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Batman: Dead End
As someone who has spent a good deal of time reading and studying great literature, I find the character of the Batman fascinating, and not much different from the great Bryronic heroes of the Romantic era of late eighteenth century writing. Sure, Batman is a hero, but his urge to fight crime doesn’t come from a decent heart that hates evil. Rather, his motivation comes from a dark, obsessive revenge that was born after he watched his parents get brutally murdered as a child. He feels responsible for their deaths because he was helpless to save them, and he fights villains because it is the only way to silence their ghosts in his mind. As a result, Batman is just as demented as many of his greatest adversaries, among them the twisted sadist Joker. One wonders what a few years of therapy as a child might have done to set him on the right track in life. Now, he is doomed to his mask, cursed to haunt the streets of Gotham City and grow restless if he does not have criminals to constantly battle. This character is ripe for the making of a great movie, but for all of his cinematic representations, the Caped Crusader has yet to be featured in a film that does him justice. Batman: Dead End comes closer than most but still doesn't live up to its potential, which is evident despite its very short running length. The best thing about Batman: Dead End is that we are finally given a representation of this type of haunted Batman. The original television show played the hero for laughs, and Tim Burton’s later film series only hinted upon Batman’s psychological dilemma, and instead chose to focus on the villains. At the time of this review (2/12/04), only the animated series of the 1990s was able to truly capture the haunted Batman, but his character was sadly watered down for the sake of its children’s audience. In Dead End, Batman’s movement and overall gloom reflect his dark obsessions, and it is nice to see that there are finally some filmmakers who are taking our last Gothic hero seriously. Unfortunately, the film seems more like the result of a fan boy playing with his action figures than a true exploration of Batman’s dark nature, and since it is only a short, eight-minute film, Dead End is over before it can leave any lasting impact. The short film’s plot is simple, and it seem more like a scene lifted from a much larger movie than an actual story with its own arch: The Joker (Andrew Keonig) escapes from the mad house, and Batman (Clark Bartram) corners him in an alleyway where they battle, exchange words, and meet some even more interesting villains whose identity I will not dare reveal. In the end, the whole thing is all rather silly, but I cannot deny that director Sandy Collora has a good eye for action sequences, and an immense respect for the characters who he is representing. The set design is also impressive, with its endless rain and dark shadows towering over the characters in an acceptable nod towards film noir. I particularly like the way that this Batman moves, drenched in rain and with a weight on his shoulders heavier than any punch that the Joker could lay on him. Here is a Batman who understands that he is trapped in his own persona. He is not confined by lousy one-liners and a sarcastic twinkle in his eye as he has been in previous films. Any twinkle in his eye borderlines madness, and I applaud Collora for being the one who finally gets this guy. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that Collora knows what do with Batman now that he understands his character. The dialogue muttered between Batman and the Joker is very clichéd, and while both actors fit their parts physically, neither of them are very effective once they open their mouths. Bartram looks great, but his performance is wooden. Keonig plays the Joker more as an immature adolescent than a homicidal maniac. Their dialogue proves that Collora understands their complicated relationship, but its inclusion is also Dead End’s weakest link because we aren’t given any resolution to their conflict. It is merely swept under the table for the sake of action sequences, and since Collora has the insight to bring up the character development, I wish that he had followed through with it. Once the other characters show up, things threaten to get too silly, but Batman’s bare-knuckled brawl between this mysterious new villain turns out to be the highlight of the whole film, showing true beauty and majesty in Batman’s fighting style. In previous films, Batman was suited up in such heavy rubber, it seemed impossible for him to move. Here, he is appropriately dressed in gray spandex, and the muscles bulge from his body as if he were an Olypmian god. Thus, the final action scene is flawless in execution and a whole lot of fun, but again, we are left wishing that it could have been featured in a much a more complex story. The introduction of the new villain is a cop-out, and while I enjoyed it, I found myself wishing that Collora had scrapped it and kept going with the original storyline. Comic book geeks across the internet, including the folks over at Ain’t It Cool News, have heralded Collora’s film as the best Batman movie ever made. I think that it is really too short to make such a judgment, and that Collora’s film works more as an interesting exercise in skill than an actual narrative on par with a motion picture. I will grant that Batman has never looked cooler than he does here, and that no director has ever understood his character more. There is more depth in the image of Collora’s Batman perched on a building top than can be found in any scene from the previous two full-length Batman films. But in the end, Batman: Dead End seems more like a footnote for bigger and better directors who want to tackle a Batman film than a truly memorable time at the movies. It is slickly made with hints of inspiration, but ultimately, it is more or less forgettable. Cast: Montauk Films and NBV Productions
Inc. present a film written and directed by Sandy Collora. Based
on characters created by Bob Kane. Running time: 8 minutes. No
M.P.A.A. rating (contains brief violence). Original United States
theatrical release date: July 19, 2003 (at the San Diego Comicon). Click here to watch Batman: Dead End. Questions? Comments? E-mail me: danel_the_tinman@hotmail.com |
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