Falconer-Film Noir in Batman

            In the film Batman, director Tim Burton uses many elements of Film Noir to help develop his story line and characters. Gotham is a very unique city that helps set the mood to the whole story. An important element of Film Noir is urban modernity, which is how Tim Burton was able to portray Gotham. The city is very grey, sad and claustrophobic. The drab colored, harshly angled buildings with little lighting show a sense of modern alienation. This is expressionism because it brings out the emotional side of Gotham. People seem unhappy and alienated. The alienation could be from each other by means of wealth. The separation of the wealthy and the poor is a big part of Batman. The wealthy live in fear of the poor criminals lurking in Gotham’s shadows, prepared to do almost anything, even kill for what they want. The scene in which Bruce Wayne’s family is robbed is done with many elements of Film Noir. The family is walking ominously through grey streets with a shadow behind every tall building when two burglars appear. One shoots both the parents then aims the gun at Bruce for a few seconds before retreating back into the shadows of Gotham.

            Batman or Bruce Wayne is almost the perfect Film Noir conflicted hero. Before you know Bruce Wayne’s background you could think he’s just your average guy fighting criminals to make Gotham a better place. But you soon learn this “hero” has some personal motives. This is depicted phenomenally in the final scene as Batman encounters the Joker face to face. The Joker tells Batman, “You made me.” and Batman’s responds, “I made you? You made me first.” This really brings out Bruce Wayne’s conflicted heroism showing us that the hero he created was started out of a personal vendetta for the thief who killed his parents. And while yes the Joker deserved to die to save Gotham, Batman’s motives in killing him was his own revenge not the good of Gotham.

            I do think however that the one element of Film Noir that Tim Burton undermined was the Femme Fatales. Film Noir’s femme fatales relationship is described by Quart and Auster as "a world where women, often in the central role, were glamorous and dangerous – seductive sirens whose every action was marked by duplicity and aimed at satisfying a desire for wealth and power – while the male protagonists were frequently weak, confused and morally equivocal, susceptible to temptation, and incapable of acting heroically." While yes Vicky’s first intentions of coming to Gotham are to further her career by photographing Batman and she is involved with Bruce Wayne, a weak, confused man who acts heroically, that is only how their relationship starts off. Her intentions of helping Gotham remain pure and she goes through with several heroic acts herself. In Film Noir the male’s dominance is supposed to be restored by the climax. The Climax of Batman is when he kills the Joker and saves Vicky. The movie ends with her quitting her job to hide Batman’s identity and goes away to live with Wayne. Making Bruce and Vicky’s relationship a Femme Fatales one.