By: Vikash Shankar
Monday, March 07, 2005

Batman Begins is the story of the birth of Batman and how his motivation, dedication, and thirst for revenge guided him through tragedy in order to prevent it from harming others. Before the fight for justice came the search within Bruce Wayne.

It seems Chris Nolan, the director of this new venture of Batman, directs this feature with the perfectly gothic direction it deserves and with an all-star cast, including Christian Bale (American Psycho), Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby, The Shawshank Redemption), Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek) and more.

In 1989, Tim Burton portrayed a wonderfully grotesque image when he directed the first of four Batman films, starring the well-acclaimed Jack Nicholson as the Joker and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman. In 1992, he continued with Batman Returns, starring Michael Keaton with the same role, Michelle Pfeifer as the Catwoman, and Danny Devito as the Penguin, with just as good direction. Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, directed by Joel Schumacher, attempted to follow Burton's work. Both had outstanding casts, including Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, George Clooney, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, according to many, the missing element in the latter two was the dark essence of what characterises Batman and Gotham City.

Can Chris Nolan live up to the challenge of beating Tim Burton's work as well as that of Joel Schumacher? On the big screen, the public has always been told the story of the knight after his birth. Chris Nolan's Batman Begins, from what we know, focuses on the story of Bruce Wayne's childhood, Batman's birth, and the beginning of one man's relentless search for justice. After becoming witness to his parents' death when young, Bruce Wayne falls into a stage where he is confused, scared, angry, and lost. Several years later, he develops a thirst to provide justice and protect those who cannot protect themselves. He leaves Gotham in order to clear his mentality, train his body, and disclose his destiny from the shadows to the world. With this, he returns to Gotham City to fulfill his vow of providing justice to those who deserve it and punishing those who choose to go against it.

The past couple movies have not really captured the darkness of what defines Batman, Gotham City and the circle of solitude that shadows over Bruce Wayne's life. Batman Begins seems as if it will do the job. It begins June 17, 2005.

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