whole composition first, you find it at the end of this post. Otherwise, just follow the development from the start.

First, I came up with a theme. And because I wanted it to sound asian, I used the pentatonic scale as an orientation. It should also sound vivid and funny, so I decided to make the whole thing not too slow and let two instruments perform like a little question-answer game.

So I gave the flute a melody: [audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/panda-flote-kurz.mp3]

And then let the violins answer: [audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/panda-violine-kurz.mp3]

Notice that I let the violins play portamento here to make the whole thing sound more like asian erhus. Without portamento it would have sounded like this: [audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/panda-violins-legato.mp3] You hear quite a lot the difference.

So after this first theme I created a second theme which directly follows the first one. This theme gives up the "question-answer" pattern; the solo flute and the violins playing parallel make the whole thing sound more fluent than the first theme. The composition so far played with the solo flute and the violins now sounds like this: [audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/panda-violine-and-flute-sol.mp3]

Of course there are instruments backing the two. I wanted them to sound kind of asian too, so I used a harpsicord, a concert harp, a Ben Boldt sitar, and a software guitar to pretend some "asian" sound. This is what their part sounds like. [audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/panda-zupfer.mp3]

Notice that I tried to use the pentatonic scale only as well as tried to blur the border between major and minor harmonies that would appear with the instruments playing together.

So now, after the two lead instruments have played, the theme, they repeat it again, now additionaly accompanied by double basses, french horns, and a percussion section as well as a few other instruments not mentioned here. The double basses give the piece a listenable accentuation, as well as the french horns, which, once again, stay in the pentatonic scale. This is what the basses and the horns sound like: [audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/panda-bass-und-horner.mp3]

And the percussion: [audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/panda-percussion.mp3]

Finally, I added a brigde to move to the whole composition to a different theme. The bridge itself contains some interesting stuff, such as a little hommage to the song Kung Fu Fighting, played by the brass section. By the way, the song was the first thing I thought of when I got the idea to make something "chinese". Just listen to an excerpt of the original song: [audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/kung-fu-fighting.mp3]

In my bridge, the brass section plays something similar, but not with that straight chords, but with a series of chords that raises the composition to a different key. Hear what I mean: [audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/panda-kung-fu-fighting-bras.mp3]

However, the piece, as it is now, ends, after this bridge. To this day I didn't finish it. But I keep it in my archive, and one day, when I am in the right mood, I will think of the perfect theme to bring this to an end. ;-)

So at the end, when all the components come together, my unfinished "Panda" sounds like this:

Enjoy listening!

[audio http://myownscores.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/panda2.mp3]

This piece of music was created mainly with my VSL Instruments.

Si el otro día le tocaba el turno a las películas de Burton y Schumacher (Especial Análisis de Trilogías y Sagas: Batman) es hora de comentar las de Christopher Nolan.

Creo que no será necesario decir que hay SPOILERS, y muchos, pero por si acaso, quedais advertidos.

Batman Begins

Corría 2005 cuando llegaba a la pantalla grande una nueva adaptación del "hombre murciélago". Pero si pensabamos que ibamos a ver una peli como las de Burton o algo tan malo como las de Schumacher, estabamos muy equivocados. Nolan cogió al personaje de la DC Comics y le hizo un gran lavado de cara.

No solamente vimos como era Batman (tal y como ocurrió en la primera de Burton), sino que ahondó mas alla y nos explicó su origen (no voy comentar si fue igual o no que en los cómics, eso es otra historia y yo no he sido fiel seguidora de este personaje en papel). Vimos a un Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale)  perdido en el mundo a causa de lo que ocurrió a sus padres.

 La primera media hora de película nos muestra todo eso. La vida de Bruce Wayne hasta "hacerse mayor". Momenos clave en su vida que determinaran su carácter y que serán de vital importancia a la hora de escoger un camino a seguir.

Pero una vez que se enfrente a su mentor en aras de la justicia, llegará la parte más dura. Cómo crear al héroe. Para ello echará mano de las últimas tecnologías y prototipos desarrollados en Industrias Wayne y que han quedado abocadas al sotano por el elevado precio de su posible producción en cadena. La ayuda de Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) será de vital importancia para forjar la leyenda de Batman. Y así descubriremos como "vuela" Batman, o como se desplaza por la ciudad.

Y todo con la inestimable ayuda de su fiel mayordomo, Alfred, donde Michael Caine hace un grandísimo papel, dotándole al personaje no sólo de una simpatía natural, sino haciéndole abanderado de las causas perdidas.

La primera puesta en escena de Batman será simplemente espectacular. Durante unos minutos, no sabemos por donde aparecerá ni cómo lo hará. Fue un gran acierto por parte de Nolan no enseñarlo directamente, sino dejar que nuestra imaginación volara un poco hasta que vieramos a Batman en plena acción.

Pero detrás de Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson), el mafioso de la ciudad, se encuentra un enemigo más grande  y peor. El líder de "La liga de las sombras", Ra's Al Gul (Liam Neeson en realidad) que pretende destruir Gotham con todos sus habitantes, para encontrar el equilibrio perfecto. Y bajo su mando se encuentra el Dr. Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy) con su alter ego "El espantapajaros".

El "Espantapajaros" será el elemento clave de la mitad de la película, ya que pondrá en varios aprietos a Batman y sus amigos, para que finalmente descubramos que es lo que pretende hacer junto a "La liga de las sombras".

Y así llegará el desenlace. Como a veces se tiene que sacrificar la reputación del hombre de "a pie" para hacer más grande al héroe que nunca será aplaudido por las grandes masas.

Nolan no sólo dio una nueva perspectiva del "señor oscuro", sino que mimó al personaje hasta los más mínimos detalles (y esto en la siguiente está muchísimo más desarrollado). Quitó el sentido "comiquero" y de película para niños y nos dió una película para adultos, donde el elemento más importante del "hombre murciélago" es el miedo que infunde a sus enemigos.  Si bien, hubo escenas de peleas donde te podías perder por el elevado movimiento de la cámara, su guión fue de lo más cuidado, donde los diálogos importaban, y mucho, para saber de donde viene la fuerza del héroe. Una película que aunque tiene acción a raudales, no es lo más importante. Un gran acierto por parte de Nolan el retomar al viejo héroe, adaptarlo a nuestros tiempos  y traérnosle de vuelta a la gran pantalla.

The Dark Knight (El Caballero Oscuro)

Y se acaba de estrenar en nuestro país (el 13 de Agosto de 2008), la segunda parte de la saga Batman de Nolan, que ha sido calilficada como la mejor película de los últimos tiempos. Y no es para menos.

¿Podríamos decir que se trata de una película de superhéroes como su antecesora o como otras que se han estrenado este año o los anteriores? Rotundamente no. No es una película de superhéroes, y muchísmo menos al uso. Aquí el héroe no es la principal baza de la película, pero tampoco gana, como siempre suele ocurrir. Aquí Batman es un peón más en este juego en el que nos mete de lleno Nolan.

No hay sentido para el mal que se desarrolla durante todo el metraje. Es mal, puro, duro, cruel. No hay explicación y sinceramente, es mejor no conocerla.

Se inicia la película prácticamente donde se terminó la primera. Con un nuevo personaje en acción. Joker (un grandísimo y malogrado Heath Ledger), un ser que no tiene miedo a nada ni a nadie, cuyos métodos son crueles y despiadados a pesar de su eterna sonrisa dibujada en el rostro.

Su mayor aspiración es hacerse el dueño de la ciudad, pero antes no sólo ha de desenmascarar a Batman, sino hacer que reine un caos total sobre la ciudad de Gotham. El dinero no es lo que le motiva. La escena cuando quema la montaña de billetes es espeluznante, porque si el dinero no mueve a Joker para hacer lo que hace, la simple idea de que lo haga sin una causa justificada, causa más terror que el saber que es por lo que mueve a la mayoría del mundo, el dinero o la venganza.

Pero también tenemos un nuevo justiciero en la ciudad. Y esta vez no se oculta tras una máscara y una capa. Es Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). El nuevo fiscal del distrito. Un soplo de aire fresco que ayuda a la policia de la ciudad a encarcelar a los mafiosos y criminales. Pero tambien es la pareja de Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal en esta ocasión, anteriormente encarnada por Katie Holmes y lo peor de ambas películas a mi parecer, ya que ambas resultan igual de insípidas e insulsas), antigua compañera de Wayne, por lo que también se establecerá un triángulo amoroso que será el eje motor de la actuación de Dent y Batman según avance la película.

Y así nos embarcaremos desde el primer minuto del filme, en un ritmo frenético con 3 puntos de referencia. Veremos como Joker deja un reguero de caos a su alrededor y como Batman llega a perder los papeles por perseguir al sanguinario y destructivo Joker. Como Batman deja a un lado sus principios de justiciero legal para enfrentarse cara a cara al mal. Y como, finalmente, lo que clama es venganza y no justicia (2 palabras cuyo significado aprendió en la primera entrega de la mano de Rachel).

Pero Joker, además es un manipulador innato, y esa habilidad la usará en su bien para corromper al fiscal del distrito y hacer que el único rayo de esperanza que invade Gotham sea pervertido a la oscuridad más absoluta (grandísimo acierto la razón de la "corrupción" del personaje), generando a otro villano similar a él. Harvey 2 caras.

Y durante toda la película, avanzaremos en las diferentes tramas enlazadas por un Joker brutal y sin remordimientos, cuya principal baza es que no tiene nada que perder, a diferencia del resto de los protagonistas.

Nos encontraremos con varias escenas angustiosas (la del barco, o los rehenes por poner dos ejemplos), varias preguntas cuya respuesta depende de la situación en la que te encuentres, nuevos artilugios de el caballero oscuro (si el acróbata o tanqueta de batman begins es buena, la batmoto es impresionante):

Y personajes que repiten en esta segunda entrega de Nolan como Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Alfred (Michael Caine) y el ahora ya Comisario Gordon (Gary Oldman).

En definitiva, una de las mejores películas de esta década. Y ésta calificación no viene de que a mi particularmente me gusten los superhéroes, porque como ya dije al principio, no es un film al uso de superhéroes. Razones hay muchas. Uno de los mejores villanos de toda la historia del cine. Un héroe que se plantea su labor y que llega a rozar la línea que separa el bien del mal (el uso de medios ilícitos para conseguir atrapar a Joker). La caída en desgracia del fiscal por haber entrado en el juego del Joker. La magnífica banda sonora que nos acompaña con cada una de sus notas cada escena del filme. La más que correctísima actuación de sus protagonistas aunque con un vencedor claro en cuanto a interpretación. Todo esto y mucho más, hace que no os podais perder "El Caballero Oscuro" y que cuando editen la película en DVD pase a formar parte de la filmoteca de cualquier Cinéfago empedernido.

Karelia

Da heute, am Donnerstag den 21. August, der neue Batman Film The Dark Knight in die deutschen Kinos kommt, lief in den vergangenen Tagen natürlich vermehrt Werbung im Fernsehen für den anstehenden düsteren Blockbuster. Das ist jedoch nichts im Vergleich zu dem viralen Marketing im Internet für den neuen Batman. Hier ein kleiner Auszug von der ganzen Werbeschlacht die besonders die Optik des Jokers, Batmans Widersacher, verwendet:

http://www.rent-a-clown.com/
http://www.gothampolice.com/
http://www.ibelieveinharveydent.com/
http://www.thegothamtimes.com/
http://www.gothamnationalbank.com/

Bereits kurz nach erscheinen, das Marketing im Vorfeld hat sicherlich auch dazu beigetragen, hat es The Dark Knight auf den ersten Platz der Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Top 250 Movies Liste geschaft. Das ist in soweit eine Besonderheit, da der erste Pate Film von 1972, diese Liste viele Jahre ununterbrochen angeführt hatte. Nicht mal die Herr der Ringe-Filme haben diese Dominanz brechen können.
Zwischenzeitlich brach ein Krieg zwischen den Fanlagern beider Filme aus, worin jeweils der andere Film schlecht bewertet wurde. Als Konsequenz dessen rangiert nun der Film Die Verurteilten an erster Position - wenn zwei sich streiten... und so weiter... ;)

The Dark Nights hat in den USA, am Starttag sowie am Startwochenende, so viel eingespielt wie noch kein Film zuvor. Insgesamt hat nur Titanic, der Streifen mit Leonardo DiCaprio, mehr eingespielt. Auch die Kritiken sind bisher zu meist sehr positiv.

Doch bevor ich weiter schreibe, über wohl DEN FILM DES JAHRES, verlinke ich auf den englischen Trailer:

Ich habe deshalb auf den englischen Trailer verwiesen, da mir die deutsche Synchronisation nicht so zu sagt. Gerade mit der deutsche Stimme des Jokers, gesprochen von Simon Jäger, dem Synchronsprecher Heath Ledgers auch schon in vorherigen Filmen, habe ich so meine Probleme. Der deutsche Joker klingt einfach zu nett und wird seinem ausgeflippten Äußeren leider nicht gerecht.
Auf YouTube gibt es ein Video mit einem Vergleich.

Und wenn ich ihn erwähne, muss ich auch das traurige Thema ansprechen. Das dies der letzte Film Heath Ledgers ist, wird wohl bekannt sein. Am 22. Januar wurde sein lebloser Körper in seinem Appartement aufgefunden. Er starb im Alter von 28 vermutlich versehentlich an einer Überdosis verschiedenster Medikamente. Weltbekannt wurde er nach der Oscar-Nominierung 2006, als bester Hauptdarsteller im Film Brokeback Mountain.

Das letzte, dramatisch euphorisch klingende, Musikstück des Trailers hat es mir besonders angetan. Es trägt den selben Namen wie der Film The Dark Knight und stammt von Hans Zimmer und James Newton Howard. Diese Komposition befindet sich auf dem sehr guten Soundtrack-Album des Films.
Reinhören kann man auf der Offiziellen Soundtrack Website.
Batmans.de hat einen ausführlichen Bericht über den Soundtrack veröffentlicht.
 

Konsum:

Der Soundtrack zu The Dark Knight bei Amazon.de

Me gusta el papel del Joker como equilibrio entre todos los personajes. No es típico malo que quiere crear un caos a nivel mundial (véase La Jungla 4.0, ejemplo perfecto de malo-pereza donde el personaje de Timothy Olyphant muere, el público aplaude y se queda como estaba). Joker es la piedra angular que mueve la película, su existencia es la que da sentido a Batman y a Harvey Dent.

Me gusta que Christopher Nolan se haya cortado un poco con los movimientos de cámara en las escenas de acción. Batman Begins en cine fue casi peor que El mito de Bourne. Sí, me refiero a esa tendencia en la que parece que cuanto menos distingamos en una pelea, mejor. Quedaba bien en Salvar al soldado Ryan y en Gladiator porque no era muy acusado y en todo momento distinguías lo que estabas viendo. Lo justifico si la intención es desorientar al espectador durante un momento concreto, pero abusar de ello en todas las escenas de acción me parece excesivo. Creo que en este ejemplo queda suficientemente claro a qué me refiero.

Me gustan las armas elegidas durante la película así como sus efectos de sonido. Mención especial a la Glock 18 y a la Smith & Wesson M76 que utiliza Joker. En particular, esta última creo que es una elección muy acertada: un arma barata que tuvo su eclosión durante la Guerra de Vietnam (guerra sucia y llena de desequilibrios y secuelas mentales para los que combatieron en ella) y estaba dedicada a operaciones clandestinas. Es el reflejo perfecto de la mentalidad del Joker en un subfusil. Armas atípicas para un personaje atípico.

Me encanta que no salga Katie Holmes. ¿Hay algo más que decir al respecto? Sí. Podría no salir también Maggie Gyllenhaal. Me parece que ambas elecciones son un tanto cursis y es un papel bastante petardo. No obstante, me encanta el desarrollo de su personaje en esta película. Quien la haya visto sabrá a lo que me refiero.

Me gusta la caracterización del Joker: el traje hortera hecho a medida (aunque he visto alguna que otra cosa en H&M que se le parece), el pelo, el chaleco... Me encanta el aspecto grunge que le han dado, lejos de la perfecta uniformidad del Joker de Jack Nicholson que, con todos mis respetos, ahora parece más un payaso inofensivo. Mención especial a la voz en inglés: sin palabras. Creo que es una película para ver en versión original. Este joker creará escuela y dejará secuelas.

Me gustan los movimientos de los equipos SWAT. Por fin tienen un aspecto profesional y no parecen Los Hombres de Harrelson de los años 70.

Me gusta la banda sonora. Hans Zimmer y James Newton Howard recuperan parte del clasicismo que le dio Danny Elfman en las primeras películas y vuelve a hacer que ver a Batman por las calles de Gotham (o debería decir Chicago) te ponga los pelos de punta.

Me gustan las frases del Joker. En particular: "Soy un hombre de gustos sencillos. Adoro la dinamita, la gasolina y la pólvora. ¿Sabes qué tienen en común? Que son baratas." Esto me remite de nuevo a la M76.

Me gusta Bruce Wayne. Sí, todos pensamos lo mismo cuando lo vimos salir del helicóptero al aterrizar en su ático: "De mayor quiero ser como él".

Me gusta el principio de la película: el homenaje a Heat con la escena del banco, el personaje de William Fitchner (ya me gustaría que el director de la sucursal de mi banco se comportara así), los planos de los payasos deslizándose entre edificios... No digo más para no entrar en spoilers.

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Speaking of Frightened Rabbit, they'll be at Lee's Palace on October 21 as support for some band I've never heard of.  Concert calendar: UPDATED.  (via Chromewaves).

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We went out to see The Dark Knight (in IMAX, natch) on Saturday night.  Loved it.  There was a significant lineup to get into the theater even though it's been in theaters for a month.  I won't rehash what I liked and didn't like as all those points have been done to death in a million reviews.  Except I will point out that the score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard is fantastic, and I don't think it's been mentioned by enough critics.  Between Gladiator, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, Zimmer now the composer to go to if you want your movie to feel big.  Not bad for a former Buggle.

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Hip-hop lyric of the day:

"You said your girl looked like Drew Barrymore.
I met her, she looks like Drew Carey more."

First time I've ever decided to buy an album from hearing the first two lines of a song.  If you like your hip-hop old school, with playful lyrics full of pop culture references (many Canada-specific), check out Burglaritis from Wordburglar [MySpace].

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst/cbf1d76e7a5b751b7da5861cb9c820ef.mp3"]

Gladiator Main Score - Hans Zimmer

The Rock Main - Hans Zimmer

Fahrenheit - Immediate Music

With Great Power - Immediate Music

used: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix -  Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Trailer -  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Trailer - The Simpsons Movie Trailer - Tristan and Isolde Trailer - Underworld: Evolution Trailer - War of the Worlds Trailer - War of the Worlds Trailer - Cinderella Man  Trailer - The Good German Trailer - Ghost Rider Trailer -  Wall-E Trailer.

Comunque comincio con la recensione del film che ha ispirato questo blog, cercando di darvi un'idea di quello che per me ha significato.

The Dark Knight è un capolavoro, una pietra miliare del cinema moderno, con cui qualsiasi regista che d'ora in poi vorrà raccontare di mafia, criminalità, amore o anche solo di supereroi dovrà confrontarsi.

Che Nolan fosse un genio già si sapeva. Vidi Insomnia al cinema, quando uscì, e anche se non sapevo nulla del regista e dei film in genere, mi piacque. Vidi The Prestige quando uscì, e anche se non lo apprezzai subito pienamente, ora sono convinto che sia un'opera estremamente sottile e intelligente, senza dubbio il miglior film di Nolan (fino a pochi giorni fa). Quando Alfred Borden esce dal teatro dove lavora come aiutante e incontra Sarah e suo nipote sulle scale, mostra a quest'ultimo un gioco di destrezza con una moneta che, guarda caso, ha due facce identiche, due teste... La sola cosa che la differenzia dalla moneta di Harvey Dent è che l'una ha due facce della regina Vittoria, l'altra due facce della Libertà personificata. Che Nolan abbia voluto mostrarci che questo film è il seguito di The Prestige e non di Batman Begins, perchè mostra di nuovo e più in fondo a quali tristi conseguenze l'ambizione e la sfida con un avversario alla tua altezza portano inevitabilmente? Vidi Memento la scorsa estate e capii che i fratelli Nolan non sono solo un duo che riesce a conquistare tanto la critica quanto il grande pubblico, ma anche i maggiori sceneggiatori al mondo. Vidi Following, debutto del regista, all'inizio di quest'anno, e lo considero nel suo piccolo un lavoro visionario che racchiude già l'essenza del cinema di Nolan: il rapporto con l'azione criminosa (in ogni film di Nolan c'è almeno un omicidio), con le forze dell'ordine (in ogni film di Nolan c'è almeno un poliziotto), il tema del doppio ecc... Poi c'è Batman Begins, che vidi per la prima volta nella sua interezza lo scorso ottobre. Quale modo migliore di riportare alla ribalta il migliore personaggio dei fumetti mai esistito?

Recensire The Dark Knight facendo un parallelo con Batman Begins porterebbe fuori strada. Sì perchè questo film supera il suo predecessore sotto ogni aspetto.

Fare una classifica degli attori non è facile. Ledger spicca su tutti ovviamente, ma gli altri stanno al passo. Bale non fa l'interpretazione migliore della sua carriera, ma essendo i migliore attore del mondo quello che riesce a fare basta e avanza. Oldman stavolta ha più spazio e lo sfrutta dando prova di quel grande attore che è.

Wally Pfister, direttore della fotografia di Nolan fin da Memento, dimostra come al solito il suo talento, dalle riprese aeree diurne fino ai primi piani nelle più buie notti di Gotham City. Per lui ci sarà senz'altro la terza candidatura all'Oscar consecutiva, dopo Batman Begins e The Prestige. Speriamo che stavolta riesca anche a portare a casa la statuetta.

Hans Zimmer ha scritto per il Joker un tema che non ha pari nella storia delle colonne sonore. Un tema coraggioso, che solo i meno attenti possono definire rumore. Con questo score in sottofondo le riprese di Nolan acquistano quel valore aggiunto che le rende indimenticabili.

Nathan Crowley corona il suo impeccabile lavoro come production designer con quel gioiello per gli occhi che è il BatPod.

Lee Smith, già editor dei due precedenti film di Nolan, non chè di Master & Commander, si supera nella scena dei tre contemporanei tentativi di omicidio da parte del Joker.

Johnatan Nolan, non tutti lo sanno, ha scritto col fratello Memento e The Prestige, ma non Batman Begins, e qui sta forse il primo vero valore aggiunto di questa pellicola. Quando i due fratelli scrivono assieme, qualcosa di magico esce dalle loro mani.

Christopher Nolan, non ci girerò intorno, è per me il miglior regista vivente. Un mese fa avrei ripetuto che Martin Scorsese, un regista che per me è sinonimo stesso di cinema, non aveva rivali. Ora non la penso così. Sì perchè The Dark Knight è più ambizioso, intelligente, drammatico ed emozionante di The Departed. La filmografia di Scorsese non ha pari, ma forse ha trovato un degno erede, e forse questo erede non è P.T. Anderson. Quando ho visto la sequenza della rapina all'inizio del film, a partire dalla camera che si avvicina al grattacielo fino alla fuga in autobus, mi sono seriamente chiesto quali altre scene avessi mai visto che potessero stare al passo di quella, e non ho trovato risposta. E' stato allora che ho capito di stare assistendo a uno degli eventi socialmente, culturalmente e artisticamente più alti dei nostri tempi.

Lo spettatore che si avvicina a questo film pensando di vedere l'ennesima avventura dell'uomo pipistrello non resta certo deluso, ma nemmeno può apprezzare la genialità di ciò che Nolan ha fatto. Prendi una cosa che tutti credono banale e fanne un'opera d'arte di qualità inestimabile. Facile fare il film più bello di tutti i tempi parlando di olocausto, guerra o disastri nautici... Ma con Batman? Impossibile. O forse no...

Quando si seppe che il seguito di Batman Begins si sarebbe intitolanto The Dark Knight, nessuno poteva immaginare quanto nell'oscurità Nolan si volesse spingere. Molto, evidentemente. Sì perchè stavolta dalla sala non si esce con un sentimento di speranza, esaltazione e trionfo, ma quasi di triste rassegnazione. Harvey Dent, l'uomo che la provvidenza sembrava aver mandato a redimere Gotham, l'uomo amato dalla gente, l'idealista che non si ferma di fronte a nulla per far trionfare la giustizia, diventa un criminale. Hero today, gone tomorrow... Rachel Dawes, la sola speranza di una vita normale per Bruce Wayne, si innamora dell'uomo che avrebbe permesso a Gotham di non avere più bisogno di Batman, e a Wayne di stare finalmente con lei. La sua decisione di sposare Dent è l'ennesimo boccone amaro del film. E Batman, Batman non è mai stato più perdente. Perde Dent, colui che doveva prendere il suo posto in seno alla vera giustizia. Perde Rachel, cioè quanto di meglio la vita aveva da offrirgli. Perde, infine, se stesso, e la consapevolezza di essere dalla parte giusta. Sì perchè Batman sembra provocare più danni di quanti ne risolva. Il Joker, questo indimenticabile e terrificante Ledger, questo agente del caos, non uccide per soldi, nè per onore, ma per gioco, per giocare con Batman, il suo alter-ego, l'altro mostro, la sua vera ragione di vita, senza il quale anche lui forse non saprebbe che fare. E così alla fine questi due personaggi geniali, così diversi e così simili, questi due numeri uno con il comune gusto per la teatralità, finiscono per completarsi a vicenda, sono l'uno la ragion d'essere dell'altro, l'uno lo specchio dell'altro.

Bruce sapeva cosa doveva diventare per fermare uomini come lui, e alla fine lo diventa davvero. Un uomo in fuga, ma non dalla polizia, piuttosto da se stesso, a chiedersi se davvero Gotham aveva bisogno di lui, di un cavaliere oscuro, o lui bisogno di Gotham.

Si parla già del terzo film. Nolan ha detto che per ora non ci ha pensato, e si gode il grande successo di TDK. Forse prima farà The Prisoner, di cui già da tempo si parla. Poi si dedicherà al terzo capitolo di questa fantastica trilogia, con che cattivi non è, al momento, dato sapere. Ledger, vivo nella finzione, ha lasciato questo mondo. Eckart, pronto a girare di nuovo con Nolan, è morto nella finzione... Ma non c'è da preoccuparsi. Nolan troverà il modo di superarsi, un'altra volta.

Sì perchè ogni numero di magia è composto da tre parti, o atti. La prima parte è chiamata la Promessa: l'illusionista vi mostra qualcosa di ordinario, un mazzo di carte, un uccelino o un uomo [Batman Begins]. Vi mostra questo oggetto, magari vi chiede di ispezionarlo, di controllare che sia davvero reale, inalterato, normale, ma ovviamente è probabile che non lo sia. Il secondo atto è chiamato la Svolta: l'illusionista prende quel qualcosa di ordinario e lo trasforma in qualcosa di straordinario [The Dark Knight]. Ora, voi state cercando il segreto, ma non lo troverete, perchè in realtà non state davvero guardando, voi non volete saperlo, voi volete essere ingannati... Ma ancora non applaudite, perchè far sparire una cosa non è sufficiente, bisogna anche farla riapparire. Ecco perchè ogni numero di magia ha un terzo atto, la parte più ardua, la parte che chiamiamo il Prestigio [?].

THE DARK KNIGHT

*****

23 luglio 2008

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst3/2a95c2646ca788fee59e81ac559021a1.mp3"]

Letra: ST Lyrics
Duración: 4'14''

Gladiator (Soundtrack) Publicado: 25/04/2000 © 2000 Universal Classics Group Gladiator (Soundtrack) en iTunes Store

Más información: Wikipedia

This is an extraordinary film for a fourth or so sequel. I think that the director, Christopher Nolan, has a proven skill at weaving psychologically arresting threads into his stories. In this film the musical contribution by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer reenforced this mood. A throbbing baseline of kettle drums helped at the right moments to get that sensation of throbbing of blood in veins at heightened periods of the story. This "dark" film was admirably photographed under the direction of Wally Pfister.

The script by the two Nolans, Christopher and Jonathon, was always above average but sometimes very good indeed. I refuse to give all the credit to the actors. Having brought up the subject of actors, let me state without equivacation that Heath Ledger's "Joker" was a great piece of acting. He made this film with his interpretation of this character. He stole the show. This isn't easy to do when you're a villain in a film.

Parenthetically, the inspiration for the appearance of "The Joker" seems to be from a French stage production of Victor Hugo's The Boy Who Laughs. I have a picture of the clown-like actor (in slightly grotesque make-up), and the instant I saw Ledger's interpretation I thought of Hugo's character. It really is a brilliant homage to a great writer. 

Be that as it may, we are left with a hero borrowed from DC Comics, Batman to consider, and a theoretically endless conflict between "cops and robbers." It is true that Batman is not a cop, but he IS a more dedicated crimefighter than cops, typically, are portrayed to be. He doesn't seem to be weary of fighting "bad guys," which is a necessary social requirement, as he sees it, but he is burdened nevertheless--much after the fashion of the legendary Sisyphus--with the sense of its ultimate futility.

Besides this antagonist (Heath Ledger) and protagonist (Christian Bale) set, there are a large number of well-known, accomplished actors in this film, such as Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine and Aaron Eckhart. However, of all the actors playing in this film besides Ledger, I thought that Gary Oldman's "Lt. James Gordon" was the strongest realization. In passing I say that young Nathan Gamble ("James Gordon, Jr.") has progressed since his role in The Mist. Once again, I'll give the lion's share of credit for his improvement to Nolan. Lastly, it was nice to see Eric Roberts on the screen, playing the gangster, "Salvatore Maroni." He made a splash in the film The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984), which was an amusing film, starring Mickey Rourke. His sister, Julia, has been getting attention for years.

Over all, the supporting cast and extras were extensive and a film strength. The positioning and choreography were all done well, as at parties, meetings, street scenes, and so on. The film editing by Lee Smith was good. Therefore, though often dark or shadowy, the film looked good.

The Big capsule: The film is introduced by animation amounting to advertising by DC Comics. From about the usual height of an urban helicopter the camera zooms in toward a highrise office building. On the street oddly disguised men are about. They charge into a bank waving guns and demanding cooperation. Each wears a clown mask. Before they could make much progress, the bank manager breaks out a piece of heavy-duty hardware and marches toward the crouching clowns, shooting. For the clowns it is a tough day. They are being "picked off" by the manager and they are also, apparently as part of a secret plan to lessen the split, shooting one another. There are allusions to a weirdo who wears make-up. Folks, he's there, wearing a mask, and coldly killing anyone who is deemed expendable. The cops do eventually show up. The 'main man" clown is already away with the loot. This gives the filmtale an opportune moment to introduce "Harvey Dent" (Aaron Eckhart) as Gotham's City Attorney. He is a salient outpost of justice in a suspect government. He is "Mr. Clean" and a heroic foe of crime. He is sincere about ridding Gotham of the criminal element. As such, he is a spiritual teammate of Batman. As chance would have it, he and Batman love the same woman, "Rachel Dawes" (Maggie Gyllenhaal). She works with Harvey Dent at the City Attorny's desk. She has basically turned her back on Batman romantically, so long as he WAS Batman, rather than Bruce Wayne. The film allows moviegoers the chance to see them at the office and in court, where they try to "nail" mobster "Maroni" (Roberts). "Lt. james Gordon" (Gary Oldman) is brought into the story, and we see him trying to summons Batman. This sets the movie for a fascinating run, led by Ledger's "Joker" who wants to bring a better class of criminal to Gotham. He is downright crazy-creepy at times. One wonders wherever parents got the idea that a clown would be perceived as anything other than some kind of monster. Nevertheless, he does bring a sort of saucy, mordant humor to bear on his attempts at "reaching out" to others. Relationships are very important in this film. An array of emotions are engendered as they interact. Due to Bales grim sense of duty as Batman, he isn't usually an entertaining personality. Aaron Eckhart was the bright, shining knight fighting crime as City Attorney, getting the girl, Rachel, and apparently heading onward and upward. It is an interesting contrast. He gets great press, while Batman gets increasingly "dissed" as a "vigilante." While Harvey Dent is a "golden boy," cracking a big smile with natural ease, Batman/Bruce Wayne daily hoisted his burden of trying to protect a thankless, crime-prone population from crime. as is often the case nowadays in films, a potential global syndicate is forming under the federation of various Gotham crime lords and a Hong Kong money launderer named "Lau" (Chin Han). Since Mr. Lau has a prosperous capitalist facade to project legitimacy, his business interests also meet those of Wayne Industries. There is the potential for a partnership, which is finally vetoed by Bruce after Lucius Fox (Freeman) uncovers "irregularities." The plot conjours popular sloguns such as "We're all connected" and "It's a small world after all" with these relationships. And after all, Bruce Wayne's arms could have been around Rachel Dawes instead of those of Harvey Dent, if he'd "ditched" that "Batman thing." Interestingly, The Nolans were able to demonstrate that basically Harvey Dent wore two masks also. When the moviegoer reflects upon the mask worn by the Joker, as well as many of his pro tempore assistants in crime, the metaphor becomes manifest. When Mr. Lau is known to wear two masks and when we notice that even good old Lt. Gordon dons a "death mask,"  it seems clear that the filmmakers are making a statement: Wherever we go on life's stage, we are prone to wear a mask suitable to that scene; as scenes change, we assume a different mask, which we believe or hope is suitable to it. Success follows the adroit. In this film Batman and Joker are most adroit. If everything that rises must converge, then conflict at the top is assured. Yet, men such as the Joker are not usually eliminated but, as with Sisyphus's great stone, must be eternally strifed with without a conclusion. No wonder Batman is grim. No wonder Rachel Dawes tells Bruce Wayne: "No thanks."

Meanwhile, thanks to Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, we can all listen and weep!

Antrozous - Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard

Barbastella - Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard

Eptesicus - Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard

1) Blockbusters associeer je vaak met simplistische, stereotype en voorspelbare films. The Dark Knight vertelt dan wel de typische Batman plot -goed versus kwaad en hoe moeilijk het is voor de mens om hier een lijn tussen te trekken - maar doet dit op een intrigerende manier. Het is een gitzwarte film met een duistere rand, waardoor je meer dan twee uur op de verlossing van Gotham zit te wachten. De film is samen met Batman Begins trouwens erg verschillend van Tim Burtons Batman films, die Burton-gewijs sprookjesachtiger waren.

2) De verbluffende acteerprestaties van onder andere the Batman Christian Bale, zijn butler Michael Caine, de "good cop" Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart aka Two-Face én uiteraard Heath Legder die hier een Joker neerzet die je van je stoel blaast! De personages zijn in deze film bovendien heel sterk uitgewerkt waardoor het verhaal "geloofwaardiger" wordt (voor zover dat kan wanneer het hoofdpersonage een multimiljardair is die zich 's nachts verkleed als een vleermuis om de wereld te redden van de morele ondergang ;-) ).

3) De soundtrack van Hans Zimmer, die ook de indrukwekkende soundtrack van Pirates of the Caribbean op zijn naam heeft staan.

4) En uiteraard, ik vermelde het al eerder op mijn blog, omwille van Heath Legder. The Joker was één van zijn laatste acteerprestaties, en het is er één om trots op te zijn. De lovende recensies waren meer dan terecht. Ledger toonde met deze rol nog maar eens dat hij meer was dan een tieneridool uit stroperige chick flicks. The Joker kicks ass ;-)

Checken dus!!

Ieri, in un raptus di cinefilia, sono andato a vedere un film che attendevo da mesi, l'ultimo lavoro di un signor regista come Christopher Nolan, ovvero Il cavaliere oscuro, secondo capitolo della saga di Batman firmato Nolan.

Eccitato per la sicura riuscita del film (Nolan del resto non sbaglia un colpo), ero un pò perplesso per l'interpretazione di Joker, mio personaggio preferito del fumetto e già reso grandissimo e insuperabile da uno sfolgorante Jack Nicholson diretto da Tim Burton. Devo invece osservare con piacere che Heath Ledger ha recitato il ruolo magistralmente, arrivando in alcuni punti anche ad eguagliare il mitico Jack. Ovviamente Nicholson è insostituibile, ma ammetto che Ledger gli ha dato un tocco sicuramente personale e affascinante, meno schizoide e più realistico, in linea con la riscrittura di tutto il fumetto da parte di Nolan. Merita una citazione anche il grande Aaron Eckhart, che ha recitato un Harvey Dent che gli sembra cucito addosso, anche se il repentino cambiamento da paladino di Gotham a pazzo vendicatore forse poteva essere più convincente. Christian Bale recita con convinzione, ma sicuramente paga lo scotto di una regola da sempre in voga secondo me nei film sull'uomo pipistrello, e cioè che i cattivi eclissano il protagonista; del resto come diceva Hitchcock "più è riuscito il cattivo e più è riuscito il film". Orchestrati bene anche i protagonisti minori: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine e Gary Oldman sempre ottimi, una più realistica Maggie Gyllenhall sostituisce Katie Holmes. Un ultima parola sulla colonna sonora: il lavoro di due grandissimi come Hans Zimmer e James Newton Howard riescono a creare un'atmosfera davvero legata all'immaginario cupo e tetro di Gotham City, emozionante, avvincente, grandiosa.

Secondo una mia personale classifica, i primi due episodi di Tim Burton sono eccellenti e imparagonabili sia con i risultati deludenti di Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever e Batman & Robin), sia col primo (ma ottimo) Nolan di Batman Begins. Il cavaliere oscuro è però superiore allo stesso Burton: i protagonisti (Nicholson, De Vito, Pfeiffer) sono sempre stati l'attrazione e il maggior pregio dei film di Burton e in generale di tutta la serie, ma la costruzione della storia, una sceneggiatura che ha tanta carne al fuoco ma è equilibratissima, la forza della narrazione e l'immagine complessiva del film (ma anche la presenza di notevoli e numerosi effetti speciali), sono elementi che arridono a Nolan. Certo Tim Burton ha il pregio di aver dato il via a questa saga, di aver prodotto degli ottimi film già nel 1989, di aver dato loro un tocco di stravaganza, di aver fatto nascere questo mythos cinematografico, ma Il cavaliere oscuro è a mio avviso uno dei prodotti meglio riusciti degli ultimi anni. Andate a vederlo!

Che Nolan fosse un genio già si sapeva. Vidi Insomnia al cinema quando uscì, e anche se allora non capivo nulla di cinema, mi piacque. Vidi The Prestige, quando uscì, e non lo apprezzai subito in pieno, ma ora sono convinto che sia un’opera estremamente intelligente e sottile, senza dubbio il miglior film di Nolan. Sì certo, fino a ieri sera. Giacomo ama The Pretige quanto me, ma ti sei accorto, sì Giacomo dico a te, ti sei accorto che la moneta di Dent è la stessa, mi pare, che Alfred Borden mostra al nipote di Sarah sulle scale fuori da casa loro? O comunque entrambe sono a due facce identiche, due teste. Che Nolan abbia voluto dimostrare che questo film è il seguito di quello e non di Batman Begins, perchè mostra di nuovo e più in fordo a quali tristi conseguenze l’ambizione e la sfida con un avversario alla tua altezza portano inevitabilemte? Vidi Memento la scorsa estate (come sa bene il tagiama) e capii che i fratelli Nolan non sono solo una coppia che riesce a far sì che i suoi lavori siano apprezzati tanto dal pubblico quanto dalla critica, ma sono i migliori sceneggiatori viventi. Vidi Following, debutto del regista, all’inizio di quest’anno, e lo considero nel suo piccolo un lavoro visionario che racchide già l’essenza del cinema di Nolan: il rapporto con l’azione criminosa, il tema del doppio, il problema della giustezza di un’azione di per sè sbagliata ma diretta a un buon fine. Poi c’è Batman Begins, che vidi per la prima volta nella sua interezza lo scorso ottobre. Quale modo più elegante di riportare alla ribalta il migliore eroe dei fumetti mai esistito!

Recensire The Dark Knight facendo un parallelo con Batman Begins mi porterebbe fuori strada, sì perchè questo film supera il suo predecessore sotto ogni aspetto.

Fare una classifica degli attori non è facile. Ledger spicca su tutti ovviamente, ma gli altri stanno al passo. Bale non fa l’interpretazione migliore della sua carriera, ma essendo il miglior attore del mondo, ci possiamo accontentare. Oldman ha più spazio stavolta e dimostra come sempre di meritarselo. Gli altri fanno il loro lavoro a dovere.

Wally Pfister, direttore della fotografia di Nolan sin da Memento, come al solito dimostra il suo talento, dalle riprese aeree diurne, ai primi piani nelle più torbide notti di Gotham City. Per lui ci sarà senz’altro la terza candidatura all’Oscar consecutiva dopo Batman Begins e The Prestige. Si spera che stavolta se la porti a casa la statuetta...

Hans Zimmer ha scritto per il Joker un tema che non ha pari nella storia delle colonne sonore. Un tema coraggioso, che solo i meno attenti possono definire rumore. James Newton Howard fa il resto con il tema di Harvey Dent. Con questo score in sottofondo le riprese di Nolan acquistano quel valore aggiunto che le rende indimenticabili.

Nathan Crowley corona il suo impeccabile lavoro come production designer con quel gioiello per gli occhi che è il batpod.

Lee Smith, già editor dei due precedenti film di Nolan, nonchè di Master & Commander, si supera nella scena dei tre contemporanei tentativi di omicidio da parte del Joker.

Jonathan Nolan, non tutti lo sanno, ha scritto col fratello The Prestige e Memento, MA non Batman Begins, e qui, qui sta il primo vero valore aggiunto del capolavoro il cui solo nome mi sento indegno di pronunciare. Quando i due fretelli scrivono assieme, qualcosa di magico esce dalle loro mani.

Christopher Nolan, non è il caso di girarci intorno, è il miglior regista del mondo attualmente. Sì perchè The Dark Knight è più ambizioso, intelligente, cupo, drammatico, emozionante e sconvolgente di The Departed. Scorsese è un genio e la sua filmografia non ha pari, ma forse ha trovato un degno erede, e forse questo erede non è P.T. Anderson. Quando un amante del cinema vede una sequenza come quella della rapina all’inizio del film, a partire dalla camera che si avvicina al grattacielo fino alla fuga in autobus, beh... se la sua emozione non è tale da impedirgli di pensare, si chiederà senz’altro se ha mai visto una scena meglio diretta di quella, e non trovando risposta, si arrenderà all’evidenza di stare assistendo a uno degli eventi socialmente, culturalmente e artisticamente più alti dei nostri tempi oscuri.

Lo spettatore che si avvicinasse a questo film pensando di vedere l’ennesima avventura dell’uomo pipistrello non resterebbe certo deluso, ma nemmeno apprezzerebbe la genialità di ciò che Nolan ha fatto.

Prendi una cosa che tutti credono banale e fanne un’opera d’arte di qualità inestimabile. Facile fare il film più bello di sempre parlando di olocausto, di mafia, di amore, di guerra... Ma con Batman? Impossibile. O forse no...

Quando sapemmo che il seguito di Batman Begins si sarebbe intitolato The Dark Knight, nessuno poteva immaginare quanto nell’oscurità Nolan volesse scendere. Molto, evidentemente. Sì perchè stavolta dalla sala non si esce con un sentimento di speranza, esaltazione e trionfo, ma quasi di triste rassegnazione. Harvey Dent, l’uomo che la provvidenza sembrava aver mandato a redimere Gotham, l’uomo amato dalla gente, l’idealista che non si ferma di fronte a nulla per far trionfare la giustizia, diventa un criminale. Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow... Rachel Dawes, la sola speranza per una vita normale per Bruce Wayne, si innamora dell’uomo che avrebbe permesso a Gotham di non avere più bisogno di Batman, e a Wayne di stare finalmente con lei. La sua decisione di sposare Dent è l’ennesimo boccone amaro del film. E Batman, Batman non è mai stato più perdente. Perde Dent, colui che doveva prendere il suo posto, ma in seno alla vera giustizia. Perde Rachel, cioè tutto quello che la vita aveva da offrirgli. Perde, infine, se stesso, e la consapevolezza di essere dalla parte giusta. Sì perchè Batman sembra provocare più danni di quanti ne risolva. Il Joker, questo indimenticabile e terrificante Ledger, questo agente del caos, non uccide per soldi, nè per onore, ma per gioco, sì per giocare con Batman, il suo alter-ego, l’altro mostro, la sua vera ragione di vivere, senza la quale anche lui forse non saprebbe che fare. E così alla fine questi due personaggi geniali, così diversi e così simili, così fuori-legge, questi numeri uno con il comune gusto per la teatralità, finiscono per completarsi a vicenda, sono l’uno la ragion d’essere dell’altro, l’uno lo specchio dell’altro.

Bruce sapeva cosa doveva diventare per fermare un uomo come lui... e alla fine lo è diventato davvero. Un uomo in fuga, ma non dalla polizia piuttosto da sè e dal suo passato, a chiedersi se davvero Gotham aveva bisogno di lui, di un cavaliere oscuro, o lui bisogno di Gotham.

Si parla già, sento, del terzo film. Nolan ha detto che per ora non ci ha pensato. Forse prima farà The Prisoner, di cui già da tempo si parla. Poi si dedicherà al terzo capitolo, con che cattivi non è, al momento, possibile dire. Colui che muore è vivo, e colui che vive è morto... Ma non c’è da preoccuparsi. Nolan troverà il modo di superarsi, un’altra volta.

Sì perchè ogni numero di magia è composto da tre parti, o atti. La prima parte è chiamata la Promessa: l’illusionista vi mostra qualcosa di ordinario, un mazzo di carte, un uccellino o un uomo [Batman Begins]. Vi mostra questo oggetto, magari vi chiede di ispezionarlo, di controllare che sia davvero reale, inalterato, normale, ma ovviamente è probabile che non lo sia. Il secondo atto è chiamato la Svolta: l’illusonista prende quel qualcosa di ordinario e lo trasforma in qualcosa di straordinario [The Dark Knight]. Ora, voi state cercando il segreto, ma non lo troverete, perchè in realtà non state davvero guardando, voi non volete saperlo, voi volete essere ingannati... Ma ancora non applaudite, perchè far sparire una cosa non è sufficiente, bisogna anche farla riapparire. Ecco perchè ogni numero di magia ha un terzo atto, la parte più ardua, la parte che chiamiamo il Prestigio [?]...

23 luglio 2008:

THE DARK KNIGHT *****

In the realm of movie soundtracks Hans Zimmer is pretty much the authority. With classics like Gladiator, Last Samurai, and co composing duties on the Pirates trilogy, Zimmer has established himself as the premiere movie soundtrack composer. It comes as no surprise then that Zimmer’s composition with James Newton Howard is of the highest quality. The soundtrack does an excellent job conveying the emotions of the film while retaining some the musical trends established in the Batman Begins Soundtrack.

The real standouts of the album are “Why so Serious,” “Introduce a little Anarchy,” and “And I Thought my Jokes Were Bad.” Coincidentally these tracks all seem to relate to Heath Ledger’s Joker whose breathtaking performance is complimented by the power of the tracks accompanying his actions.

There are slight lulls in the soundtrack where the music obviously takes a backseat to the action on screen. This could be a little irritating if you want to enjoy the album by itself, but soundtracks are intended to compliment on screen performances, not overpower them.

Nevertheless, The Dark Knight Original Soundtrack is a great piece of music as a standalone album, but an even greater piece when paired with a fantastic movie. Only the original Danny Elfman theme could have better captured what the Batman is all about.

The Dark Knight - Why so Serious? MP3
Buy Dark Knight now

In the realm of movie soundtracks Hans Zimmer is pretty much the authority. With classics like Gladiator, Last Samurai, and co composing duties on the Pirates trilogy, Zimmer has established himself as the premiere movie soundtrack composer. It comes as no surprise then that Zimmer’s composition with James Newton Howard is of the highest quality. The soundtrack does an excellent job conveying the emotions of the film while retaining some the musical trends established in the Batman Begins Soundtrack.

The real standouts of the album are “Why so Serious,” “Introduce a little Anarchy,” and “And I Thought my Jokes Were Bad.” Coincidentally these tracks all seem to relate to Heath Ledger’s Joker whose breathtaking performance is complimented by the power of the tracks accompanying his actions.

There are slight lulls in the soundtrack where the music obviously takes a backseat to the action on screen. This could be a little irritating if you want to enjoy the album by itself, but soundtracks are intended to compliment on screen performances, not overpower them.

Nevertheless, The Dark Knight Original Soundtrack is a great piece of music as a standalone album, but an even greater piece when paired with a fantastic movie. Only the original Danny Elfman theme could have better captured what the Batman is all about.

The Dark Knight - Why so Serious? MP3
Buy Dark Knight now

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hans zimmer & james newton howard : why so serious?

como desde hace meses ··años?·· estamos enamorados de lili brillanti. como resulta que posó para la h extremo. como alguien escaneó las veintinueve páginas plus la portada y las subió en un rar a rapidshare. como llevamos horas con esta chaqueta mental de invitarlal cine ··tampoco es imposible, o sí? la peli del momento es the dark knight: esa iríamos a ver. como imaginamos que sería increíble que dijera a la salida 'me gustó una rola del soundtrack, no la tendrás por ahí?' para después sorprenderla modestamente con el ipod ··'es ésta?' - 'sí! gracias!'··. como efectivamente bajamos el soundtrack, pero qué güeva postearlo todo. como ya subimos el primer track para ilustrar un post de cinéc. como el track está largón, pero chido y hasta nacón. y como alonso nomás no sube nada:

lili : ojalá nos leyeras. sería hermoso que recibieras este falso regalo.

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hans zimmer & james newton howard : why so serious?

Well, this isn't going to be a movie review, exactly, but it's going to be about movies, and it's going to deal with, in large part, a movie you had a statistical likelihood of seeing this last weekend if you bothered darkening the door of your local movie theatre at all between midnight last Thursday and Sunday evening. (No, shocked as you may be, I'm not talking about Mamma Mia!)

I've been a Batman guy for a loooooooooong time. There was a little Brave and the Bold digest my mom brought me home once when I was probably about five and home sick; it collected this neat little Batman vs. Deadman story which was drawn by Neal Adams -- "You Can't Hide From a Deadman," originally printed in Brave and the Bold #86, Oct/Nov 1969 -- and I was hooked ever since. It was still a few years yet before I started reading comics regularly, but I remember coming in on the tail end of Batman: Year 2, reading Ten Nights of the Beast, The Killing Joke, and A Death in the Family when they were first printed (The Dark Knight Returns I came to about three years late or so just 'cause it looked kinda ugly to this ten year old when I first saw it on the shelves -- let's face it, I was just too young to get it), and I was definitely at the movie theatre on 23 June 1989 for the first night the Burton/Keaton Batman was playing, which I saw three times that summer while it was still in the theatres. A tick over nineteen years later, maybe not much has changed.

I've also been a Christopher Nolan guy for a good bit. I saw Memento three times when it was in theatres, and keep in mind that meant, at least for the first couple of times I saw it, driving about half an hour to the arthouse which was playing it. I talked it up to whomever would listen, took friends to see it, bought David Julyan's score CD, bought the DVD (both versions), and so on. I bought (and quite liked) Following when it came out on DVD, and while for various reasons had to miss Insomnia when it was in theatres, I've enjoyed it on DVD since (but, truthfully, it remains the one I've seen the least number of times -- maybe that's nothing to lose sleep over?).

For me, getting to know a director's work is getting to know what kinds of themes interest them, what kinds of images they consistently use, what they like to do with structure, which actors they re-use, who scores their movies, what kind of pattern they're continuing (or establishing) with new works, and so on. To put it another way, a director is always infinitely more interesting to me when there is something more I can get out of one of their movies by placing it in the context of the rest of their work.

Which brings me to The Dark Knight. There are major spoilers to follow from The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Memento, Following, Insomnia, and The Prestige, so do read at your own risk.

I've seen it twice now; I was lucky enough to get in on the viral marketing IMAX ticket giveaway, only because I live in a market where two hours after the site went live there were still tickets available (although only just -- I was 164/170), and thus saw it 50.5 hours before most of the rest of the world had a chance. I also saw it again (in IMAX, natch) last Friday night. I'll get the easy stuff out of the way first: some movies are overhyped. A couple of well-edited trailers, a flashy marketing campaign, and a couple of glowing early reviews can all add up to a disappointing experience in the actual cinema because in the end, it's "just a movie" and doesn't cure cancer. The Dark Knight is not this movie -- it is every bit as good as you've heard, and gets better on repeat viewings. Everybody brings their A-game, be they in front of the camera or behind the camera, be they in a big role or a small role, and they craft a crime epic for the ages along the lines of Heat or The Departed or L. A. Confidential. This isn't Tim Burton's self-aware, dark-but-comic freakshow; this isn't Joel Schumacher tweaking your nose. And -- I say this as somebody who saw Iron Man twice and who thinks it was absolutely terrific -- this also definitely isn't Jon Favreau's bright, flashy, action-adventure story in which A Flawed But Ultimately Good Man Learns Something While Wearing A Costume. The Dark Knight takes the idea of a "comic book movie" and elevates it to a whole new genre and a whole new level of filmmaking; you'll either like that or you won't (I've read some reviews that say it's pointless to try to elevate source material which is absurd to the core to the level of Hamlet), but if your reasons for not liking a movie like this have to do with the title character being dressed as a bat rather than wearing a shirt and tie, that's really your problem, and not that of the filmmakers.

One thing about the story – two years ago, when the title was revealed and Nolan said it was “quite important to the film” (http://www.batman-on-film.com/batmovienewsarchives48.html), I immediately understood it to be a double entendre with “the dark night”. Putting that together with the recasting of Rachel Dawes rather than creating a new character (seeming to point to the need for somebody in whom we were already invested emotionally), I believed from that moment on that Rachel was going to be dead as a doornail by the end of the film. Sure enough. If the rumors are true that Rachel was originally supposed to be Harvey Dent in Batman Begins until there was a studio note saying “We need a chick in the pic, stat”, then that was a great way for Nolan to take it and run with it.

Okay -- I haven't said anything new there. You've probably read a dozen reviews which have said something similar, so I'll move on now to what I really want to write about.

The Dark Knight keys off of several important ideas set up in Batman Begins; definitely that of "escalation," established in the closing conversation in BB between Gordon and Batman, but also very much the repeated line, "It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me" as well as the notion that Batman isn't just Bruce Wayne in a mask; it is in fact who Bruce Wayne actually is.

And as bleak as people are saying it is, the two important things with which you're left at the end of the movie are a) nobody on either boat pressed the button and b) Batman did not let the Joker fall to his death -- a correction of a huge misunderstanding on Tim Burton's part nineteen years ago, and a clear indicator that Batman has decided that "I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you" is no longer a clear enough line in the moral sand, not when your enemy has no rules whatsoever.

All well and good. However, looking at it through the lens of Nolan's other work, bigger themes start to emerge. Much has been made of how much Nolan likes to play with time, but that's really window dressing, a story-telling tool rather than a theme (and it's telling how, as he has matured as a filmmaker, he's done it less and less). Identity, on the other hand, has been a key question in his movies from the get-go; Following and The Prestige study characters who deliberately take on other identities but then find that they can't just simply go back to normal when they're done. The narrator of Following turns himself into somebody who seems slick and clever and affluent, emulating Cobb as much as he can at Cobb's own encouragement, but in doing so he makes it impossible to prove that Cobb ever existed and/or that he's not, in fact, Cobb -- which was, of course, "all part of the plan" in the first place. Angier and Borden in The Prestige both are leading double lives (I've always thought it was particularly clever of Nolan to cast as his leads actors most famous for playing superheroes, and that it added a fascinating subtext to the film), and must maintain the "act" at all costs, to the extent that their lives are quite dependent on it. In trying to figure out each other's magic tricks, Angier and Borden are actually solving the problem of who the other person actually is.

Memento's Leonard Shelby, on the other hand, is an examination of how our natural identities depend on how we experience time and form memories -- if we can't, we're slaves to external sources of information, never able to trust our own instincts about who we are. As a result, Leonard can never stop mourning the death of his wife, because his own perception of time (or lack thereof) can never provide any distance from it. It will always have just happened for him.

Batman Begins and The Dark Knight bring many of these concepts together. Bruce Wayne, as depicted by Nolan, his brother Jonathan, and David Goyer, has assumed at least one identity (if not two, counting the "playboy Bruce" persona) which changes him and those with whom he interacts permanently. At the same time, the whole reason he does so is because, to a certain extent, he can never get past the trauma of losing his parents, because the one way he knows to heal, revenge, has been taken from him -- and he realizes it won't necessarily do what he hopes for anyway. One way or the other, he's permanently emotionally stuck, much like Leonard Shelby, and this drives him to take on the dual persona (which is itself an interesting inversion of Bale's character/characters in The Prestige, Borden -- two men having to lead one life). To apply Memento's questions, then -- can Bruce trust his own sense of who he is? Is the Batsuit really a message he sends to criminals, or a message he's sending to himself, much like Leonard Shelby's tattoos? To apply The Prestige's questions, can he stop being Batman without causing himself, to say nothing of others, harm?

Several of the films deal with familial loss; Memento and The Prestige both with the loss of a wife under circumstances which are left ambiguous, Batman Begins obviously having the murder of parents as a pivotal point (but also has Ra's Al Ghul talking about taking vengeance for a murdered wife), and The Dark Knight has the murder of Harvey Dent's fiancée as a major engine of the plot (while also showing Gordon's wife mourning his death in the line of duty). All of these cases are motivators for vengeance, but in The Prestige in particular it's clear that Angier's lust for revenge eventually wanes, and he continues out of the sheer momentum of hatred -- "I don't care about my wife, I care about his secret," he spits out halfway through the movie. Looking forward, perhaps we can surmise that Bruce Wayne eventually faces the danger of being Batman just to be Batman, with no particular purpose driving him.

One can draw a line of connection between Dormer's corruption in the name of catching the bad guys in Insomnia to what Gordon and Batman choose to do at the end of The Dark Knight; if it can be proven Dormer planted evidence even once, then it calls all of the convictions to which he's contributed into question. In TDK, if Harvey's spree as Two-Face is made public, their efforts to fight the mob will have been entirely in vain. Bending the rules to make the criminals pay is a slippery slope in Nolan's universe, one with very real consequences. Even if everything ostensibly turns out all right, somebody will have to pay the piper -- and sometimes it's the wrong person.

(By the way, Nolan has mentioned that Aaron Eckhart was looked at for Memento. I think one can look at Eckhart's Two-Face for a glimpse of what he might have been like as Leonard Shelby. I think that was a career-defining performance for Guy Pearce, so I wouldn't have it any other way, but Eckhart would have been really interesting in the role. Different from what we got, but definitely interesting.)

In terms of recurring visual motifs -- there is always a "lair" in Nolan's film, a location where the main character's dark secrets are hidden and their true identity may be found. This goes all the way back to Following, where The Young Man takes Cobb to his apartment under the ruse that it's somebody else's (and of course Cobb knows what's going on immediately). In Memento it is the basement of the abandoned building where Jimmy Gantz's body and Leonard's real clothes have been left. In Insomnia it is Finch's cabin. In Batman Begins and The Dark Knight it is the Batcave (or its temporary replacement). In The Prestige it is the theatre basement where all of Angier's "prestige materials" are kept. More often than not it involves "going down" someplace; I will leave others more qualified to speak about Jungian psychology to discuss the implications of the "descent" into the place where one keeps secrets, potentially even from oneself.

Breaking of legs is something which has shown up twice in a row now -- Angier falls through a trapdoor and the cushion has been removed, shattering the entire limb from the looks of the brace he's put in, and Batman drops Sal Maroni from a height which is just enough to break his ankle (although Nolan is far more subtle about showing Maroni with a cane later than he is with Angier). Being a year and a half out from a broken ankle myself and still recovering to some degree, both of those moments make me squirm each time.

Casting is an interesting point -- Nolan doesn't quite seem to have the "stock company" of David Mamet or, to a lesser degree, of David Lynch or Tim Burton, but three films in a row now have starred Christian Bale and Michael Caine. To some extent, Bale, Guy Pearce, and maybe Following's Jeremy Theobald, too have a visual continuity I can't quite explain -- distinctive faces which wear woundedness well, maybe. Bale and Pearce definitely have a carved-out-of-wood quality -- and I don't mean that in a bad way -- to their facial and bodily structures (harder to say with Theobald). Hugh Jackman and Aaron Eckhart are somewhat the opposite -- classically good-looking men who you want to like and have be the ostensible good guys (which, naturally, is what makes their characters more interesting when they turn). Mark Boone Junior has had significant supporting roles a couple of times, Theobald showed up in a bit role in Batman Begins, and Larry Holden is quite the chameleon, going from L. A. lowlife Jimmy Gantz in Memento to the dapper D. A. Finch in Batman Begins (as well as having a bit in Insomnia). He gets really interesting performances out of people, be it well-established character actors like Joe Pantoliano or Andy Serkis or people harder to define, such as David Bowie -- who, by the way, I really wished would have gotten a Best Supporting Actor nod for Tesla. He was onscreen for all of ten minutes, maybe, but he owned every frame in which he appeared. I'd love for Nolan to find a reason to cast Carrie-Anne Moss again -- her appearance in Memento is still the most interesting thing she's ever done, in black vinyl or out of it, as far as I'm concerned. (Probably, since she's being cast in "mom" roles now -- at all of 40! -- she would be out of the running for a future cinematic appearance of Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Maybe she could play Selina's mother, Cougarwoman?) Gary Oldman disappears so completely into the role of Gordon that it's hard to tell if Nolan is actually giving him any direction or if he's just getting out of the way.

So -- back to The Dark Knight for a moment. What's ahead? Where can a third Batman movie potentially go Or, to put it another way, what in the world do they do to top this one? And I think the answer is, they need to not bother trying. They need to go in the opposite direction and do something smaller, grittier, more – dare I say it – intimate. Maybe even something which feels more like a stage play than a movie – I don’t know, something more like Memento (and maybe even with David Julyan scoring rather than the Zimmer/Howard team, good as it is). They’ve set it up well to go in that direction – Batman is on the run (although presumably Bruce Wayne is not, since his being outed was prevented), his relationship with Lucius is strained (if not severed entirely) so that he won’t be able to just go to him with gadget requests anymore, and so on. Somehow he’ll have to repair what the events of The Dark Knight have broken, but that’s going to require operating on a smaller scale for awhile, I expect. Robin could work within this thematic framework, but it seems unlikely they’d go that way. Presumably in a third movie we’d be able to return to Wayne Manor, which itself could thematically represent some sort of shift back to the status quo.

In terms of what this means for a villain – hard to say. I would say that the Riddler could work on the thematic level – possibly something like Saw, only, y’know, worth watching. I’d be really surprised if the people at the helm wanted to revisit the character. Hard to say. I wonder if maybe somebody like Talia wouldn’t work, perhaps continuing her father’s efforts? It would certainly tie into what’s come before, and with Batman as a reluctant outlaw, there would be the element of temptation for him to join her on several levels. Catwoman could be done easily within the rules of Nolan’s universe, but I doubt Warner Bros. wants to go anywhere near that character for awhile.

(Here’s an idea – what about a Gotham Central TV series set in the Nolanverse between TDK and film #3 -- The Dark Knight Returns??? -- ? If Batman is having to be in hiding to some extent, then he can just be a vague, undefined presence to some extent who doesn’t have to directly appear.)

(Which reminds me – having watched the Gotham Knight DVD a few times now, too, I’ll say that presumably, Anna Ramirez was used instead of Renee Montoya because the powers that be didn’t want Renee Montoya to wind up as a dirty cop. That said, “Crossfire” now makes less sense as a result, not more – unless the point was to make her fall be even tougher for those who figured she was just a generic Montoya stand-in. Also, the Goyer segment doesn’t exactly jive with what we see of Crane at the beginning of The Dark Knight, but at the same time, Gotham Knight appears to also forget that Wayne Manor burned down during Batman Begins, so it’s not an exact match anyway.)

(I will also note that I think the Joker could be recast. Likely? No. Possible? Yes. Nolan would just have to do what he did this time, which is find the best actor for the job.)

(Okay, enough with the parentheticals.)

(I mean it.)

Maybe the biggest clue is in the final scene. It’s clear that Nolan and co. regard the Batman/Gordon relationship as the moral foundation of the particular stories they’re telling. That may seem obvious, but I think it’s very much underscored in the last scene of TDK, which is a clear counterpoint to the last scene of BB. For example –- Gordon telling Batman “thank you” and him replying, "You don't have to thank me" seems to be very much a reference to the last line of BB, and in general both scenes function to wrap up the moral point of the preceding story and establish what the guiding principle will be for the next one. Given that, as much as escalation was the driving force of TDK, can we surmise that Gotham learning to accept the hero they need will be the plot engine of the third film?

Enough for now. I have plenty to say about all of this, but this is already quite long. I'll come back to it another day, maybe.

I saw The Dark Knight in IMAX saturday night. It probably ruined life for me, because I know for sure nothing could ever be as awesome as seeing that film in IMAX.

Simply put, the sequences shot with the IMAX cameras were visually stunning. There was a surreal amount of clarity those cameras are able to provide. Originally, Chris Nolan planned on shooting five sequences in IMAX, but because of superior planning from his camera crew, the ease at which they shot in IMAX made it possible to shoot more and more, and that's what they eventually did.

The very style of this film lends itself to IMAX viewing. The Dark Knight is two and a half hours of action - even when there's no elaborate fight sequences, or exploding cars or buildings - in The Dark Knight even in the dialogue scenes, no one is ever safe. If the Joker is out to introduce a little anarchy and disrupt the established order, he succeeds, making things that aren't supposed to be frightening (like conversation) simply terrifying.

An added benefit to seeing this film in IMAX, and my personal favorite, is the way the movie allows you to appreciate parts of the movie you don't really appreciate in regular theaters. Full immersion literally means full immersion. When you're peripheral vision is the movie, when the speakers are booming, you pick up certain things - like the score. The score for The Dark Knight is, in many ways, a triumph of its own, and the way it was mixed into the film is a real accomplishment. Before the Joker shows up on screen, there was almost always a single resonating note, almost a buzz, hanging in the air. It's most recognizable as the sound in the beginning of the film, during what has been dubbed "the prologue."

Every part of the movie shines a little bit more - Heath Ledger's performance, for one. Little intricacies that I didn't notice before bled through in stark clarity. The way he moved his face around when talking to different individuals ("You know why I use a knife? Guns are too... quick. You can't savor all the little... emotions...").

Anyone paying attention knows that this movie is a cultural phenomenon - and the things that have made it brilliant are excentuated by the IMAX experience. If you have the opportunity to go see it again in IMAX (if you haven't seen it, there's something wrong with you, so I won't even weigh that possibility) go.

Hans Zimmer and James Newton-Howard collaborated on it, as they did on the previous Batman movie, and the resulting work really elevates the film.

There's definitely been a move towards more strong and electronic-influenced film scores recently, and Zimmer is probably at the forefront of that development with scores like "Gladiator" and "Black Hawk Down." As for the Dark Knight score, there were two things I noticed - 1) it's a nice touch they continued the thematic elements developed in the Batman Begins score and 2) How cool were the strings!

Like what Michael Giacchino did with brass in the Incredibles, Zimmer and Howard did with strings in this movie. The quick staccato of it could propel the film towards the climax. Then at those climaxes where they hold the string over a high note on a steady pitch - and it's such a great way to pull out the tension and push you into suspense. The juxtaposition of a tense, climatic moment where there's just so much shit going on versus the simplicity, the minimalism of the music are just fantastic. Definitely going to be relistening to it for awhile.