Batman-Scena confruntarii cu Joker

Batman este un personaj ficional, un supererou creat de ctre artistul plastic Bob
Kane i scenaristul de benzi desenate, Bill Finger. Personajul a debutat n Detective Comics
(mai 1939) i de atunci a aprut mai ales n publicaii deinute de DC Comics. Iniial i se
spunea Bat-Man, muli numindu-l i n prezent The Batman, mai fiind cunoscut ca i
Cruciatul cu mantie, Cavalerul negru i Cel mai bun detectiv al lumii,printre alte titluri.
Part 1
Prima poveste cu Batman, The case of the Chemical Syndicate, a fost publicat n
Detective Comics #27 (Mai 1939). Finger relata, "Batman a fost la origini scris n stilul pulp
(foarte mult violen i sexualitate) i aceast influen explica ntr-un mod foarte clar de ce
Batman nu arta nici o reinere cnd venea vorba de uciderea sau maltratarea criminalilor.
Batman s-a dovedit a fi un personaj care a produs un foarte mare "boom" economic i
cultural, primindu-i propriul titlu ncepnd din 1940, n timp ce nc aprea n Detective
Comics.
Joker, cci despre el este vorba, este cunoscut ca fiind inamicul principal al lui Batman,
justiiarul mascat creat n 1939 de ctre Bob Kane i Bill Finger. Aprut pentru prima oar n
primvara lui 1940, n numrul 1 al revistei de benzi desenate Batman, rufctorul a fost
modelat dup cartea de joc cu numele Joker i dup machiajul folosit de actorul Conrad Veidt
n filmul Omul care rde (1928), ecranizare a romanului lui Victor Hugo. De-a lungul
timpului, Joker a cunoscut numeroase reinterpretri, n funcie de mentalitatea caracteristic
vremii.
Part 2
Scena la care m-am oprit este din partea a II-a a trilogiei Batman a lui Nolan, The Dark
Knight, cea in care eroul (pe Batman nu prea il poti numi super-erou) se lupta contra lui
Joker, maestral interpretat de Heat Ledger, actor ce s-a stins din viata la putin timp dupa
aparitia filmului. Jokerul lui Nolan difera de Jokerul pe care-l stim din celalalte filme sau din
benzile desenate. Este un sociopat autentic, pur, anarhist si dezaxat, un agent al haosului, al
carui rol pe lume e doar sa o perturbe, sa o distruga daca ii va fi permis. Cum bine se descrie
chiar in film intr-un dialog, "Sunt ca un caine care latra si alearga dupa rotile unei
masini. Nu as stii ce sa fac daca as prinde una." In film, la un moment dat Joker face un
"experiment social". Pe doua barci se afla doua grupuri de oameni, una de condamnati ce
erau transportati la inchisoare si gardienii aferenti iar pe cealalta barca cetateni obisnuiti.
Ambele vase erau umplute cu explozibil si urmau a fi aruncate in aer de Joker la o anumita
ora, asta in cazul in care una dintre barci nu o arunca pe cealalta inainte, fiecare primind
dispozitivul
de
detonare
de
la
cealalta.
Primul impuls te impinge catre o solutie la o adica evidenta. Si totusi ambele comunitati de
oameni sunt puse in aceeasi ipostaza, cu aceeasi putere de decizie. Cand au aflat despre ce e
vorba, oamenii prezenti acolo au reactionat imediat si i-au indemnat pe cei care aveau
telecomeandele :) in mana sa apese pe buton. Si totusi nu au facut-o (iti stric un pic filmul,
dar tot merita sa-l vezi). Aici reuseste Nolan sa scoata in referinta trasaturile omului pus sub
presiune, cerebral si, cel mai important, bun la suflet. La un moment dat unul dintre detinuti
ia telecomanda din mainile gardianului si-i spune ceva de genul "lasa-ma pe mine sa fac ceea

ce tu trebuiai sa faci de acum 10 minute. Daca intreaba cineva poti sa spui ca ti-am luat-o cu
forta!" dupa care ia telecomanda si o arunca pe geam. Cei de pe vasul cu cetateni fac chiar si
o sesiune de vot dar cand vine vorba de apasat butonul nimeni nu se incumeta sa o faca.
Cineva de asemenea remarca "Noi inca suntem aici, nici ei nu au facut-o."
Si in dialogul ce urmeaza dintre Batman si Joker, primul ii spune ca oamenii tocmai i-au mai
dat o lectie.
Ultima i cea mai tulburtoare interpretare a lui Joker este cea din filmul din 2008,
The Dark Knight, realizat magistral de regretatul Heath Ledger, sub ndrumarea lui
Christopher Nolan. Aici, Joker este de departe mai complex i mai realist dect n orice alt
film. Este haosul ntruchipat, de la prul slinos, pieptnat cu un cuit, la cicatricile groteti
despre care spune fiecruia alt poveste exagerat, de la vocea nazal care-i d fiori, la
replicile memorabile punctate de limba care plescie, nefiind n stare s stea pe loc, ca un
arpe care nete gata de atac. Why so serious?, Lets put a smile on that face! , Im a dog
chasing cars, an agent of chaos. Acestea sunt doar cteva din replicile care-au dus la explozia
popularitii personajului Joker, dup 19 ani de absen de pe marele ecran.
The Joker has no inherent superhuman abilities. He commits crimes with a variety of
weaponized thematic props such as a deck of razor-tipped playing cards, rolling marbles,
Jack-in-the-boxes with unpleasant surprises and exploding cigars capable of leveling a
building. The flower in his lapel sprays acid, and his hand often holds a lethal joy buzzer
conducting a million volts of electricity, although both items were introduced in 1952 as
harmless joke items.However, his chemical genius provides his most-notable weapon: Joker
venom, a liquid or gaseous toxin which sends its targets into fits of uncontrollable laughter;
higher doses can lead to paralysis, coma or death, leaving its victim with a ghoulish, pained
rictus grin. The Joker has used venom since his debut; only he knows the formula, and is
shown to be gifted enough to manufacture the toxin from ordinary household chemicals.
Another version of the venom (used in "Joker's Last Laugh") makes its victims resemble the
Joker, susceptible to his orders. The villain is immune to venom and most poisons; in Batman
#663 (2007), Morrison writes that being "an avid consumer of his own chemical experiments,
the Joker's immunity to poison concoctions that might kill another man in an instant has been
developed over years of dedicated abuse."
Since the Bronze Age of Comics, the Joker has been interpreted as an archetypal
trickster, displaying talents for cunning intelligence, social engineering, pranks, theatricality,
and idiomatic humor. Like the trickster, the Joker alternates between malicious violence and
clever, harmless whimsy. He is amoral and not driven by ethical considerations, but by a
shameless and insatiable nature, and although his actions are condemned as evil, he is
necessary for cultural robustness. The trickster employs amoral and immoral acts to
destabilize the status quo and reveal cultural, political, and ethical hypocrisies that society
attempts to ignore. However, the Joker differs in that his actions typically only benefit
himself. The Joker possesses abnormal body imagery, reflecting an inversion of order. The
trickster is simultaneously subhuman and superhuman, a being that indicates a lack of unity
in body and mind. In Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, the Joker serves as
Batman's trickster guide through the hero's own pysche, testing him in various ways before
ultimately offering to cede his rule of the Asylum to Batman.
Batman's primary character traits can be summarized as "wealth; physical prowess;
deductive abilities and obsession".The details and tone of Batman comic books have varied
over the years due to different creative teams. Dennis O'Neil noted that character consistency
was not a major concern during early editorial regimes: "Julie Schwartz did a Batman in
Batman and Detective and Murray Boltinoff did a Batman in the Brave and the Bold and

apart from the costume they bore very little resemblance to each other. Julie and Murray did
not want to coordinate their efforts, nor were they asked to do so. Continuity was not
important in those days."

The driving force behind Batman's character is his parents' murder and the absence of
the father. Bob Kane and Bill Finger discussed Batman's background and decided that "there's
nothing more traumatic than having your parents murdered before your eyes".Despite his
trauma, he sets his mind on studying to become a scientist and to train his body into physical
perfection to fight crime in Gotham City as Batman, an inspired idea from Wayne's insight
into the criminal mind.
Batman has no inherent superhuman powers; he relies on "his own scientific
knowledge, detective skills, and athletic prowess".In the stories, Batman is regarded as one of
the world's greatest detectives, if not the world's greatest crime solver.Batman has been
repeatedly described as having a genius-level intellect, one of the greatest martial artists in
the DC Universe, and having peak human physical conditioning. He has traveled the world
acquiring the skills needed to aid in his crusade against crime. As a polymath, his knowledge
and expertise in almost every discipline known to man is nearly unparalleled by any other
character in the DC Universe. Superman considers Batman to be one of the most brilliant
minds on the planet in the Superman: Doomed story arc.Batman's inexhaustible wealth
allows him access to advanced technology, and as a proficient scientist, he is able to use and
modify these technologies to his advantage.
Batman's costume incorporates the imagery of a bat in order to frighten criminals.The
details of the Batman costume change repeatedly through various stories and media, but the
most distinctive elements remain consistent: a scallop-hem cape, a cowl covering most of the
face featuring a pair of batlike ears, a stylized bat emblem on the chest, and the ever-present
utility belt. The costumes' colors have traditionally been dark blue and grey,although this
colorization arose due to the way comic book art was colored; the character is sometimes
depicted in black and grey. Finger and Kane conceptualized Batman as having a black cape
and cowl and grey suit, but conventions in coloring called for black to be highlighted with
blue.
In movies, Batman has been depicted as completely black with a bat in the middle
surrounded by a yellow background in Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns, and also
wearing high-tech military gear painted completely black with a black bat in the middle in
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Batman has become a pop culture icon, recognized around the world. The character's
presence has extended beyond his comic book origins; events such as the release of the 1989
Batman film and its accompanying merchandising "brought the Batman to the forefront of
public consciousness". In an article commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the character,
The Guardian wrote, "Batman is a figure blurred by the endless reinvention that is modern
mass culture. He is at once an icon and a commodity: the perfect cultural artefact for the 21st
century."