Batman Begins

Original Rating: 3.5/5 Ever since I started this Batman movie marathon, I have been awaiting my return to the Christopher Nolan Batman films... And now, the time has finally come. Christopher Nolan is my favourite filmmaker of all time, and though I know it's a bit basic, he's the very first director who got me into liking and appreciating cinema through his focus on mind-bending, grandly epic and, scientific narratives, something that dragged me to his films like a moth to a flame. Moreover, he's also the only director who's consistently delivered for me on all fronts and continues to do so with each incoming project of his. He very rarely misses, and this film is a fantastic example of that. I first watched both 2005's Batman Begins and 2008's *The Dark Knight* around five years ago when I was first getting into both comic book cinema and Nolan's filmography, but for some reason, back then, I don't think I appreciated them as much everyone else still does. Like, sure, I found them to be fairly decent superhero films, but I never understood the appeal of them... until now. With how revered this trilogy is, I felt like I needed a refresher on these films to get to know why people love them so much, and why I found them to be so mediocre the first time around. First of all, let's talk about the performances. I know I should expect no less from a Christopher Nolan film, but this film is filled with the greatest performances I've seen in a Batman film, except for perhaps, 2022's *The Batman*. Michael Caine is an actor who shows up in nearly every single Nolan film and knocks it out of the park with his presence each time, and yet I feel like his performance in this film is much better than anything I've seen from him, ever. I wish we got more of him in other Nolan films because it's clear this man knows how to fucking act. He brings his A-game and really shows so much emotion and care for Bruce just through his eyes, that it really moved me a couple of times throughout the film. Caine fully understood the father-son relationship dynamic between Bruce and Alfred and delivered on all fronts with that. Then, we have Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow/Crane. My god, how did I not see Cillian Murphy for the fantastic actor that he is before?! He's just excellent in this film and does a fantastic job being very creepy throughout, whilst being calm, calculated, but also vividly mentally deranged, which is the best combo of all. I really wanted more of him in this, in fact, I'd love to see just a Scarecrow film in the future, just so I can see more of Cillian's performance. He truly is one of our greatest working actors right now. I haven't seen Katie Holmes in many films to be honest, but I really enjoyed her performance in this film because she had such a firm grip and understanding on her character and what she'd act like that her lines felt so easily, yet effectively delivered throughout. Liam Neeson and Gary Oldman were also standouts in this film and really showed their range as actors through calculative demeanors and raw emotion. And obviously, we have Christian Bale. I wanted to put his performance as a seperate point because I think it ties into how this film understands Bruce as a character. Bale is just phenomenal in this, and again, I should expect no less, but he blows me away every single time I see him in anything, purely because of how dedicated he is to any role that he does. It's honestly such a hard feat to get the audience to believe that a character like Bruce Wayne in this film, who is introduced as this unstable, emotional, and traumatized figure, can grow to be the Batman, and yet Bale somehow pulls it off, delivering a great performances with all three masks on. The first mask being one of Bruce Wayne as a child, which seeps through with his interactions with fun and enjoyment; the second mask being the Bruce Wayne that has a purpose but remains confused about his morals and values; and the third mask being none other than Batman. It's clear from the get go that he understands who Bruce really is, and that's all a testament to Nolan's insanely good writing and understanding of the character and his atmosphere. In Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher's Batman films, though they occasionally delved into the differences and similarities between Bruce and Batman, I think this film is the first of the Batman films to truly be a character study of Bruce. I mean, the first half hour alone is just building up Bruce as a character and understanding his morals, his influences, and everything else that contributes to him wanting to be Batman. It's exploring that second mask so much, which is really the bridge mask between Bruce Wayne and Batman. That's one of the biggest things that contributes to this film being as profound as it is, even 20 years after it came out. Nolan is also the first director to really pay attention to Gotham and the society that Bruce lives in. I have to give Burton some credit for trying to approach the character of Batman through a commentary of billionaires lens, but unfortunately, the timing of when those films came out just wasn't the perfect political environment for something like that, especially when superhero films were for nerds and children who wanted escapism. However, during the early 2000s, people were beginning to become more aware of the toxicity that billionaires bring to a world that they refuse to give back to, so this film sits extremely well with the time because it doesn't shy away from the wrongdoings and ignorance of billionaires who get swept up by corruption and their money, but rather offers two different examples for how one must lead a life that is much fortunate than others. One being Bruce Wayne and the other being his father, Thomas Wayne. Thomas Wayne is the hopeful exploration of what a billionaire should be like—riding the train that everyone else does, donating almost enough to go into bankruptcy because he cares more about the people of Gotham than his money, and setting an example for other rich people to follow instead of just talking about philanthropy and charity. 2022's The Batman also does a much needed commentary on billionaires, but it's a much bleaker, cynical take on billionaires, pointing directly to their flaws and corruption rather than setting an example for how they should ask. Personally, I think I like Nolan's take on this more, but I understand that in the current political climate, The Batman's approach works a lot better because it's dramatic, loud and quite violent, whereas Batman Begins's far more hopeful, subtle, and poignant tone to the matter may not catch as many people with its messaging. Nolan also establishes this Batman as way more progressive than any previous Batmen in a lot of ways including the anti-billionaire messaging, the deep and profound no-gun decision that Bruce makes, and of course, the distinction between true criminals led by their own sinful nature, and ones led by society's faults. It's something that I think prepares the character for the 21st century and makes Nolan's version so much better than any other one. Another thing I obviously really loved about this film was the score, which is pretty obvious considering it's by none other than the great Hans Zimmer. He truly draws the audience in with the exciting and challenging theme he composed for this and engages the audience in a feeling of a continuous adrenaline rush. Finally, there's the action scenes. No one does action scenes better than Nolan and he definitely knocked it out of the park in this film. I mean, that car chase with the police cars and the Batmobile... I'm just speechless by how entertaining and spotless that sequence was. I also really like the idea that Bruce learned all the skills he needs to be Batman from martial arts because it gives the narrative a much needed grounding. It's a cool decision that's straight from the comics but works so well when it comes to giving us the origin of Batman. In conclusion, man... I really misremembered this film and I'm so glad I revisited it because it made me finally realize why I didn't get this film as a 12 year old. It's because this film is a character study, a commentary on billionaires and capitalism, and crime. It's not about the action, but rather all about these important themes, themes that I didn't pick up on five years ago, but themes I appreciate this film for so much more now. Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up. Batman Ranked Nolan Ranked IB Level: 6- 4/5 **29 November 2025 chymp**