The Dark Knight (2008)
Based on the DC Comics character, Batman, this sequel to the movie Batman Begins (2005) is one of highest grossing movies in box-office history and THE highest grossing superhero movie ever. It is the second movie ever to earn over $500 million at US box-offices. Why all the hype? It is an excellent movie. State-of-the-art special effects and technical equipment, all-star cast including the final performance of the amazing Heath Ledger, beautiful soundtrack, and incredible plot. But most importantly of all, the script was written, no, created by the intelligent minds of Jonathon and Christopher Nolan who carefully and painstakingly meshed the magic of rhetoric into their story.
PUN:
“Gambol gets up, moving at the joker, who casually opens his coat, revealing explosives wired to his chest. Gambol stops.
JOKER: Let’s not blow this out of proportion.“
METAPHOR:
“JOKER: Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it. You know, I just… do things. The mob has plans, the cops have plans, Gordon’s got plans. You know, they’re schemers. Schemers trying to control their little worlds. I’m not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how, pathetic, their attempts to control things really are.”
ANECDOTE:
“ALFRED: I was in Burma. A long time ago. My friends and I were working for the local government. They were trying to buy the loyalty of the tribal leaders, bribing them with precious stones. But their caravans were being raided in a forest north of Rangoon by a bandit. We were asked to take care of the problem, so we started looking for the stones. But after six months, we couldn’t find anyone who had traded with him.
WAYNE: What were you missing?
ALFRED: One day I found a child playing with a ruby as big as a tangerine. The bandit had been throwing the stones away.
WAYNE: So why was he stealing them?
ALFRED: Because he thought it was good sport. Because 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.”
ANTITHESIS:
“DENT: The night is darkest just before the dawn.”
EPIZEUXIS/RHETORICAL QUESTION:
“JOKER: I don’t want to kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No, no, NO! No. You… you… complete me.”
How brilliant you are! I love that you’ve found the magic of rhetoric on the big screen.
A couple points to ponder: 1) Are Dent’s words really antithesis, which requires two balanced phrases sharing contrasting ideas? Seems more paradoxical to me. 2) Do Joker’s words, “you complete me” also an allusion? Didn’t what’s her (or was it him?) name say that in Jerry Maguire?
…I’ve never seen Jerry Maguire, and you’ve made a grammatical error. it would be what’s her (or was it his?) name.