Chris Connor on Batman Begins as it turns 20…
It is hard now to think that Batman had become somewhat of a laughing stock in the late 90s through the early 00s, supplanted by the likes of Spider-Man and X-Men who had both launched their own successful franchises in the years following the Dark Knight’s last big screen outing. Christopher Nolan rewrote what would become the blueprint for franchise revivals in 2005 with Batman Begins. Gone was the camp and wacky humour of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, and in its place a darker, more character-driven story with real stakes and a far more grounded feel.
Nolan at this point wasn’t the household name he has gone on to become through the likes of Inception, Interstellar and Best Picture winner Oppenheimer. He was coming off his breakthrough Memento and first studio film Insomnia, both of which bore trademarks that became apparent in his later work. Begins was a real jump forward for Nolan’s career however, with the director tackling a film with a $150 million budget and tasked with reviving a franchise in somewhat of a slump.
Taking Batman back to his roots here is one of the best things Nolan could have done; while Keaton’s Batman was already an established force of terror on the streets of Gotham, when we encounter Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne he is down on his luck on the other side of the world in a prison cell. His gradual evolution into the Caped Crusader was compelling viewing as he trained with the League of Shadows, a side of the character not explored on screen before.
Adding darkness really added tension and scares, especially through Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow. There was certainly no pantomime feel to this Batman’s roster. Batman – across the three Christopher Nolan films, – often felt out of his depth and survived by the skin of his teeth. The action also felt more visceral and adrenaline-fueled than in previous Batman films.
While The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises get a lot of plaudits and both grossed in excess of $1 billion, the success of Begins laid the foundation for these films, introducing us to the tone of the world and a key cast of characters. The ensemble here is an integral part of the film’s success, from Gary Oldman’s jaded Gordon to Michael Caine’s Alfred.
It’s not just subsequent DC films that were influenced by Batman Begins. Its fingerprints are obvious all over 007’s revival a year later in Casino Royale, which did a similarly successful job at reinvigorating a tired franchise. Nolan’s own career would likely not have gone on to the heights we have seen if Begins had been a flop.
Even 20 years on, Batman Begins is one of the best reboots and franchise films of the 21st century. So many films have fallen into the trap of trying to emulate Nolan unsuccessfully, and its tone and visual palette have shaped subsequent takes on the character from Zack Snyder and Matt Reeves especially. It showed how an auteur can take tried and tested material to new heights, something we’ve seen with Denis Villeneuve on the Dune films.
We owe Batman Begins a debt of gratitude for shaping so many franchise films in the years since, and for bringing Batman to a new audience. It is arguably the most important film in Nolan’s career, helping him develop into the filmmaker that is so recognisable today.
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Chris Connor
