When Batman Begins hit theaters on June 15, 2005, we may not have known it then, but this film would go on to become one of the most influential in early 21st century cinema. If the American movie industry is basically superhero films and reboots, which, for the most part it is, then we have Batman Begins to partially thank for that.
Batman Begins received generally positive reviews with critic after critic pointing out how unique the film was compared with the Batman and other superhero films that came before it. However, it took some time for moviegoers to see the potential in Batman Begins. The movie grossed more than $15 million at the box office during its first day in theaters, which wasn't disappointing, but it didn't break any records either. The film would go on to gross more than $374 million worldwide, which pales in comparison to what the Spider-Man films that came before it and subsequent superhero movies earned. In fact, Begins earned only a hair more than the maligned Batman Forever, and when adjusted for inflation, it probably actually trails the Val Kilmer snoozefest.
In fact, the Nolan Batman films didn't really pick up steam until the release of the second film in the franchise, The Dark Knight, in 2008, which was largely due to Heath Ledger's exceptionally chilling performance as the Joker and his untimely death six months before the movie opened. That along with the shootings in Aurora, Colo. upon the release of The Dark Knight Rises in 2012 have contributed to Batman Begins having a much lower profile in history compared with the other films in the franchise.
However, we see the influence of Batman Begins everywhere today. From what movies get made to how they're made, Hollywood has followed the lead of Batman Begins in a big way over the past decade. Here are five ways Hollywood just wouldn't be the same today without Batman Begins.
1. It Elevated Superhero Movies as an Art Form
Sure, superhero movies have always been beloved just as superheroes have. However, they hadn't really been considered these great works of art worthy of Academy Award recognition until Batman Begins came along. The critical success of Batman Begins helped bring in the explosion of superhero movies a few years later, which we are still in the midst of today.
Batman Begins totally revolutionized the way a movie could tell a superhero's origin story. The earlier moments of the film are told in a much less linear fashion than other superhero movies, moving from Bruce's present in an Asian prison to the past of his childhood to the recent past of returning to Gotham after a stint at college within the first quarter of the film or so.
In that regard, Batman Begins took its title quite literally. The whole film is basically an origin story showing us how Bruce Wayne came to be the Caped Crusader we know and love. We don't even get to see Bruce do his thing as Batman until about an hour into the film. Even more importantly than that, Batman Begins showed us that a freak accident or the death of a loved one don't have to be the only catalysts for a hero's birth. Yes, Batman Begins shows us the trauma the death of Bruce's parents brought to his life. However, the Batman persona was really born out of Bruce's fears and a desire to conquer them, which is a running theme throughout the movie. Batman Begins showed us that superhero movies don't just have to be about costumes, fight scenes and special effects. There can be a deep psychological element to them as well.
2. It Made Everything Darker
Before Batman Begins, superhero movies were flashy action-adventure romps that were generally seen as light-hearted fare. However, Nolan took Batman Begins into darker territory, rooting Batman's world in more reality, and a bleak one at that, with brutalist set design and muted, low-contrast cinematography.
Of course, Batman Begins wasn't the only film around that time to help bring a more melancholy vision of comic books to the big screen. Frank Miller's Sin City released that same year and James McTeigue's V for Vendetta the following year helped usher in a darker, more brooding and more cynical view of the world on film.
However, Nolan's style has most often been cited by future filmmakers tackling other big-budget films, and not just superhero ones either. In fact, movies such as X-Men: First Class, Casino Royale and Terminator Genisys have all taken inspiration from Batman Begins. The upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder, even looks like it's going to try to capture the same essence as the Dark Knight trilogy. Nolan set a new standard for what a Hollywood blockbuster can be today to the point where every franchise reboot is expected to have the same level of grittiness and complexity as Batman Begins.
3. It Rebooted the Reboot Craze
Batman Begins wasn't the first movie reboot, but it was one of the earliest to get really big, serving as inspiration for movie studios to churn out the countless reboots we see hit the silver screen these days. Batman Begins struck the perfect balance between keeping the flavor of Batman's legacy while still having enough of its own unique style to stand completely on its own. Few franchise reboots since have been able to capture the same level of quality and prestige as the Dark Knight trilogy, but they'll sure continue to try in the foreseeable future.
4. It Revived the Character of Batman
Batman Begins was hardly Batman's first appearance on the big screen, although we've been trying to forget about 1989's Batman, 1992's Batman Returns, 1995's Batman Forever and 1997's Batman & Robin ever since they premiered. Tim Burton's Batman was probably the most successful out of this quartet, but they all have that element of camp of the iconic 1960s Batman television series, which, by the time Batman & Robin came out, made the superhero just seem like a joke.
With a film universally deplored by fans as Batman & Robin was, you might think no studio would want to risk making a movie about the Dark Knight ever again. However, Warner Bros. bet on the right director and star with Batman Begins. Nolan's verismo and morose style coupled with Christian Bale's nuanced performance as a more troubled and vulnerable superhero breathed new life into Batman and redeemed the character after those cinematic missteps. Batman Begins showed us a Batman completely different from what we had ever seen before, making us fall in love with him onscreen all over again.
5. It Put Christopher Nolan on the Map
Before Batman Begins, Nolan was a respected filmmaker, having written and directed 2000's Memento, but he was nothing like the auteur and box office juggernaut that he is today. Batman Begins gave Nolan an outlet to showcase his talent and distinct point of view, providing a launchpad for a career that would later give us The Prestige, Inception and Interstellar, in addition to the final two movies in the Dark Knight trilogy. Batman Begins put Nolan on the world's radar, and we've been curious to see what he will think of next ever since.
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