Robert Pattinson Is “Batman Struggling To Be A Better Batman”: The Director’s Take
Superheroes usually represent hope and goodness but not the latest celluloid incarnation of Batman. It’s a “symbol of vengeance” and struggling to be a better person, says Matt Reeves, director of “The Batman”.
Reeves’ upcoming film on the undercover alias of Gotham City royalty Bruce Wayne will see a new look at DC’s troubled hero crystallized in the minds of people who grew up in the Batman comics, TV shows, and the many movies based on him. Here you find lead star Robert Pattinson calling “the world’s greatest detective.”
“In this iteration, I made a conscious choice that he was going to be the epitome of vengeance. I wanted him to be Batman in his first few years still lost in the mystery of being Batman. It’s all about playing out was in his shadow side, so he had not yet reached the place where he could represent hope,” the director told PTI in a Zoom interview from Los Angeles.
Set in the second year of Batman’s crime fighting, the film sees a man with superpowers uncovering corruption in Gotham while pursuing Riddler (Paul Dano), a serial killer targeting the city’s elite.
Reeves said that this Batman intimidates not only the criminal element of Gotham but also the residents of the city.
“They wonder who is this vigilante who is taking the law into their own hands, a scary thought when you think about it. The film takes you along a journey where you start to question Whether that’s enough and her awakening is where she is forced to turn to Reeves, best known for the “Let Me In” and “Planet of the Apes” franchises.
The director said he was inspired by the “Batman: Year One” comic book, written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazuchelli, which gave the film a “groundedness” like a Martin Scorsese film.
Reeves recalled that in the notes to the comic’s commemorative edition, Miller wrote to Mazzuchelli that in one scene Bruce looks like he has won Travis Bickle—the character of Robert De Niro from Scorsese’s classic “Taxi Driver”—seeing similar. Contest.
For “The Batman”, the director said that he used ’70s films such as Alan J. Pakula’s “Klute” and “All the President’s Men”, Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown”, William Friedkin’s “The French Connection” as cinematographers. Seen with Greg Fraser.
“Like the gritty cop thrillers of the ’70s, neo-noirs, the film all informs seamlessly and strangely though in sync with the comics. We filmed with anamorphic (lenses) to give it a timeless feel. shot.” Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, Batman will turn 83 in March, but Reeves’ fascination with the character dates back to when he was “maybe three.”
The 55-year-old said that he was introduced to Batman not through the comics but through the TV show, which starred Adam West as the superhero.
“I was born in 1966 and that was the year the TV series debuted and I was obsessed with Batman.” The bond between the two was so deep that Reeves once told his parents that he “saw” the superhero on the ceiling of his room when he was having a high fever.
“I remember saying ‘Batman’s on the roof’ to my dad and he was like ‘Are you scared?’ I said, ‘No, it’s Batman!’ I’ve had a deep connection from the very early years. I love movies, and of course, I’ve become a huge fan of comics when I did a deep dive before writing (the film). I can’t even tell you that. That’s how many comics I’ve read.” Describing Batman as a “unique character” who has a great mythological quality that is enduring and has been translated into many different versions, the director said he is excited that the team will get this film from Warner Bros. got a chance to do it.
Reeves and Pattinson are the latest in a long line of cinematic Batman collaborations. Over the years, filmmakers Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan have offered their perspective on superheroes, and actors such as Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Ben Affleck and Christian Bale have played masked vigilantes.
But it promises to be different.
Reeves said that what sets this presentation apart is that it is not a superhero origin story.
According to him, “The Batman” gives viewers an entry point into the corrupt city of Gotham that has been crushed by not one but several opponents – The Riddler (Dano), The Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and Selina Kyle / Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz).
“I wanted to see Batman (as someone) who is struggling to be a better Batman. And I wanted him to do that while solving a crime that would uncover the truth about this corrupt city of Gotham. . . . . . . for me the idea of going down all back lanes like this would be almost like a Warner Bros. gangster movie. Although it wasn’t their original, you’ll be seeing the origins of all the wicked gallery characters…” A spin off of this movie, too. – Pharrell’s off-series on Penguin is also working with HBO Max, on which Reeves is a producer.
Asked if he is heading towards ‘Batverse’, he said, “That’s what is expected.” “My goal was to make a film that was an experience that would stand on its own. You’re not ready to make chapter one because you never know if you’ll get to make chapter two…
“Bringing all these characters to life is what led to the idea of doing this Penguin story … it’s so exciting to do so in the long run, almost in a ‘Scarface’ way to explore your character. I hope it is.” The beginning of a Batverse but I won’t know until the audience comes to see it.” It took Reeves five years to make “The Batman,” the longest he’s worked on on any film so far, and the pressure to give up is very real.
“You can’t feel the pressure! It’s so personal. But you can only wait. It’s exciting but it’s scary.” The film will release in Indian cinemas on March 4.
