It seems like the whole country has been out to the movies lately. According to the box office records, a new contender has moved up the charts and has taken over the number two best-selling spot which was held by the 1977 Star Wars classic. If you haven’t seen it, The Dark Knight is one of the greatest movies of all time. With all of the hype and excitement surrounding this blockbuster hit, is it possible to find a deeper meaning within the caped crusader’s struggle with the devilish Joker?
If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t worry; I’m not going to reveal any key plot elements or twists. I want to look just under the surface level of the movie and see what’s there. In order for a movie to be as big as The Dark Knight, it has to have certain ingredients that draw viewers back more than once. Contrary to what you may think, sexuality, filthy language, and bloody violence are not the things most people desire to see in a movie (only 2 of the top 50 highest grossing movies are rated R, with one of them being The Passion of the Christ).
Some aspects that bring people back to a movie multiple times are a suspenseful battle between good and evil (not one where you know exactly what’s going to happen), a character they can identify with (maybe not literally, but with the struggle that the character is facing), and something unexpected (either a great plot twist or amazing creativity in the storyline). Obviously, these can/will be different for everyone, but for me, that “something unexpected” is being able to draw a spiritual parallel to the movie. When I walk out of movie and say “That was great,” it means I was entertained. When I walk out a movie and say, “That was utterly amazing,” or “that was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen,” it means I saw something more than a good explosion.
In The Dark Knight, the world is given a glimpse of someone who doesn’t compromise his morality despite being faced with the toughest of decisions, some determining who lives and who dies. By never using lethal force—not even when it could be easily justified, Batman sets himself apart from all other heroes. The Joker even says to him, “you really are incorruptible” (one of the best quotes in the movie). Christians everywhere can learn a lesson from the standards that Batman sets and upholds for himself. No one told him how to be hero or how to fight crime with honor; rather, his instructor in Batman Begins wanted him to kill a prisoner in the name of justice to complete his training, which he refused to do.
At it’s core, Batman is just a fictitious character created for our viewing pleasure. However, if you walk away from this movie only seeing good special effects, great acting, and a very intriguing plot, you’ve missed an amazing point from which we can all benefit. Temptations face us everyday and call us out in front of our loved ones and friends. They [temptations] laugh at us when we fail and push us over when we’re on the edge. Satan tests us and tries us until we reach the end of our rope and all he wants to see us do is self-destruct. The way in which the Joker was portrayed in the movie plays a direct parallel to Satan’s involvement in our lives. Alfred summed it up best when he was explaining a story to Bruce and said, “Sometimes all people want is to see the world burn.” There’s no explanation. There’s no reasoning behind it. Satan simply wants to destroy us and take our families and friends down too.
How do we stand up to a force like Satan? How do we compete with someone, who, like the Joker, doesn’t care how many people die in the wake of his destruction? Simply put, we don’t. Christ does. Christ in us allows us to make a stand. He gives us the ability to not back down. He gives us the strength to keep going. He is the reason we don’t give in and stay uncorrupted. “The Voice of Truth says ‘do not be afraid’” Just when Batman was about to give in to the Joker’s demands and reveal his identity, Alfred reasoned with him and helped him understand his role in the seemingly endless tragedy. From here, you must go see the movie for yourself. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed.
One more thing, when you approach the Christ and the Bible, make sure you see more than just a good story because Christ is real and he sets us an even more amazing example than movies or fictitious heroes ever can. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” 1 Peter 2:21. Follow in his steps.
