Tim Burton uses
different film noir techniques in his film to create the mood and tone that he
wants.
Tim Burton is famous
for his use of opposition of light and dark areas and in Batman he uses these
contrasts to highlight the characters of the Joker and Batman. The wild and
vibrant colors of the Joker are so striking because of the dark coloring of the
buildings and shadows of the movie. Because the colors are so striking, it
allows the viewer to attribute the wild colors to what the Joker’s personality
is like. The wild colors are a reflection of his personality disorder and of
his unstable mental state. Typically, the use of dark colors is a symbol for
“evil” or “bad,” but Tim Burton undermines the use of dark and color in Batman
because even though Batman is all dressed in black, he is representing the good
in the movie and the Joker, all dressed in vivid colors, is representing the
evil in the movie. Tim Burton plays upon the typical stereotypes on the use of
color by him using the dark colors to represent the “good guy” and using the
vibrant colors to represent the “bad guy.”
The same can be said
for Batman about the dark colors reflecting upon his emotional state. When he
was younger he witnessed his parents murder and ever since then he has felt
like an outsider. The dark coloring and his dark shadows represent his isolation
from the rest of the citizens of Gotham City.
The angles of certain
scenes and the concentration of the buildings in Gotham City emphasize a
claustrophobic feel to the movie which represents an off balance feel to the
world. As the camera gives a birds eye view of the buildings in Gotham City in
some scenes, it gives the feeling that everything is so close together and it
also isolates Gotham City from the rest of the world. The claustrophobic feel
gives a chaotic feeling to the movie because everyone is so close together in a
confined space as the Joker runs around the city murdering people. He also
makes the city feel claustrophobic by making the city look crowded with a lot
of people in the streets and by showing how much all the newscasters were
concentrating on the Joker’s crimes. So many events and elements of Gotham City
are constantly moving around making it seem chaotic and out of control.
The image of the femme
fatale is a technique Burton uses through the character of Vicki Vale. She is a
working, independent woman who gets caught up in the clash between Batman and
the Joker. She resembles a “damsel in distress” because she is shown as a
beautiful, blonde, young, woman who in the end is being dragged up the stairs
of the tower by the Joker. As he is dragging her up the stairs she is wearing white
dress, which emphasizes her innocence. She also is shrieking and crying for
help as the Joker forces her to go up higher into the tower with him. Her role
compliments Batman’s role as the hero because even in her desperate situation,
he manages to save her from him.
The various film noir
techniques Tim Burton uses allows him to create messages in his movie that are represented
by the use of color, camera angles, and the innocence of a young woman.
I thought it was kind of cool how Burton challenged us to think in new ways by making the Joker (who is dressed in vivid colors) the bad guy and Batman (who wears all black) the good guy, because like you said- we usually associate light with good and darkness with evil. But Burton brings up a good point because the world is not so black and white - evil can be found in the people we least expect, just as light (hope) can come at the darkness of times.
ReplyDeleteI also thought it was interesting how you compared their colors and outer appearance to their mental state. I never thought about how Batman's dark colors represented his emotional state, but it makes a lot of sense. He's had so much tragedy in his life and he needs to find a way to express it! Also I agree with you in that wearing black allows him to separate himself from other people, because let's face it, who would want to befriend a man with a mask in an all black outfit who only comes out at night?
I agree that the set does make a person feel rather claustrophobic - which makes everything a little more panicky in general. And then when all hell breaks loose, the claustrophobic feel maximizes that sense of chaos.
I think Vicki Vale is an unusual femme fatal - even though she is independent, hardworking, and sexy/seductive in her own way - I feel like she is too innocent to be a true femme fatale. But I do agree with you in that her role compliments Batman's role as a hero, because he is able to save her in the most hopeless of situations.
- Sara O'Doherty