 |
| Scene from Batman |
Welcome to Alternative to What: a weekly column that tries to find a great alternative to driving to the multiplexes. Based on releases of that week, the selections will either be thematically related or feature recurring cast and crew. The goal is to help you better understand the diversity of cinema and hopefully find you some favorites while saving a few bucks. At worse, this column will save you money. Expect each installment to come out on Fridays, unless specified.
THIS WEEK:
Batman (1966)
- Alternative To -
Suicide Squad (2016)
I know that it is traditional of me to recommend movies that are not about the core subject. However, there is something alluring about comparing the Suicide Squad of today to the proverbial villains row that Batman faced in the late 60's. With the new film being argued as the first to be focused around Gotham's worst, there is a desire to look back at a time when this was true, but also not necessarily entirely honest. You see, Batman was a film that was centrally about Batman, but actually had some odd relationship to being one of the ultimate team-ups of the villains, who for the first time were looking to pile up on Batman and Robin in a fashion that may seem campy today, but definitely feels like the main selling point of the late 60's: a time when comic book culture was forced to be squeaky clean in order to avoid problematic moments with censorship.
As a result, the villains were more broadly drawn than actually legitimate threats. Whatever the case may be, the choice to team up The Joker, The Penguin, Catwoman, and The Riddler with a who's who of popular actors was itself an inspired approach. With an iconic scene involving Adam West trying to destroy an oversized bomb but only running into civilians of Gotham, the film perfectly embodied a balance between intellectual subversion and mere camp. Was the series aware of how silly the whole thing was? I would choose to argue yes. However, it was a parody of film noir and detective tropes with a sense of adventure and fun. As a result, it is more of a comedy than anything that Batman has done since.
While the film is more about Batman and Robin trying to solve the day, it does have its fair share of focus on the four villains as they hatch a plan and try to stop the caped crusader in his tracks. There's sky writing, strange dehydration plans, and even a whole lot of aquatic action. It may not be as grounded as Christopher Nolan's take, but it definitely is a lot more fun to watch, especially as the villains have a playful time trying to stop him from figuring out their plan. They may not be much of an actual threat, but their broad archetypes do make for some entertaining sight gags.
If you want to see a side of Batman that is comical without resorting to disturbing images like Suicide Squad, then one could argue that Batman was the first film to effectively use a team-up. Considering that The Joker is the only crossover character, it may be intriguing to see how Caesar Romero compares to Jared Leto. Both are comically disproportionate to the public acceptance of The Clown Prince of Crime, but they both reflect disparaging differences in a character who is often just associated with make-up and laughter. As it stands, no interpretation is the right one. Some may be better, but the appeal of Batman is how he is able to adapt to different tones and still hold some dignified shape.
I'll admit that this recommendation may be a bit difficult for those that find camp to be a little repulsive. Considering that Joel Schumacher ruined the heart of Batman's campy side in the late 90's, it would be difficult to give the Adam West era another try. It is more than good. It is assured in its silliness and its ability to be embracing of its 60's style is an added touch. It may not be your favorite Batman, but it will definitely show you how the villains have evolved on screen and have eventually lead us to where we are in 2016. It may only be 50 years (as of this past Sunday) since Joker first appeared on screen, but there's possibility that Leto's take won't be the last - for better or worse.
As a result, the villains were more broadly drawn than actually legitimate threats. Whatever the case may be, the choice to team up The Joker, The Penguin, Catwoman, and The Riddler with a who's who of popular actors was itself an inspired approach. With an iconic scene involving Adam West trying to destroy an oversized bomb but only running into civilians of Gotham, the film perfectly embodied a balance between intellectual subversion and mere camp. Was the series aware of how silly the whole thing was? I would choose to argue yes. However, it was a parody of film noir and detective tropes with a sense of adventure and fun. As a result, it is more of a comedy than anything that Batman has done since.
While the film is more about Batman and Robin trying to solve the day, it does have its fair share of focus on the four villains as they hatch a plan and try to stop the caped crusader in his tracks. There's sky writing, strange dehydration plans, and even a whole lot of aquatic action. It may not be as grounded as Christopher Nolan's take, but it definitely is a lot more fun to watch, especially as the villains have a playful time trying to stop him from figuring out their plan. They may not be much of an actual threat, but their broad archetypes do make for some entertaining sight gags.
If you want to see a side of Batman that is comical without resorting to disturbing images like Suicide Squad, then one could argue that Batman was the first film to effectively use a team-up. Considering that The Joker is the only crossover character, it may be intriguing to see how Caesar Romero compares to Jared Leto. Both are comically disproportionate to the public acceptance of The Clown Prince of Crime, but they both reflect disparaging differences in a character who is often just associated with make-up and laughter. As it stands, no interpretation is the right one. Some may be better, but the appeal of Batman is how he is able to adapt to different tones and still hold some dignified shape.
I'll admit that this recommendation may be a bit difficult for those that find camp to be a little repulsive. Considering that Joel Schumacher ruined the heart of Batman's campy side in the late 90's, it would be difficult to give the Adam West era another try. It is more than good. It is assured in its silliness and its ability to be embracing of its 60's style is an added touch. It may not be your favorite Batman, but it will definitely show you how the villains have evolved on screen and have eventually lead us to where we are in 2016. It may only be 50 years (as of this past Sunday) since Joker first appeared on screen, but there's possibility that Leto's take won't be the last - for better or worse.
Comments
Post a Comment