The Dark Knight

1. The Dark Knight(2008) – DirectedbyChristopherNolan
Studio– Warner Bros.
Openingscene isalongestablishingshotof roof topsof a citywithbuildingtense musiccreatinga
feelingof anticipationthatsomethingisabouttohappen,immediatelyfrom the breakingof the
glassand the mask figuresthe audienceknowswe are viewingfromthe perspectiveof the
antagonist.The nextcutis to a figure holdingamask,the audience mayassume thatthisisjust
anotherhenchmanhoweverthe longershotfocussingonthe maskindicatesthe importancetothis
specificmask.The clownsthatare nextintroducedare togetherasagroup and sowere the two at
the start howeverthe previouswasalone waitingforthe car,thisreinforceshisimportance and
separateshimfromthe rest.We thengeta shot inside of the vehiclewhere there are anumberof
clowns,the use of propsin thisshot(guns) iskeyto reinforce the facttheyare the antagonists with
thislinktoviolence.The use of dialogue asthe clownsdiscusstheirobviouscoordinatedplantells
the audience theyare doinga jobfor someone else,theyare only‘toys’inthe game,atheme linked
to the Jokerthroughout,alsotheirmentionof the Joker’sname linkshimtothe crime.Asthe clowns
enterthe bankwe can inferthisisa robbery,the clownsthenseparate indifferentdirectionshowing
the audience thisisplannedandeachclownhasa differentjob.We thensee aclose upof one clown
(the lone clownatthe beginning) strappinggrenadestohostages,this shouldimmediatelyseparate
thisclownfromthe rest due to hislack of empathyforkillinganothercharacteristicof the Joker
throughoutthe film.Whenthissame clownkillsastaff memberdefendingthe bankhe crookshis
headto the side,thisactionis significanttopsychopathicbehaviourtherefore isusedin
characterisationof Joker.Whenthisclownspeaksforthe firsttime we can know for definitethathe
isthe Jokerdue tohis calmyetmenacingrecognisable voice,althoughthose whoare notfamiliar
withthe character hisvoice contrastswiththe panickedvoice of the othersclownsseparatinghim
further.