From Adam West’s 1960s television performance to Tim Burton’s gothic look, previous attempts at bringing Batman to the screen had left the character with a distinctly camp air. With this trilogy, Christopher Nolan reset this most mortal of superheroes, grounding him in a grittier reality in which his humanity is most apparent. Seeking to understand the criminal mind after the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) trains physically and mentally, developing the strict moral code that will help him protect the citizens of Gotham City from the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), the Joker (Heath Ledger), and Bane (Tom Hardy).

Notes by Kevin Coyne

Screening as part of The Saturday Serial: The Dark Knight Trilogy.