IN DARKEST KNIGHT...

THE DARK KNIGHT
has transcended the genre of "Superhero Movies";
it's simply one of the greatest, darkest Crime Dramas ever.

As I sat transfixed last night,
rather than being reminded of Superman or Spider-Man,
I thought of...

Harvey "Two-Face" Dent,
descending into evil after losing the woman he loved,
just like Michael Corleone did in THE GODFATHER.

The Joker; as violent and as insanely cunning as Al Capone
in THE UNTOUCHABLES; and the Batman, Elliot Ness
with a cape, a cowl, and a scowl in Gotham/Chicago.

And as in INFERNAL AFFAIRS/THE DEPARTED,
The Dark Knight, with the three characters above,
passionately explored the themes of duality,
and the razor's edge of the thin line
between good and evil.

I'm still in awe about what I experienced,
not just watched, at the IMAX theater:


1. the fans, excitedly chattering while waiting
for the movie to start, but simultaneously falling
into an expectant, almost reverential hush as the
opening credits of DC Comics started to roll;


2. the sheer amazement we all felt when the screen
suddenly bloomed into its full 6-storey IMAX glory
during the HEAT-like opening bank robbery sequence;


3. the unexpected humor in the dense, intelligent
screenplay; my favorites were the ones about sonar
and, of course, the "Joker Maguire" line;


4. the exquisite interplay among Christian Bale,
Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman,
and (no one's missing katie, tom!) Maggie Gyllenhaal;
each inhabiting their characters completely,
performing their parts perfectly in this sinister sonata;


5. and most of all, Heath.

We all discovered him in the playful A Knight's Tale,
we were convinced of his serious talent in Brokeback Mountain
(where he co-starred with another talented Gyllenhaal),

and in this much Darker tale of a present-day Knight,
the late, great Mr. Ledger leaves us a legacy for the ages.

Let's hear it for
HEATH LEGEND!!!