(As always, there’ll be spoilers. And I’m primarily focusing on the original film.)
What works?
Let’s start with its impact. It’s important to remember where Batman and superhero films were at this point. Prior to release, the Batman IP hadn’t had a theatrical entry in 8 years, as it’d been soured by Batman & Robin. Additionally, while there’d been many superhero films before, few were taken seriously. The ones that were…were often campy in nature.
Not Batman Begins. Despite paling to its successor, the film not only showed how Batman could be taken seriously, it also showed how superheroes could be as well. It was mature and thought-provoking, doubling as a fresh origin story for Batman. This film demonstrated that superheroes were for everyone. It was also the film that made superheroes even cooler than they already were. And it put Christopher Nolan on the map, making him a household name.
I like the movie’s aesthetic. Many superhero films have opted for a lighthearted approach before and since, but this was the one that took itself seriously. The colour palate has lots of darker shades, many greys and blues, and there’s a grainy, gritty feel to it. This is the superhero movie shot on film, and you can tell. Boy, can you ever tell!
Similarly, I like the movie’s use of practical effects. It has CGI too, but a lot of the effects look like they’re actually there. Between gasoline explosions, real rubble and actual sets and props, you feel like this world exists. Having some scenes be shot on-location helps with that. It’s a lived-in world.
I also like the practical explanations for everything in this movie. Whether it’s the Bat-suit being military-grade armour, or the Batmobile being a military-grade tank, a lot of thought went into making these otherwise cartoony concepts feel believable. Even non-Batman concepts, like The Scarecrow’s poisonous gas, are still rooted in tangibility. You could argue that some of it’s a stretch, but it still works.
That isn’t to say the film lacks tenderness or levity, however. The moment where Bruce’s parents are murdered by Joe Chill’s heartbreaking, even though it’s not the focus. And the movie has several jokes sprinkled in, including a gag about coats that always gets a laugh. All of this, when combined with Bruce and Rachel’s relationship, helps ground the human element.
Speaking of human, the dialogue’s surprisingly organic. Nolan often gets scrutinized for his cold, robotic writing, but you don’t feel that here. It’s not absent, some lines are exposition-heavy and dry, but enough warmth and humanity creeps through. These are characters that aren’t afraid to laugh, smile or get angry. The characters also aren’t afraid to be, well, human. I’m not sure if that was Nolan showing restraint, or David S. Goyer adding his touch, but it works.
I like the characters. I like how layered and tortured Bruce Wayne is, hiding his pain behind a vigilante and a playboy. I like the relationships he has with Rachel and Alfred, and how they serve as moral compasses. And I like the villains…mostly. It helps that Batman Begins has a cast of great characters actors, including Christian Bale, Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy and Gary Oldman. These are all A-listers, and I’m amazed Nolan managed to acquire them.
I also like the movie’s ability to create suspense and dread. The pacing might be off, more on that later, but there’s a claustrophobia that tags along. Even the fight scenes, for better or worse, show that, with them being shot in close-ups and shaky-cam. It’s not perfect, more on that later too, but it works well enough. It helps that, thanks to Wally Pfister’s cinematography, there’s a real beauty and poetry to it.
What DOESN’T work?
I’ll begin with the elephants in the room. The first is Bruce Wayne’s playboy behaviour. It’s implied, and shown, that Bruce cozies up to other women to maintain the façade of him being a normal billionaire, and it’s most-apparent when he plays golf with Wayne Enterprise’s secretary. With the #MeToo movement gaining steam since its release, and the stories of abuse/harassment that’ve come to light, this behaviour comes off now as less charming than creepy. But it’s an issue with Batman as a whole, so…
Moving to more-egregious offences, Batman Begins has a rather “charitable” view of wealth. That Bruce Wayne can be rich and noble feels dubious. The film conflating privatization with being good feels doubly-so. And that Bruce is “one of the good capitalists” is really suspicious and dishonest. Considering the American housing collapse plunged the world into a recession three years after this movie debuted, the idea of a charitable billionaire, while not implausible, is a big stretch. It’s dishonest writing, essentially.
Speaking of dishonest, the movie’s portrayal of police is especially so. I know it had no choice, given Hollywood’s strict rules, but considering the public’s erosion of trust for law enforcement, painting them as worth saving is insensitive. It was even insensitive in 2005, following cases like Rodney King, but especially now. I know Batman’s relationship with Commissioner Gordon is important to his character, but it doesn’t make it less uncomfortable.
Moving to in-film problems, the movie’s action scenes are hard to watch at times. The element of suspense is there, and they’re nerve-wracking by design, but using shaky-cam to create fear is unsettling for the wrong reasons. It’s not as bad on re-watch, and there’s still a coherent through-line, but it can feel claustrophobic for the wrong reasons. That’s something the sequels would streamline, though.
Speaking of Dr. Crane, he’s wasted. As is Carmine Falcone, who winds up being a dead-end. We don’t even see much of Crane as Scarecrow, and two of those times he’s taken out like a deadweight. It’s unfortunate because Scarecrow’s a really fascinating villain, so having him under-utilized is disappointing.
On the subject of villains, Ra’s al Ghul, while a clever twist, isn’t too interesting. His involvement in history and the death of Bruce’s parents also feels like a stretch. I get what he represents in theory, a “humanity reboot button”, but the execution leaves much to be desired. Especially since he “dies” twice.
Then there’s Rachel. I like her in theory too, a DA who provides the voice of reason, but she doesn’t have much of a character. Most of her scenes involve her either getting into trouble, or espousing exposition. She had the potential to be much more than that. I don’t blame Katie Holmes either, as it’s not her fault.
Finally, I’m not a fan of much of the score. I like the main theme, but most of the other music feels side-noise. It’s not even memorable, either. It’s unfortunate because the sequels would boast better scores, making this one feel even less-interesting. But it’s too late to change that.
The verdict?
I know I’m not alone, either. I know that the shaky-cam and pacing are common problems for many people, as are my issues with Scarecrow and Carmine Falcone. I also know many people consider this the weakest in the trilogy, which isn’t surprising. I’m simply adding to the conversation.
But this is a fan-favourite for many people too. And I’m not one to judge. Batman Begins laid the foundations for what was to follow, and it’s not bad, either. I actually enjoy it, honestly! But, at the end of the day, its problems are too big to ignore, so I’m not. If that isn’t “fair game” at this point, then what is?
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