Readers of my website know that I am a fan of Batman, and the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight films in particular. I posted trailers and even wrote a a plea for people to return to the movie theater after the Aurora, Colorado shootings. I think some people might even wonder if my Batman fandom might cross over to obsession. If so, they would write off a book like THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY: THE COMPLETE SCREENPLAYS WITH STORYBOARDS by Christopher Nolan as something only for the collectors, hoping to achieve a complete set of Dark Knight pieces. But that is not the case.
I think any fan of the Dark Knight films would enjoy this book. You’ve seen the end product: the films. But THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY gives you a much better sense of how Christopher Nolan moved from concept to film. The book begins with a discussion among the writers of the screenplays (Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan, and David S. Goyer) and the co-producer of the films (Jordan Goldberg). This discussion covers everything from THE ILLIAD, to the attacks of 9/11, to the critical importance of well-developed characters and endings. This foundational discussion will help readers understand what Christopher Nolan was thinking about when coming up with the story, as well as what themes he wanted to include or ignore.
From there, the book then provides the screenplays for each for the films as well as a storyboarded scene from each film. As has been pointed out in other reviews, the book does not present the screenplays in a completely accurate and proper format. So, if you are trying to write a screenplay, look elsewhere. But if you want to see how Nolan’s ideas took shape, the screenplays and storyboards are very helpful.
This book allows readers and Batman fans to see how the films were constructed. A skeleton of ideas was slowly fleshed out with words and images, and perfected by the cast and crew. If you want to delve into that world, and better understand Nolan’s take on Gotham, this is the perfect vehicle.
I’d like to compliment and commend people on their writings and ideas. Unfortunately, this one I can’t. I have to condem instead. I didn’t see the movie but obviously, what happened in Aurora,Colorado and Palmer Park, Maryland is a clear and obvious indicatication that it was a bad influence on society
Bob, I highly recommend you take a look at my response to the Aurora shootings. I think blaming Nolan or Batman is an error. As I said in my response, that wasn’t about Batman, that was about a bad man. A bad, disturbed man who was determined to hurt others and possibly himself. The Batman premiere was merely a convenient opportunity in his mind. Just like blaming heavy metal music, Dungeons & Dragons, or violent video games misses the point. It’s not like they were brainwashed or the victim of subliminal messages. Focus on the individual committing the crime. Focus on his psychology and brain chemistry. Even without all of these things, individuals will commit violence. Banning forms of media is not the solution. Medical and social care is.
Similarly, the man in Maryland would have still committed a violent crime (I believe) even if Batman had never existed. He would have simply identified with another villain–note also that he claimed to be “a joker,” not “The Joker.”
And finally, I refuse to live in fear simply because bad individuals exist. They will always exist. I will not let them dictate how I live my life. I will act confidently and smartly, and be prepared to respond. That is all we can do. Perhaps that is worth considering on the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.