BATMAN AND THE REVITALIZATION
Budget: ₹12,500 – ₹37,500 INR
Superheroes are back and better than ever. Admittedly, most people
would say that they never left, but the critical disdain and public apathy with
which they were treated during the 1980s and early 90s left them skulking in
the shadows of popular culture, relegated to the cultural backwash of cult
followings. What an ignominious fate for a group of characters that so
fascinates the human spirit. While he may not have envisioned the Green
Lantern or Martian Manhunter in his studies, Nietzsche was consumed by the
idea of an Ubermensch, a person who defied both the natural and moral laws
of humanity to better the lives of all. More overtly, Joseph Campbell was
drawn to that central narrative that runs through all good stories, a Hero's
Journey, a quest for peace. To him, Superman found an outlet in every story;
a superhero by any other name is still super. From the most respected
scholar to the simplest student, the idea of supermen and women filled our
dreams in childhood and embodied our hopes in adulthood. Yet because the
public desires for quality and realism were not being matched by the creativity
of the presenters, comic book superheroes and comic book films in particular
had lost their superhuman grip on society.
Thus, superhero films fell into the fog of cultural apathy, where the
quality of work created could not live up to the expectations of the masses.
And while the shadows may be a natural habitat for characters like Batman, itis certainly not where publishers, writers and filmmakers wanted such powerful
cultural icons to languish. It would take not only the strongest but also the
most human superhero to pull comic book films back from the brink, and that
combination could only be found in the dark and gripping tale of the Batman.
Interestingly enough, Batman has led the Charge of the Fight Brigade out of
the society's doldrums not once but twice, first with Tim Burton's masterful
standard of gothic filmmaking Batman and more recently with Christopher
Nolan's hyper-realistic envisioning of the Caped Crusader in Batman Begins
and The Dark Knight. Over the years, Batman has been a fan favorite in the
superhero realms, and his characterization has fluctuated from over-the-top
camp to near-criminal violence. This varied continuity, coupled with his
salvation of the superhero film industry, makes him the most important and
interesting subject within the field and puts him at the heart of comic book film
studies, and this study in particular.
Why a Batman Thesis?
Comic book study is not in itself a new phenomenon. I have seen
panel-by-panel breakdowns of comic books. I have seen frame-by-frame
analyses of films. What I have not seen is a study of how the two concepts
have merged into one medium: the comic book film. Like McLuhan's concept
of rearview mirrorism, although every new medium comes out of an older one,they should not be confused with one another (McLuhan, 1964). In this
sequel-heavy era of filmmaking, new visualizations come implicitly from
synthesizing old stories into a new format, and no one seems to be studying
how this has occurred in the sudden wealth of comic book films. The canon of
Batman films seems a natural starting point in such a study because of their
importance in re-imagining the genre. First, the Tim Burton Batman movies
revitalized an otherwise lackluster and dying subgenre called "superhero
movies" in the 80s. More recently, the Christopher Nolan Batman movies
have managed to break box office records while also veering the whole comic
book/superhero film genre in an intriguing direction: toward dark, brooding and
hyper-realistic character pieces, an interesting angle for men flying around in
their underwear. Then there is the personal significance. Batman as a
character has always been my favorite superhero, and I reveled in the chance
to look into the psyche of the Bat and see what reflects back about me and the
society I represent.
Reading comics: Language, culture comic book
would say that they never left, but the critical disdain and public apathy with
which they were treated during the 1980s and early 90s left them skulking in
the shadows of popular culture, relegated to the cultural backwash of cult
followings. What an ignominious fate for a group of characters that so
fascinates the human spirit. While he may not have envisioned the Green
Lantern or Martian Manhunter in his studies, Nietzsche was consumed by the
idea of an Ubermensch, a person who defied both the natural and moral laws
of humanity to better the lives of all. More overtly, Joseph Campbell was
drawn to that central narrative that runs through all good stories, a Hero's
Journey, a quest for peace. To him, Superman found an outlet in every story;
a superhero by any other name is still super. From the most respected
scholar to the simplest student, the idea of supermen and women filled our
dreams in childhood and embodied our hopes in adulthood. Yet because the
public desires for quality and realism were not being matched by the creativity
of the presenters, comic book superheroes and comic book films in particular
had lost their superhuman grip on society.
Thus, superhero films fell into the fog of cultural apathy, where the
quality of work created could not live up to the expectations of the masses.
And while the shadows may be a natural habitat for characters like Batman, itis certainly not where publishers, writers and filmmakers wanted such powerful
cultural icons to languish. It would take not only the strongest but also the
most human superhero to pull comic book films back from the brink, and that
combination could only be found in the dark and gripping tale of the Batman.
Interestingly enough, Batman has led the Charge of the Fight Brigade out of
the society's doldrums not once but twice, first with Tim Burton's masterful
standard of gothic filmmaking Batman and more recently with Christopher
Nolan's hyper-realistic envisioning of the Caped Crusader in Batman Begins
and The Dark Knight. Over the years, Batman has been a fan favorite in the
superhero realms, and his characterization has fluctuated from over-the-top
camp to near-criminal violence. This varied continuity, coupled with his
salvation of the superhero film industry, makes him the most important and
interesting subject within the field and puts him at the heart of comic book film
studies, and this study in particular.
Why a Batman Thesis?
Comic book study is not in itself a new phenomenon. I have seen
panel-by-panel breakdowns of comic books. I have seen frame-by-frame
analyses of films. What I have not seen is a study of how the two concepts
have merged into one medium: the comic book film. Like McLuhan's concept
of rearview mirrorism, although every new medium comes out of an older one,they should not be confused with one another (McLuhan, 1964). In this
sequel-heavy era of filmmaking, new visualizations come implicitly from
synthesizing old stories into a new format, and no one seems to be studying
how this has occurred in the sudden wealth of comic book films. The canon of
Batman films seems a natural starting point in such a study because of their
importance in re-imagining the genre. First, the Tim Burton Batman movies
revitalized an otherwise lackluster and dying subgenre called "superhero
movies" in the 80s. More recently, the Christopher Nolan Batman movies
have managed to break box office records while also veering the whole comic
book/superhero film genre in an intriguing direction: toward dark, brooding and
hyper-realistic character pieces, an interesting angle for men flying around in
their underwear. Then there is the personal significance. Batman as a
character has always been my favorite superhero, and I reveled in the chance
to look into the psyche of the Bat and see what reflects back about me and the
society I represent.
Reading comics: Language, culture comic book