Movie Review: Is the Joker the Real Dark Knight of the Latest Batman Movie?

Who is the dark knight in the movie The Dark Knight? It is quite natural to assume that the title character is supposed to be the Batman, and no doubt the authorial intention was to instill this belief. When one takes a long, hard look at the film, however, an argument must inevitably arise that it is the Joker who will ultimately stand as the greatest force for goodness in the universe inhabited by the residents of Gotham City.

The Dark Knight is a movie about duality, but it is more about the possibility for absolutes and for creating shades of gray. In addition to good v. evil, the dualistic elements at work in this Batman epic also include things as grand as life v. death and as specific as Rachel v. Harvey. What lifts The Dark Knight far out of the miasma of the entire superhero movie genre that is constructed on a solid foundation of duality is how it manages to explore the hidden realms. The force behind that exploration is, of course, the Joker. And so it is only fitting that the Joker is himself an example of duality. What makes his presence even more fascinating is that the overwhelming multitudes doubtlessly see the Joker only in his role as darkness to the Batman's light. To do so may be to risk missing the entire point of the movie.