Tim Burton and Michael Keaton on the set of Batman
Noni Ford dances with the devil in the pale moonlight as she reviews the portrayal of Batman and the Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989 classic.
The year is 1989 and Tim Burton has come out with his version of the caped crusader Batman. This is not a movie landscape chock-full of superhero films like we see nowadays. Instead, this is a time where any version of a comic book character can be given a unique spin and point-of-view in their respective movies. There were no massive Avengers-specific goals and connected stories; there were standalone stories and heroes. Prior to Batman’s release, the last Bruce Wayne portrayal people had seen was over twenty years ago. So, stepping into the director chair, Tim Burton and the screenwriters had a lot of ground to cover to bring us up to speed on what made Batman different from everyone else. As is common with many a superhero film, we get to see plenty of Batman’s high-tech gadgets and thrilling fights between him and various criminals, but I really enjoy the way the film’s focus is more on the psyche of Wayne. As we uncover more about his background through his relationship with Vicki Vale, a photographer who is new to town, we see that he is a man working through personal tragedy and how that pushed him to don his suit and cape.
I grew up with Christopher Nolan’s Batman, so I was somewhat surprised at the direction they took with the character’s personality in this iteration since it diverges quite a bit. Bruce Wayne has always been a man recovering from trauma who uses his pain to try and correct the wrongs of his city, Gotham. However, he isn’t some suave, endlessly charming playboy in Burton’s Batman, instead he comes across as rather quirky and avoidant. During his first date with Vicki, they sit uncomfortably far apart in a grand dining room barely able to hear each other; sensing some awkwardness in the setup, they soon change venue. And then, despite having a good date, Bruce avoids her for seemingly most of the movie. Of course, we know that some of this avoidance is based on him fighting crime by night, but he could still give her a call back in between it all.
Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman
He’s not faultless or morally correct all the time — in fact it is during a fight that he accidentally causes Jack Napier to fall into a vat of chemicals thereby leading to his transformation into the Joker. While it can be frustrating to see him making the wrong moves sometimes and avoiding Vicki, who cares about him, it’s refreshing to see a superhero who isn’t perfect. He feels more human and someone you can feel a closer kinship to because of his flaws and missteps. He is also exorbitantly wealthy, but instead of retreating to his mansion and becoming reclusive, he tries to clean up the streets of Gotham and save the everyday people from being victimized. Although some of this story includes a personal vendetta, his intentions and goals are noble, giving him a heroism that we can support.
At the center of this whole story — and someone who gets equal screen time to Bruce Wayne — is the aforementioned Joker. As a longtime fan of DC villains (yes, you heard that right), I was awaiting the arrival of the Joker into the film, and I didn’t have to wait too long for his entrance. After a somewhat botched plastic surgery makes him display a grotesque smile, he leans into his image and goes full-force into plans to take over Gotham and run the town through fear and intimidation. Already a career criminal before the incident, he takes steps to gain more of the power he craved when he was an underling. Jack Nicholson’s Joker clearly takes delight in the chaos he’s causing but more than that he steeps most of his lines in barely concealed rage. He’s angry at his associates for underestimating him, he’s angry at his superiors for condescending to him, and he’s angry at Gotham and its residents for trying to improve itself when it’s really just a mecca of greed in his eyes. His interest in tearing apart Gotham is clearly juxtaposed with Bruce’s desire to save it. He’s a fun villain to watch purely because he has nothing holding him back; it makes him unpredictable, and all his stunts and grand schemes spice up the movie. Jack Nicholson famously requested top billing for the film, and you can see why: his Joker jumps off the screen and Nicholson’s archness makes this version of the villain appropriately memorable.
Jack Nicholson as the Joker
Gotham is a busy, bustling metropolis and in this film, there are many side plots going on while our main hero and villain fight to push for their version of the city’s future. One of the greatest strengths of the film is weaving each angle in for different character’s stories. Whether you want to see the crime bosses grappling for power, or Vicki Vale’s quest to solve the mystery of finding out Batman’s identity, or the politicians trying to put the city back together in a positive way, you can get a slice of each and more in Batman. And for those who are fans of the newest version of the character, seeing this film can be a fun way to look at the history of Bruce Wayne in live-action feature films!
On August 30, IU Cinema will present a special 35th anniversary screening of Batman (1989) with producer Michael Uslan in attendance for a post-film Q&A.