The Dark Knight Set to Gross One Billion Dollars
Chrisopher Nolan's 2008 Batman Sequel Joins Titanic, LOTR, Pirates
Nov 17, 2008
In the world of art, the artistic value of a piece of artwork is typically quantified in a dollar amount, with higher quality works of art receiving more money. This is not usually the case with film. Films with things like big name actors, eye-popping special effects, a large target demographic, and other similar features tend to be the big-time breadwinners, not necessarily the films with legitimate artistic merit. However, writer and director Christopher Nolan's smash hit, "The Dark Knight," is a stunning achievement of both film making and acting that has generated equally stunning revenues.
Batman Reaches the Billion Dollar Mark
In film-making, grossing over $1 billion is like hitting 700 home runs in baseball - few have done it. When a film has an impact of that magnitude, it is worth taking note. "The Dark Knight" was one of the first of a rapidly growing number of films to successfully use viral marketing on the internet to cultivate interest among fans. Viral promotional websites, strategically leaked photos and video clips, and online activities encouraging fan interaction all helped to establish a buzz for the film. The difference between this movie and others using similar tactics, such as J.J. Abrams' 2008 thriller "Cloverfield" (which practically wrote the book on viral marketing), was that "The Dark Knight" had a product that not only met the enormous expectations, but exceeded them.
"The Dark Knight" is more of a psychological thriller than it is another "comic book movie." It just so happens that this masterful commentary on the human psyche and subjective nature of good and evil is explored through some of the most iconic characters in American pop culture. The acting is superb, and unlike most comic book movies, it is the dialogue and interaction between characters that steal the show. Action fans need not worry; there are enough chase scenes, shootouts, stunts, gadgets and big budget explosions to satisfy James Bond himself. Christopher Nolan created a story and fictional world that is as epic and compelling as the sales figures themselves.
The Fans Are the Big Winners
Although the studio and cast are the main monetary beneficiaries of the film, the fans are the big winners in the deal. Due to movie studios' shift of focus from making good movies to simply turning a profit, there are fewer and fewer films that are character or content driven. The public is bombarded with movies based around flashy visuals and loud noises. "The Dark Knight" is a film that tastefully uses these techniques to augment a magnificently written narrative, without relying on them to be the lynchpin of the movie. It is a rare situation in modern cinema where everyone wins.
