What Makes Batman (1989) Great?

Tim Burton's Batman is a definitive example of pure escapist entertainment. One of the most influential comic book movies and summer blockbusters still stands strong today.

In the fictional Gotham City, crime and corruption runs rabbet as the city. Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne defends the city under the persona of the vigilante Batman. Batman then comes into conflict with the psychotic Joker and must stop him from spreading chaos throughout the city.

Despite Burton not being a Batman or comic book fan, his version of Batman and the city of Gotham stands as one of the most recognized versions put to screen. Burton's Gotham showcases his unique gothic aesthetic and echoes classic Noir films from the 40s with shadows and smoke. This creates many striking images throughout the runtime and helps the film stand out compared to over iterations of the fictional city. The film also makes great use of the Batman persona and what it means to the story. Batman is often presented as this silent guardian, almost not human. This is further seen in his movements, which were mostly due to how the costume limited Micheal Keatons's mobility. But it makes for a happy accident as this adds to the idea of Batman being a mythical creature striking fear into the hearts of criminals.

None of this would work without the dynamic between the film's hero and villain though. What makes Micheal Keaton such a solid Batman is his ability to juggle both the Bruce Wayne and Batman identities so well. When his Bruce Wayne he's this awkward oddball who often has strange interactions with people because of this. As Batman, he sells the mystery and stoicism so well that he often doesn't even need dialogue to convey it. This works because, for Bruce, Batman is clearly who he is first and foremost, while the billionaire playboy Bruce is the real mask. We see Bruce open himself up a bit when he begins to date photographer Vicki Vale. The scene where he tries to tell her that he is Batman is masterfully performed by Keaton as he tries to present her with this astounding truth in a very down-to-earth way. A side note, Micheal Gough as Alfred is also really well cast here. He doesn't do much in the actual story but provides us with some good interactions between him and Bruce, being the only person who knows how Bruce ticks.

But let's get to the real star of the movie, Jack Nichelson. Nichelson as the Joker is the main reason this film works so well. It's impossible to take your eyes off the screen whenever Joker is on screen due to his unpredictable nature and being genuinely funny despite being a homicidal maniac. While most people have agreed that Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker has since topped Nichelson's, I still find myself turning to this version more. There's something about the way Nichelson carries himself and his line delivery that makes him stand out to me. At times it's more like a Joker movie than a Batman movie, but screenwriters Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren make sure that Batman doesn't become an afterthought in his movie.

One aspect of the film that has gotten some controversy from fans is that in this version, Joker is the one who kills Bruce's parents. While I do prefer the idea of it just being some random crook as it is in the comics and most media adaptations, I think the idea works in the context of the film. The reason is that it gives a more interesting relationship between Batman and The Joker. Joker kills Bruce's parents putting him on the path to Batman, and Batman drops Jack Napier into a vat of chemicals warping him into The Joker. That is such a thematically interesting idea linking the two together with each responsible for the other's situation. This also lets us see them interact in various scenarios with Batman and Joker, Jack Napier and Bruce Wayne, Batman and Jack Napier, and Bruce Wayne and Joker.

Tim Burton's Batman is masterfully done on so many levels. It's a standard textbook example of how to do a superhero film, but the film proves that standard is often better.

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