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Batman Begins . . . Again

Posted by tom | Jun 26, 2005

So many takes on Batman. Now have we finally made his journey from childhood fear to adult superhero plausible? How he overcame fear, dealt w/the loss of his parents, wielded his fortune in a positive direction, maintanined a tight relationship w/his butler (or why his butler sought to do such w/him), became endowed w/so many gadgets that worked and seemed to have them in endless supply, has a predisposition to lacking friends (and significant relationships), etc . . .

Join me as over the next week, I'll share some thoughts regarding Batman and interact w/various on-line articles that seek to understand 'what he does,' even who he is as the 'mask of Bruce Wayne.' The purpose for this interaction w/culture, myth, and story is to help us process through living in the Biblical Story . . . to discern what we do and whether it emanates from who we say we are, take a look at what masks we wear, and remind us some of what faithful loving of God and neighbor in our day-by-day context in 'the real world' is all about.

For those of you wanting it stated more clearly, I find Mars Hill Audio has a similar vision and informs my some of my thoughts in this area (Note: If you have not, I'd recommend you check them out. Pieces by Ralph Wood, good stuff on P.D. James & J.R.R. Tolkien, and others on myth are quite helpful):

exists to assist Christians who desire to move from thoughtless consumption of modern culture to a vantage point of thoughtful engagement. We believe that fulfilling the commands to love God and neighbor requires that we pay careful attention to the neighborhood: that is, every sphere of human life where God is either glorified or despised, where neighbors are either edified or undermined.

More in coming weeks on the larger vision and passsion, but I'm getting ahead of myself . . . Tell me your thoughts on the dark knight.

Today's Things to Think About, Para-Academy Musings | Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0)

3 Comments & 0 Trackbacks of "Batman Begins . . . Again"

    My thoughts were more with the villains actually. Just from a moviegoer's perspective, there aren't nearly enough movies out there with really good evil characters.

    I really liked Liam Neeson's character. He claims to do what he does for the sake of humanity as a whole. Wipe out one city to stop the pendulum swinging too far in the direction of evil. And he claims that his lack of compassion is what enables him to realize carry out this ends-justifies-the-means action. He recognizes, as Christians claim to recognize, that human nature is inherently a sinful one that must be kept in check. Doesn't he even mention Sodom & Gomorrah as part of this history of humanity's cleansing?

    And I guess Batman's antithesis is that he does have compassion for the individual, and sees hope in trying to save Gotham. A little bit of the Messiah in that, I suppose, saving those that do not necessarily "deserve" saving.

    So the God we claim to believe in, somehow manages to be both, and still more? Huh.

    Posted by Amy, Jun 29 2005, 13:46

    First, the good:

    In contrast to other superheroes on film who seem mainly limited to thwarting the villain du jour and saving the girl, this Batman has a clear and well-defined purpose. His mission is to bring healing and justice to the corrupt and ailing city of Gotham. Toward this end he becomes more than simply a crime fighter; he recognizes that many of the crime problems in Gotham are symptoms of deeper issues. He targets these issues by reducing the influence of organized crime, opposing corporate greed within his own company, and assisting and encouraging other good people to do the same. It is this mission that puts him in opposition with the arch-villain Ducard/Ra's Al Ghul who wants to eradicate Gotham. Tom and others can probably articulate this better, but it seems clear from Scripture that we too should take a redemptive view of the cities we live in, rather than leaving them to self-destruct, or worse actively working against justice.

    The film also did a good job of capturing the duality of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Dual identities are common among super-heroes, but few are as antagonistic as the two sides of this man. Some super-heroes actively fight injustice out of the costume as well; Daredevil, for example, is a defense attorney for the (innocent) poor and oppressed by day. Others, like Superman or Spider-man, have more neutral alter-egos who nonetheless earn an honest living and try to do good where they can. All of these identities reflect the same underlying personality. Batman, however, creates a free-wheeling playboy image for Bruce Wayne to deflect attention away from the unusual side-effects (keeping odd hours, getting injured) of being Batman. This persona becomes just another mask to wear; the real man inside is hidden behind this mask and the Batman mask. This fragmented lifestyle makes the Batman of the comics a very disturbed person who skirts the edges of sanity; it will be interesting to see where subsequent films take this character. As for us, I think we are better off following the example of on-screen Spider-man; in the most recent film, he discovered that he was happier and healthier when integrating the different facets of his life rather than compartmentalizing them.

    Then, the not so good:

    The film seemed to be inconsistent about the morality of Batman specifically with respect to killing. On the one hand, he seems to realize that killing Joe Chill would have been wrong (and unsatisfying) and later refuses to execute someone as a show of loyalty to Ra's Al Ghul. But right after that, he proceeds to blow up the building and apparently kill many/all of the ninjas, as well as Ken Watanabe's character (who may or may not have been Ra's) and the man he refused to kill. Later, in the car chase sequence, he hurtles through town without regard for anyone other than Rachel. And finally, he allows Ducard/Ra's to plummet to certain death (which perhaps isn't all that certain, considering the history of Ra's, or most characters for that matter, and death in the comics). Despite insinuations to the contrary, it seems that this Batman is just another movie hero who kills when it is convenient to the plot.

    For now, why don't we leave it at that and see what others have to say.

    Posted by Andy Walsh, Jun 29 2005, 14:46

    Amy makes a good observation, one I struggled with and ultimately left out of my comments. God does indeed play the roles of compassionate healer and purifying judge at different times in Scripture. How He balances these is a mystery we will probably never comprehend (at least this side of heaven), but I am grateful that His infinite wisdom and vision guide these decisions. I would much rather trust my fate to Him than to a flawed and finite man called "The Demon's Head".

    Posted by Andy Walsh, Jun 30 2005, 16:42
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