The Spirit of the Dark Knight

(image courtesy of Topless Robot)

Our family movie post Christmas was The Dark Knight which my brother had yet to see. It brought me great joy to see him experience this for the 1st time as we are both fans of the character. There are so many perfect elements in it, perfect in the sense of film making and in representation of the character. The Long Halloween, Batman Year One, Gotham Central, The Killing Joke are all great Batman stories and you see a little of them in these moments and characters. There's also a sense of no matter how much you fight, things end up ruined and corrupt and it's certainly a reflection of the decade we're about to leave. You can start to get a sense that like the 70's, the 00's will not be all rosy nostalgia. the 1970's brought us some great cinema and it's bleak and dark tones were a reflection of the times. I believe the Dark Knight reflects our world view as well and serves as a dismal final chapter to a Superhero decade that started with the bright and happy Spider man film of 2002.

That brings me to the Spirit, which I have been recoiling at since the first teaser images. From what I've seen and heard, it serves as neither quality film making nor justice to an icon of comic books (hence the parody poster above). My venom for this movie comes from several sources.

1. I have a strong sense of respect for the old guard in any walk of life and the Spirit is a very important character in the movement of comic books. Miller has disrespected this icon. He says "I knew Will always wanted to do something fresh and new, not some stodgy old thing that aspires to be revered" Bullshit. This resembles the strip in no way imaginable. Go ahead and make this movie but call it something else. The live action of the Spirit SHOULD be revered.
2. The visual style which is Sin City through and through. I've heard the arguments that it isn't and I don't accept that. The thing looks like Sin City 1.5 and it makes Miller look like a one trick pony.
3. Why is Frank Miller ruining things!?!?!? This is the dude that created Elektra, Sin City, revived Daredevil, wrote The Dark Knight Returns AND Batman Year One which is an inspiration for The Dark Knight. More on this in my next post.

gonna end this with another quote from Miller:

"That may be a bit of a sore spot, though. Eisner's humanistic and often gentle, Capra-like approach to his character has many comics fans wondering why Miller -- famous for spilling vats of blood-red ink in his comics -- is taking the old man's winking Spirit into a Sin City. Miller welcomes all that.

"I'm sure when this movie comes out, it will stir up a fiery debate," the artist-turned-auteur said. "People have been loving the way comic books have been reaching the screen, but I don't like when everybody drinks the Kool-Aid. I like to shake things up and tell the story the best way possible. And I can tell you first hand, that's what Will Eisner liked too.""

Well Congrats, Frank. You got the several hundred people that The Dark Knight didn't work for into the theater. I'm fine with drinking this cool aid.