Batman

Overview

Batman (1989)
Production Company: Warner Bros.
Producers: Jon Peters, Peter Guber, Chris Kenney
Director: Tim Burton
Screenplay: Sam Hamm, Warren Skaaren, story by Sam Hamm based upon Bob Kane's Batman characters
Camera: Roger Pratt
Music: Danny Elfman
Production Designer: Anton Furst
Cast: Jack Nicholson (Joker/Jack Napier), Michael Keaton (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Kim Basinger (Vicky Vale), Robert Wuhl (Alexander Knox), Jack Palance (Carl Grissom), Michael Gough (Albert)
Running time: 126 minutes

Gotham City, a neo-gothic, extremely claustrophobic version of New York City, is being plagued by mob boss Carl Grissom, while rumors are spread of a vigilante dressed like a bat. Grissom attempts to rid himself of his right hand man Jack Napier through betrayal, but Napier ends up in a vat full of chemicals only to re- appear as the disfigured, psychopathic Joker. Photographer Vicky Vale discovers that Batman's alter ego is millionnaire Bruce Wayne, as he finds out that Napier is the man responsible for the death of his parents. Their deaths were the reason for Wayne to don a bat costume and fight injustice in the first place. During a parade celebrating himself The Joker attempts to commit mass murder, but Batman succeeds in thwarting this evil scheme, and Batman, Joker and Vicky Vale end up together in the Gotham City Cathedral. Batman and the Joker fight their final battle after which Vicky is saved.

Anton Furst's set design is Batman's only real addition to the usual cliches and plot structures of the comic book movie; some psychological aspects of the battle between the righteous Batman and the evil Joker are made explicit --one cannot exist without the other, therefore they are practically the same-- but even this is overly familiar territory. It may be assumed that Tim Burton's position as young, virtually unknown prodigy directing Warner Bros' biggest blockbuster project did not give him the freedom he enjoyed in his previous productions. Hardly any of the flamboyant playfulness on display in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice is to be found here, as even the Joker's character is taken rather too seriously. Only a number of brilliant visual touches and Furst's set design make up for the confusing and rather contrived story that guides the viewer through most cliches of the super hero format. One element with which Burton does display an obvious affinity is the Batman character's problematic split personality, which he handled with even more success in Batman Returns.