Batman in Burtonland
Gotham City & Batman are like an odd yet fated couple in a rewarding arrange marriage. Tied together by fate but probably not as bad as it looks on paper. It is when Alfred takes a tired, beaten Bruce Wayne home and we see him as a feeble man, who is vulnerable in relationships, lacking in moral fiber. And the next morning comes, and Bruce finds reassurance in Alfred’s fine observations and reactions to the goings on…
Alfred: Sir, shall we change the channel to a program with some dignity and class? The Love Connection, perhaps?
He presents a literal and classic foil to Batman/Bruce Wayne, and makes the irony almost figure in the natural order of things. And that is just one of the many reasons why we love Batman like no other superhero…
Alfred: Let’s not forget about repairing the Batmobile. There’s certain security to consider. It’s not as though we can take it to any old “Joe’s bodyshop,” is it, sir?
Bruce Wayne: Security? Who let Vicki Vale into the Batcave? I’m sitting there working and I turn around, there she is. “Oh hi, Vick – come on in.”
BATMAN(1989)
The first Batman film by Tim Burton loves the greens and purples. That is as much deviance it takes. Rest is all a tight-screwed action film. With all the essential devices in place. Only here we have the star power of Jack Nicholson, which is pretty explainable. The film almost looks like a Nicholson film until Batman registers his presence with the post-midnight-parallel-law-enforcement stints, in line with the legacy of superheroes his side of the influential authority. And everything goes just about in-line for this ambitious and quite historically awaited and celebrated 1989 project. A Kim Basinger straight out of L.A. Confidential, perhaps one of her few memorable turns. A very typical-of-eighties-conceit-and-film-drama early sequences with a normal Joker. And the build up of intrigue in raw eighties style. Well of course, somewhere along the line comes Batman and his comic book elements and the film becomes nicely adventurous and flawed, vintage Burton style.
That was 1989.
The film had an enviable self-awareness about it. It wanders in its own self-pride, not shackled by any strings, and this was quite a feat, considering all the pre-Batman and post-Batman events that are now film-history documents. An important phase indeed in film and comic book adaptations history.
A lot has been written about the divide between the new age Batman(sophistication personified, not as bad as it sounds), and the ‘Pop’ avatar from the eighties and nineties, and how it is a mere reflection of the society at large and its ambitions, or not ambitions, and its aspirations, and the politics of it lot. Perhaps, this is another reason why the new, rather renewed Batman franchise often bakes in the glory of a contextual accuracy, perhaps another reason why one sees more of ‘Bruce Wayne’ than ‘Batman’ in the existing franchise. Don’t tell me you have never thought of it before.
And as we sit and wait for a Burton film in times that are not as interesting as they could be, looking back 20 years takes us right back into Burton’s mainstream origins, which remain as unresolved and mystical a phenomenon as his films. I mean here is a guy who always wore his dark mood on his sleeve, and yet managed to win the world over, again and again.
Now when I see his films, with or without their contextual significance, I can’t help wonder at their fate, all classics in their own regard, all special installations in an illustrious career.
At times, I also admire the high regard, in retrospect, of the audience that was, absorbing in all the Burton elements, that we so comfortably speak of now, almost textually, with utmost ease and zero compromise. Perhaps, it is only a sign of the changing times, that we do not see that kind of courage, from either sides off late.
Burton’s first take on Batman was a self-confessed dream-come-real on celluloid, not missing on any tangent and keeping it honest and real. And The Joker was all singin-n-dancin’ in this pop-manoeuvre, asking us for a little attention and applause and frowning if it doesn’t meet the demand. Jack Nicholson knew the time was right, and it showed. Talk about defining an age.
And all this without an ever-thinking and hyper-reactive global audience was as much an achievement as casting Jack Nicholson for The Joker.
BATMAN RETURNS(1992)
Burton’s second Batman installation was a inspired theatrical ode to the legend of the Caped Crusader. Right from the very first sequences(of how Penguin came to be), to the grand operatic score, to the color schemes to the opulent design, BATMAN RETURNS had it’s intentions out there like a poster screaming out it’s ambitions high over city walls.
There is pinks, greens and peaches in this plan. An oft-recurring theme in Burton ouvre is the Delight in Devil/Sympathy for the Oppressor, like a city full of cops that justify law enforcement but wouldn’t play their parts right.
The Penguin: [driving the Batmobile] Maybe this is a bad time to mention this, but my license has expired!
Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny De Vito & Michael Keaton present a daunting cast, and yet again Burton manages to take the battle of stars to his own bittersweet melody which created magic on the big screen.
Where BATMAN was what it is mainly because of it’s commitment to grandly staged action sequences, BATMAN RETURNS owes much of it’s unique appeal to it’s unrelenting dialogs, consistently acute and effective when they appear.
Danny De Vito colors his Penguin in a sympathetic tragi-comic side-product of neglect and industrial pursuits. There is a pleasure in his pain, and a wink in his eyes, as he goes about his scare-routines and unravels his ghastly plans.
[addressing a huge flock of penguins]
The Penguin: My dear penguins, we stand on a great threshold! It’s okay to be scared; many of you won’t be coming back. Thanks to Batman, the time has come to punish *all* God’s children! 1st, 2nd, 3rd *and* 4th-born! Why be biased? Male and female! Hell, the sexes are equal with their erogenous zones blown sky high! Forward march! The liberation of Gotham has begun!
The Penguin: You gotta admit I played this stinkin’ city like a harp from hell.
Volunteer Bimbo: You are the coolest role-model a young person could have!
The Penguin: And you’re the hottest young person a role-model could have.
And then are those quintessential Burton elements, few things that only he can do, that also take the premise ahead of it’s comic-book possibilities. That little scene where Batman throws his whats-its-name-sling after careful programming is proof enough, or the one where Walken storms in Penguin’s den and can’t help but admire the glorious extras, are just some of the film’s flourishes, which are it’s own.
Selina Kyle: Wow, *the* Batman – or is it just “Batman”? Uh, your choice, of course!
[Batman walks away]
Selina Kyle: Well, that was very brief. Just like all the men in my life.
The Penguin: You’re just jealous, because I’m a genuine freak and you have to wear a mask!
Batman: You might be right.
BATMAN RETURNS is a classic also because of MICHELLE PFEIFFER, and her epic turn as Catwoman. Never has a Batman heroine surpassed that kind of glamor, that kind of charm. She takes the theatrical leanings and give them spice. Here is a Batman love tale which is enticing and intriguing at once, and yet quite late-eighties in its charms. One love tale that makes you forget that these are superheroes that you are talking about, and that they have other jobs to do, and yet the moment is so rare. So poignant.
Catwoman: I don’t know about you, Miss Kitty, but I feel so much yummier.
Selina Kyle: A kiss under the mistletoe. You know, mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.
Bruce Wayne: But a kiss can be even deadlier… if you mean it.
[silence as they realize each other's identities]
Selina Kyle: Oh, my God. Does this mean we have to start fighting?
Bruce Wayne: Let’s go outside.
After Christopher Nolan famously revived the franchise with his own I-love-the-Bat-Silhouette-on-a-brown-sky take on the epic character, discussion boards have been smoking with Burton Vs Nolan bouts. While many a oldies have sworn by the innocent charm and a courage to go all ends in the Burton films, and many(because of bad film IQ, or ignorance), choose to call all Batman films prior to Nolan as ‘forgettable’ and ‘insignificant’, only a rare few give both the film makers their due, in terms of what they brought to the table. It is something I have thought and mulled and studied a little, and shall bring forth my thoughts in due time, as I further explore the ever-enchanting world of Tim Burton.
9
It is a proud moment for a Burton fan. The master auteur is back with a post-apocalyptic ‘ragdoll’ adeventure in his signature uncompromising style. 9 brings together the talents of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, Crispin Glover and John C Reilly(yeah!) in the direction of Shane Acker and collaboration of Timur Bekmambetov(WANTED). It is an expansion of Acker’s Academy nominated 2004 short film of the same name. The Plot:
The time is the too-near future. Powered and enabled by the invention known as the Great Machine, the world’s machines have turned on mankind and sparked social unrest, decimating the human population before being largely shut down.
But as our world fell to pieces, a mission began to salvage the legacy of civilization; a group of small creations was given the spark of life by a scientist in the final days of humanity, and they continue to exist post-apocalypse. Another of their own, #9 (voiced by Elijah Wood), emerges and displays leadership qualities that may help them survive and possibly even thrive. The conflicted but resilient tribe already includes #1 (Christopher Plummer), a domineering war veteran and the group’s longtime leader; #2 (Martin Landau), a kindly but now-frail inventor; #3 and #4, scholarly twins who communicate nonverbally and mostly with each other; #5 (John C. Reilly), a stalwart and nurturing engineer; #6 (Crispin Glover), an erratic artist beset by visions; #7 (Jennifer Connelly), a brave and self-sufficient warrior; and #8 (Fred Tatasciore), the none-too-bright muscle and enforcer for #1.
With their group so few, these “stitchpunk” creations must summon individual strengths well beyond their own proportions in order to outwit and fight against still-functioning machines, one of which is a marauding mechanized beast. In the darkness just before the dawn, #9 rallies everyone of his number to band together.
While showcasing a stunning “steampunk”-styled visual brilliance, 9 dynamically explores the will to live, the power of community, and how one soul can change the world.
To quote BATMAN RETURNS,
I am not really the one for speeches, so I will just say Thanks!
Tim Burton's 9 releases worldwide on September 9, 2009
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Tushar, i think we had these Burton discussions on my post long time back.
Anyway much before Nolan, for me it was Burton, who first bought the dark nature of Batman’s character, till then a campy TV series. He stuck to the dark tone and Gotham city looked really sinister. Even Batman Returns had the same tone.
Sadly Warner Bros decision to make the franchise turned the movie totally campy with Batman Forever, Batman & Robin( worst of all), before Christopher Nolan bought it back to its roots. While many credit Nolan for reviving the original dark tone of the Batman series, i feel Burton’s contribution is sometimes overlooked.
Yes, Ratnakar. That was so much fun. I finally compiled all his films now. Will be taking up Corpse Bride some time soon. As for Batman, you are right, camp is the way. Feels good to explore the Burton pov of Gotham. I don’t think I will get out of it soon, in order to revisit Nolan.
Lovely intros all. For one who still hasnt yet got completely lost in Burtonland am really going to lap up all this…great stuff happening….tx for this…n waiting for more…
Well regarding Nolan vs Burton, the fact is the former is a darling among the critics, while regards the latter, the attitude is somewhat diffident. Many praised Batman for its technical and visual skills, but they felt the script was not too great, something which Burton stressed on more in Batman Returns, where he gave more meat to the Penguin’s character.
Again regarding Nicholson’s Joker vs Ledger’s Joker, it was more suited to the times. The 80’s and 90’s, were the age of the “larger than life, crazy, totally insane, OTT” bad guys, and Nicholson’s portrayal was very much in keeping with that spirit. Excess and OTT, was the hallmark of 80’s,and that explains the success of Tony Montana, Nicholson’s Joker. Burton tried to give a more human spin to De Vito’s Penguin in Batman Returns, but again the audiences liked Nicholson’s Joker more. In this decade the bad guy’s portrayal had changed, it was more gritty, more realistic. And thats how Ledger’s portrayal came out in keeping with the tune of the times.
One more reason why Batman Returns worked better than Batman, was due to Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman character, much more stronger than Kim Bassinger’s “damsel in distress” character in Batman. And it helps that any day, Pfeiffer is a better actress compared to Bassinger.
Sure, I loved the indulgent ‘Vicki’ mention in Returns.
Batman, like Mr Burton’s other works, is a marvelous tale of darkness and Gothic iniquity. Having digested all his works I wouldn’t call Batman/Batman Return his most significant film(s). The Nightmare After Christmas [Story] and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of the Fleet Street are two of his masterpieces according to me.
But make no mistake, the first two Batman movies along with the two by Mr Nolan are masterpieces in their own right in the world of comic book adapted movies.
We will come to all of them, Ulhas!Giving every film it’s due time and worth. Right now, I am finding hard to get out of Batman era. Must have seen both these films some 2-3 times each over this week. Sweeney Todd…so many things about that film. Have few things in mind that I will share soon.
one post aint doing it for Burton’s Batman. Michael Keaton was Awesome and cool as Batman. Christian Bale’s single expression card board and gruffy voice is holding no candle to MK’s rocking performance. And the self locking bat mobile is million times coooooler than the utilitarian Military prototypes that are so unfortunately ‘retro’. If closely observed, below the veneer of the modern ’sensibilities’ Batman, the character is still the same and more in the territory of visual zanniness of Tim Burton.
You are right man. There is no end to the discussion. Funny you mention the Batmobile thing, cus yest we observed the same while seeing Returns. I would avoid the Nolan vs Burton debate but would say both have created important chronicles of cinems of their times.
I object to that. If you read later day Batman comics, the character is more suited to Christian Bale’s personality than Michael Keaton’s. It could be other way around that the character in the comics is modeled after Bale, but whatever.
Burton’s Batman movies are like being played in Kubrick’s land. While they hold their own artistic value, the age group these movies target may not get the full grasp of the subtleties, sarcastic undertones, or at least I did not when I watched them as a kid.
Nolan’s Batman is more like a graphic novel character which probably shows what’s more popular in the context of the times.
There was a poll done in the mid eighties and they found that Superman was getting more human – in his expression of emotions (anguish, sadness) and Batman was getting more darker and morbid. Burton’s Batman is more truer to its the then comic edition. I’m not sure what’s going on with Batman in comics these days, but that was the state of Batman in eighties. Infact Burton’s Batman would have been much more darker had it not been the “mis”-handling or proper handling of Burton by one of the movies executive producers who was at that time dating Bassinger and was a constant presence on the sets, modifiying, pressuring and bullying Burton to an extent – to modify or change lines or portions in the script. At times Burton would be pushed so hard that he would run off the sets and start crying with the producer running after him to console him and apologize. That’s a whole other story though. Years later the executive producer would become famous for a line mentioned in one of the meetings of Sony in Hollywood, where the representative of Sony from Japan, would suddenly wake up from his deep slumber during the meeting, rub his eyes, look at the balance sheet and say to the producer ‘Huh! You got Sony bankrupt!’
I follow the comic book whatever I can get my hands on in the available new releases, or some exports. Off late Batman hasn’t been that exciting in the main segments except for the ‘detective’ series or Hush. Now Batman comics are more like a gangster plot and less about Batman per se, which is good I guess. Comic world is truly confusing though. So many variants and versions of the popular figures that it is more fun to lay your hands on a lesser famous franchise. To an extent it is right to say both the Batman made contextual sense. The times were ready for Nolan to reprise the caped crusader in a modern day unrewarding mood.
Bang on about the ‘dark’ part. When we were watching Returns yesterday, we were wondering how did it get PG13 back in those days, what with the Penguin biting that guy’s nose and stuff. Then the Catwoman bits, the ‘just the right pussy for me’ etc. In that sense I would say Burton was wild and truly radical with it’s approach.
Interesting Sony anecdote.
I agree with you Tejas. Hush, Tower of Babel, Outlaws, etc are all dark, noirish works. Bale is much more suited to the adult tone of the comics nowadays.
Right said fred. While i did enjoy Nolan’s Batman I still root for Burtons. Nolans was impersonal, a whacked out, full pulsed muscular flick and like tushar said it- its about bruce wayne not batman. Butons was nice, relaxed, layered, playful, perverse. A jack in the box carnival noir and the lipstick on the women makes thier lips somthing to kill for. Keaton’s batman is one you want to sit around nursing a drink.thats what counts i guess.
@ VPJ
I had earlier written on Tim Burton and Batman here
http://passionforcinema.com/the-dark-world-of-tim-burton-ii/
Not as good as Tushar’s posting, but can check out.
Ratnakar, man your Burton fest was something. Your posts were well-times(frequent) and left one asking for more. Good to see Burton influencing one and all.
For me the 1st 2 Batman movies ( Batman & Batman Returns ) as well as the recent 2 movies all hold great value in terms of the franchise.Batman & Robin was the biggest ever joke of movie.I sometimes wonder if after all these years and with Nolan hitting form with 2 back to back movies, if Burton were to return for another Bat movie, how would it be?
I find it funny that few years back, even I used to think of all old Batman films as junk, thanks to Joel Schumacher. Though I would also say that he abuse for those 2 disasters is a bit overdone. I mean he also made Phone Booth, Veronica Guerrin etc. I guess he realized he shouldn’t be making superhero flicks, only a little too late.
As for Burton revisiting Batman, I guess he is caught up to say the least, he and Guillermo are two of the most-watched fantasy makers as of today. So many projects they have on hand.
http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/17-06/mf_deltoro?currentPage=all
Tushar- of course Burton & Guillermo have their next few years packed with so many projects.But my statement was more of a wish in terms of expectation.But yes these two are just brilliant when it comes to making fantasy movies- no doubts @ all.
hey arnold kicked ass. whatever you say.. he was fucking adorable
Timely Trivia – There is a neon light in Catwoman’s apartment that says Hello There. When Michelle Pfeiffer actually dons the catwoman avatar for the first time, that sign just reads ‘Hell Here’, while the O and the T being covered.
Gulaal anyone?
ya, I remember that one. So AK ripped it off in Gulal??
Good one! Those Danny DeVito Penguin lines were really funny. It’s been a while.
Like Kailash Kher says, aao ji! :-)
Yup, those lines were awesome…
..I saw her first, I will fly…
Burn baby burn..
I wasn’t invited, so I crashed(Nolan referenced this bit)
“a direct approach,I like it,that is something coming from a man in a mask..”
awesome memories brought back Tushar! loved the batman series mainly Bcos of batman returns.
however, the genius of burton is such that these two pale in comparision to his later movies.
Thanks man, and well said.
When Batman was made in 1989. DC had just started with a major change in comic books after Crisis on Infinite Earths. So the new version of the major characters were just out. Batman has just become darker than before after Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns in 1986 and Year One in 1987. Considering that it had been only 2 years before the new darker Batman was out, Burtun’s mvoies did a much better job to grasp the dark sinister tone of the character. Before that only the campy version of Adam West’s Batman was known to large audience outside the comic. The Killing Joke was out in 1988 and I dont think there was enough time to update the Joker character as well.
By the time Nolan arrived on the scene all those comic books had already become classic, the characters have acquired much more depths and so it was much easy for him to harvest what was already there and produce the best out of it.
I’m more of a Nolan fan than Burtun and I give him credit to what he did to Batman but on a whole I acknowledge Burtun did a better job than him.
–
And I think nostalgia-critic also agrees with me..
Batman vs Dark Knight
http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/7184-batmanvsdk
Great trivia there.
say that again… very very nice… and that guy with the glasses is the SHIT!
Batman Returns made Catwoman so popular that DC started Catwoman’s solo series which ran for a long time.
Delicious article and tasty comments!
Of all the Batman movies, my favorite one is
Burtons “Batman Returns”,
Gothicness!!!
In fact Burton films specialize in Gothic themes for movies, don’t they? It gives you that eerie feeling like A Clockwork Orange or Eyes Wide Shut.
Helena BoNham Carter is the perfect goth if there ever was.
Even Charlie & Chocolate Factory had that characteristic.
In fact I often doubt if he lives in Oregon. ;)
Somehow never really liked Burton’s version of Charlie & Chocolate Factory, way too indulgent. I liked the older Gene Wilder version more. Two of my least favorite Burton movies are remakes-Planet of Apes and Charlie & Chocolate Factory.
Exactly my thoughts. I will be revisiting Charlie mostly I think. Let’s see how it goes.
Aao Shekhar Bhai, welcome. Was wondering how come you didn’t join th eparty till now.
Tushar,
In fact I’m thinking of writing something on Burton,
and join the fest.
The scene I love in ‘Batman Returns’ is when that ‘mistletoe’ dialogues happens.In costume party at Max, where everyone wearing masks except these two dark masquerades. the Bat & the Cat,
Ironic!!
-
And in the background song is
‘Face to face’ by ‘Siouxsie and the Banshees’.
Perfect!!
(song start after 1:20 min.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOBAyfj_Jnw&feature=related
original song is here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_neOGeee9k&feature=related