Chaos Theories

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Warning: this article contains some plot spoilers

‘Some men just want to watch the world burn.’

Christopher Nolan’s widely anticipated sequel to Batman Begins is fast becoming regarded as the film of the year for many people. It has smashed box office records and, at the time of writing this article, is estimated to have grossed more than £360m ($700m). There has been a huge amount of hype surrounding the film, intensified by the untimely death of Heath Ledger in January 2008.

The film focuses upon the epic battle between Batman (Christian Bale) and Gotham’s latest villain, the Joker (Heath Ledger). One of the things that makes The Dark Knight certainly very impressive is that it manages to balance visual blockbuster-style action with a mature and considered script, populated by engaging and complex characters. Many have remarked upon how dark the film is in comparison to its predecessors in the Batman legacy, such as the early Batman films with Michael Keaton, and many of the comic books, and this is certainly true. I even found myself questioning the nature of the film is a true comic book/superhero movie because it seems to be more about men than supermen. The days of the caricatured heroes and villains seem outmoded in a post 9/11 world, and thus the film explores, with as much realism as possible, the true nature of good and evil. The inspiration that director Nolan draws from Michael Mann’s Heat is clear to see, in shooting style as well as theme, as the gritty world of Gotham ultimately becomes the battleground for three men with different views on what is wrong and right.

In one corner is the District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) who is described as ‘Gotham’s White Knight’. He achieves what Batman has been unable to: the ability to stand for honour, integrity and justice, and to tackle crime effectively, without wearing a mask. Where Batman can only be a symbol, Dent stands as an actual person. He is seemingly unafraid of the threats surrounding him, as he remarks flippantly after an assassination attempt: ‘If you’re not getting shot at, you’re not doing your job’. He is able to physically embody all that is good about Gotham city without having controversial character blemishes which would force him to compromise.

Batman represents a different method of achieving the same goal. He is the Dark Knight, however, and while he may have the same degree of virtue and moral intent as Dent, he is not nearly as  socially acceptable. He is the lawless law-keeper, operating as an illegal vigilante. While he is good, he can confront and thwart evil, but what if he wasn’t good? Who would he be then? And what should be done about his self-appointment? Does he undermine the state and its legislature more fundamentally by acting independently like this?

If Batman were not good then he might be someone else. The film presents the Joker as the opposite side to the same coin as Batman. He, too, is an outcast, refusing to submit to the authority of the state. Like Batman he is unorthodox in his methods, and feared by many people. The similarities between the two almost lead to one cancelling the other out, as neither Batman or the Joker manage to maintain the upperhand throughout their confrontations. This is explored throughout the narrative. When the two clash in their final confrontation, the Joker remarks, ‘This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.’

What links Batman and the Joker together is their responses to chaos. They have both had experiences of the chaos, the injustice of life. Batman’s parents were the victims of Gotham’s chaotic criminal underworld, and although the Joker’s past is not fully unexplored in this film, the conflicting stories he tells all relate to disturbing incidents in his past. They have stared into the void that exists, certainly in Gotham City, beneath a very thin veneer of order. The difference between them is in what they do with this experience. The Joker, becomes ‘an agent of chaos’ who seeks to ‘introduce a little anarchy’ and disorder wherever he goes. He says:

I’m a wrench in the gears. I hate plans. Yours, theirs, everyone’s. Maroni has plans. Gordon has plans. Schemers trying to control their worlds. I am not a schemer. I show schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are.

He exists for, and enjoys revealing, the true chaotic nature of the world around him through acts of terrorism manifested in twisted sociological experiments, aiming to prove that, ‘when the chips are down, these civilized people, they’ll eat each other.’ For example, he rigs a hospital with bombs, a hospital containing many relatives of police officers. He then threatens to blow up the hospital unless people act anarchically, thereby dividing people between acting selfishly and acting lawfully. On the other hand, Batman eventually responds to his experience of chaos more productively, by resolving to become a force for good. Instead of allowing himself to become consumed by chaos like the Joker, he imposes an order upon it.

As these two worldviews collide, many are caught in the crossfire, not least Harvey Dent, who becomes physically divided between the face of good, and the face of destruction. The newly-created ‘Two Face’ is the masterpiece for the Joker, as he who exposes Gotham’s most unblemished, incorruptible figure to the forces of division and chaos. The man who had publicly stood for a clear concept of right and wrong chooses to rely upon the flip of a coin to decide the fate of his victims, because, as he says, ‘Chance is the only reality in this cruel world. Unprejudiced. Unbiased. Fair.’

The most terrifying and disturbing thing about the character of the Joker is that isn’t motivated in the same way as other criminals: he is completely without rational motive. This makes him wholly unpredictable and therefore seemingly unbeatable. There is no point reasoning with a man who sees reason as a joke. His acts of violence are senseless, and are designed to encourage others to act senselessly. The Joker exclaims at one point, ‘The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules!’ In today’s world, the scariest thing for many people is terrorism: acts of destruction which would seem to be without sense. As Alfred the butler (Michael Cane) reflects, ‘Some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.’

Perhaps one of the most troubling, hidden consequences of modern terrorism, as most of us encounter it in the news, is the way it desensitizes us towards violence and suffering. As we watch the news, we see an overwhelming amount of suffering, violence and pain, and it can be easy to believe that the world is utterly chaotic, with no hope of this changing. When the tallest towers and leaders can fall, what can there be left to rely on? In a world where one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, who can say what justice is?

The Dark Knight, attempts to answer some of these questions. In the final scene, Batman resolves to remain a force for good, even if it requires him to sacrifice his freedom and reputation. Throughout the film, he believes that there is, ultimately, something good that is worth fighting for, and that his choices and actions do make a difference. It does look hopeless sometimes, but Batman believes in his ability to impose order in place of chaos, hope in place of hopelessness. This final resolution to remain good in the face of evil and chaos is one of the most uplifting, hope-filled moments of an otherwise dark film. It would be wonderful if there were more people like Batman in the real world, willing to be the dividing line for good and bad. But the sad reality is that there are very few, if any, who can be relied upon to do this without failure. In addition to this, Batman is limited by his physicality, a point emphasised when he is unable to save both his beloved Rachel as well as Harvey Dent, who are endangered simultaneously. It becomes clear that believing we can conclusively impose order on chaos by ourselves is dangerously arrogant. However, the Bible speaks of a God who brings order to chaos from the beginning of creation. After humanity’s rebellion against God, which ushered in a new, moral chaos, God reminded his people of what is good and just by giving them the Ten Commandments, and continuing to set a mark for uncompromised ethics and virtue throughout the Bible. His greatest gift to the world is his son, Jesus. He gives us an example of how to live justly and rightly in a world of conflict and chaos, but he also shows us that it is God, and not ourselves or some icon of our humanity, who will ultimately rescue us from hopelessness and chaos. Like Batman, Jesus was hated by the corrupt, and was crucified for his values. While The Dark Knight is a work of fiction, the darkness and chaos it portrays are all too real, and while its hero is confined to celluloid and the pages of comic books, Jesus Christ remains the ultimate force for good, for the recreation of order in a world of chaos, and for life in a world of destruction.

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