DIRECTOR'S CUT: Psychology of a Hero: BATMAN/THE DARK KNIGHT Trilogy
Can fear ever be a good thing? For Bruce Wayne, his fear and grief are motivators for the good he does.
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright discuss Christian Bale's portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman, and his journey to not be defined by his grief, fear, or failures, but to use them to do good and help others. Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy helps us explore how we can challenge our fears and anxieties, develop and maintain our morality in the face of difficult circumstances, and move through persistent and complex grief. These films are thematically rich, visually stunning, have a fabulous score, and give Jonathan a chance to show off with big words like chiroptophobia.
Comments (10)
Totally agree with you - the ending to Dark Knight is arguably one of the most perfect film endings ever. Somehow missed this video the first time around - freaking love it! And you’re right - it’s easy to be afraid and do nothing. Your channel gives me hope to get up and keep facing fear and keep trying to do what I can, regardless of its impact. Thanks for being you. It helps us
I really loved this trilogy, and I sometimes go back & forth on Keyton or Bale as my favorite portrayal of the Bat. The original Batman with Nicholson is still my number one, and Batman Returns wasn’t nearly as good, while as with these, each gets better than the last, which is probably why I’m sometimes divided. Also, Ledger (RIP) had the best Joker by a wide margin, imho.
Also, in regards to the question about fear, I wanted to get a degree in psychology when I initially separated from the military back in 2015. My husband at the time talked me out of it because he said it would a be worthless degree, that I had too many problems of my own to work on to be a good therapist. He wasn't entirely wrong, but I really wish I had ignored him and started my degree. I think I would have really benefitted from the classes and avoided a lot of poor decisions... instead, I spent the last nine years wasting a good portion of my GI Bill trying to force myself to study other "worthwhile" degrees. Really wish I hadn't been so afraid of him being right and doubting myself.
Nolan definitely loves his timey wimey magic. I honestly never really thought about it until I saw Dunkirk in theaters, which is BLATANT timey wimey magic lol.
See: The Prestige, which has some literal timey wimey magic
I love Nolan's use of sound. Oppenheimer's sound design was a masterpiece. More than anything, where he used thunderous roars and then crashed into silence brought tears.
Seeing these movies in the theater was some of the best experiences of my life, I still remember walking out after Batman Begins and feeling like they finally got it right. It was the closest to live action Kevin Conroy that we ever got and these movies were everything I wanted to see growing up.
Agreed! Kevin will still be the best Batman, (rip) but Nolan’s trilogy is pretty dang cool. I actually worked at a movie theater when Dark Knight came out and oooooooh man that was the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced. But I felt really cool being a part of it too? (Also, movie theaters “test” reels before releases to make sure the film isn’t damaged or warped, etc, which usually meant that the employees got to see movies before everyone else….I saw Dark Knight A WHOLE WEEK before anyone else. I couldn’t talk about it and it was HARD! Haha!)
Speaking of Christopher Nolan....I don't know if it could be done without giving away the plot twists...But I would LOVE to see something on The Prestige!!! The characters are complex and the themes are rich...and it's one of the few movies that totally blew my mind and I thought about for a couple of hours after I watched it!! It's so good!
Ooh yes!! I would love that too