The Dark Knight

I finally saw Dark Knight with Heath Ledger. He sure did an amazing job playing the villain. I’m saddened by his death and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. I think his best role was in A Knight’s Tale. He was great in that too.

I’m not much into Batman, Superman or Spiderman movies but Dark Knight intrigued me. The whole concept of wearing down a good person until they fall to the dark side was interesting. What would we do if we lost everything we loved? Become bitter? Turn vindictive or malicious? I still contend that torture is wrong. That is the first line that should not be crossed if our ideals aspire to something higher than that of our enemies.

It’s interesting how actors can play such contrasting roles. Russell Crowe in Gladiator and in A Beautiful Mind are prime examples of two very different characters played by a talented actor. Similar to Heath Ledger’s roles in Dark Knight and A Knight’s Tale.

Another interesting character is Mel Gibson. His pinnacle role was clearly Braveheart. Courage, loyalty, fidelity. Those are noble characteristics. His anti semetic comments in a drunken tirade was somewhat shocking after his riveting job directing the Passion of Christ. Then the recent news of how he’s leaving the mother of his six children for some playboy lingerie bimbo. What’s with men and silicone anyways?

I was commenting on how that really didn’t fit in with his loyalty and fidelity in Braveheart. Then my daughter reminded me of the role he played in What Women Want. A funny movie but a somewhat less idealistic character. I had to concur that these are just actors playing roles. Interesting indeed. I still think it’s good to aspire to something higher.

When I think of Dark Knight I think of that MI6 director John Scarlett who was granted knighthood just for being MI6. Somewhat suspicious when we see MI6’s role in Operation Mass Appeal planting false evidence in the media against Iraq to justify an invasion. Then there was MI6’s botched false flag operation in Iraq:
http://finiansworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/anarchy-in-uk-revisited.html

Somehow I just see the MI6 as dirty and the appointment of John Scarlett to Knighthood simply as the Dark Knight: http://finiansworld.blogspot.com/2008/09/missing-link.html

Do not go gentle into the night. Rage, Rage against the Dark Knight.