I’ve always wondered at what moment does
everyone simultaneously realize that a movie is going to one day be considered
a classic. It happens rarely, this unanimous, unspoken decision that the movie
you all are walking out of will be what marks our generation. When my mom
described the feeling after she walked out of the movie, Caddyshack, I remember her saying that people will quote this movie
forever. Caddyshack, Forest Gump, Mean
Girls, these are all movies that I could ask ten random people on the street
to quote from, and ten of them would be able to respond. Or you have classics
like Jurassic Park, Rocky, and Harry Potter, that will mark entire decades of a person’s lifetime.
Is it the story line, the cast, or sheer luck and good timing that makes these
movies elevate above all else?
Recently, I started watching the
popular television series, Smallville.
Even though you would think that the Superman idea is way past its prime, the
show received a lot of attention from its start in 2001 to its final episode in
2011. The iconic superheroes seem to all share one power: the ability to make
audiences worldwide gravitate to the same plot over and over again. With this
summer’s release of The Avengers and The Amazing Spiderman, we can see that
the “super” storyline is still selling in Hollywood. I think it’d be safe to
assume that all of the movies stemming from the DC Comics have created an
everlasting legacy. But why?
To answer all these questions, I’ve
decided to finally watch The Dark Knight.
I don’t really know why I’ve waited so long to see it. My friends have all
recommended it, and I do love Heath Ledger. Maybe it was my aversion to action
movies that led me astray. Or my fear of a non-tolerable, terrifying version of
one of America’s beloved heartthrobs. Whatever it was, officially got over it
and watched the movie.
Wow. That is the first word that
comes to mind after finishing The Dark
Knight. While every contributor to this movie deserves some credit, I have
to say that Heath Ledger truly blew me away in his role as the Joker. He
brought this iconic character to life in a totally new way, and quite frankly,
stole the show. After watching this movie, I think that the real reason these
“super” story lines reoccur so often is not because of the popular heroes, but
rather due to the uniqueness of the villains. Names that are just as widely
known as Superman, Spiderman, and Batman include the Lex Luthor, the Green
Goblin, and the Joker. What people often forget is that without these infamous
adversaries, the plotlines of our favorite superhero movies would be pretty
dull.
I am so awed by this performance that I
don’t want to ruin it by dissecting every plot point. Instead, I’ve attempted
to use this beloved Batman concept and create my own climax movie moment using
these same characters. Retelling a story that has been retold so many times
proved to be quite a challenge. Also, it didn’t help that my action knowledge
is not as deep as most die-hard DC Comics fans. And my understanding of guns
stops at the point that decimals become involved. However, I tried to think like writer/
director Christopher Nolan, and came up with this.
For those of you who won’t pick up on my
subliminal message, the Christmas setting of this scene is meant to say happy holidays to all! Enjoy:
THE JOKER SCRIPT
INT. GOTHAM MALL – EVENING
CRYING KIDS and THEIR
PARENTS impatiently stand in a line; the BUSTLE of the mall is loud. THE MALL
MANAGER stands on a stage with a microphone, an empty red sleigh and cotton
snow behind him.
MALL MANAGER
Santa
will be here any minute now, if you would all please just wait in a single file
line...
The mall manager is
interrupted by the Parent’s APPLAUSE. He spins around, and there is SANTA,
setting a red felt bag into the sleigh.
MALL MANAGER
Like
I said folks, now if you could all please form a single --
A LITTLE GIRL, the first
in line, starts skipping up the stage steps.
JOKER
(interrupts)
Sorry I’m late.
Santa turns around,
revealing white makeup and a painted-on smile. He is the JOKER. The crowd gets
quiet. The mall manager drops the microphone; it CRASHES, SQUEAKING on the
floor.
The Joker SHUSHES the
crowd, putting his hand gun up to his lips instead of his finger. This smears
his red face-paint. The little girl WAILS.
JOKER
What’s wrong? Santa not what you expected him to
be?
The Joker LAUGHS. The
little girl looks back at HER MOTHER, but is too afraid to move. When he bends
down to look her in the eye, she stares at her shoes.
JOKER
Do
you think what you want for Christmas is in that bag?
The Joker points to the
bag with his gun, then FIRES TWICE. The bullets SHATTER the windows to the
right of the bag; the bag is left unharmed.
THREE MALL SECURITY GUARDS
hurry to the stage, guns up. The Joker grabs the little girl and holds her to
his chest, pointing the gun to her temple. The security guards drop their
weapons.
JOKER
Let’s take a look, just a peak...
The Joker grins. CUT TO:
EXT. HIGHWAY, GOING INTO GOTHAM – EVENING
The BATMOBILE zooms in and
out of oncoming traffic. Car horns HONK LOUDLY.
INT. BATMOBILE – EVENING
BATMAN taps a touch screen
and a holographic map of Gotham rises.
BATMOBILE
(V.O.)
Thirty-second
Street has the least amount traffic, Mr. Wayne.
Batman makes a sharp left
and accelerates. He zips around a school bus and the KIDS in the window stare
at him. THE BUS DRIVER doesn’t seem to notice.
INT. GOTHAM MALL – EVENING
The Joker reaches into the
bag and pulls out a giant box, wrapped in Christmas paper. It TICKS loudly.
JOKER
Anybody know the time?
He looks out into the
crowd and everyone is on the ground. Still holding the girl, he raises the gift
over his head with one hand.
JOKER
I
think Santa left us something interesting.
The Joker sets it down in
front of the little girl.
JOKER (CONT’D)
Would you like to open it?
She shakes her head, SOBBING
softly.
JOKER
But we wouldn’t want to be ungrateful now, would
we?
The Joker jabs the little
girl in the back with the gun and she pulls the green ribbon. The four sides of
the box fall to the sides, and we see a bomb counting down from five minutes.
JOKER
Now
you have all put your lives into the hands of my little friend, the bat man.
The Joker grabs the mall
manager’s fleshy face with one hand. Then, he grabs the mall manager by the
wrist and forces him to stroke his face.
JOKER
Is it my scars, that scare you...
He reads the manager’s
golden nametag.
JOKER (CONT’D)
Bob? Do you wanna know how I got these scars?
Bob shakes his head, and
the Joker LAUGHS.
CUT TO:
EXT. GOTHAM MALL – EVENING
The batmobile pulls up the
mall and Batman gets out. The SWAT TEAM arrives just behind him and starts to
circle the building. We can hear the SIRENS coming down the street.
LIEUTENANT MARSHALL pulls
up in a black Sudan and loads his gun. He runs to catch up with Batman
LIEUTENANT
MARSHALL
What’s the plan?
But Batman doesn’t turn
around. Lieutenant Marshall turns to lock his car, spins around, and Batman is
gone.
INT. GOTHAM MALL – EVENING
Two minutes are left on
the ticking bomb, and the little girl starts crying again. The Joker lets go of
Bob’s face and picks up the microphone, tapping on it. The speakers SQUEAK.
JOKER
Don’t worry, Batman always loves an audience.
He grins, squatting down
in front of Bob again.
JOKER (CONT’D)
(into the microphone)
I
saw this girl getting raped in central park, and hit the guy that was grabbing
her. He ran off, but she picked up the knife I’d knocked out of his hand and
asked me if I’d enjoyed the show. When I said no, she pulled the knife across
my face, like this—
The Joker drags his hand
gun across Bobs face, tracing an exaggerated smile.
JOKER (CONT’D)
And says, liar.
He laughs, throwing the
microphone back onto the floor. Bob SOBS.
Suddenly, Batman propels
from the ceiling and lands on top of Santa’s bag. One of the Mall cops reaches
for his gun, and the Joker FIRES into the ceiling. A WOMAN SCREAMS.
JOKER
Well
well well, looks like I’m not the only one who likes to arrive fashionably
late.
Batman SHOOTS from a
gadget in the lower arm of his Batman suit. Three spurs STICK into the column
by the Joker’s ear. The Joker grabs the girl, flinging her over his shoulder,
and jumps off the stage.
JOKER
(grinning)
Missed
me.
The Joker LAUGHS and
disappears into crowd. Batman looks all over, then spots him rising up in the
glass elevator across the room. A wire shoots from the same gadget and attaches
to the elevator. Batman swings after them.
EXT. GOTHAM MALL, ROOF – EVENING
The Joker holds the little
girl over the edge of the building, and below we see the FLASHING of the police
lights and the SWAT team cars.
BATMAN
Don’t--
JOKER
(interrupts)
Don’t what, drop her?
The Joker tightens his
grip on the collar of the little girl’s shirt and pulls her close to his face.
JOKER
There
are fifty people downstairs who are all about to blow up into tiny pieces, and
you’re worried about this one little girl? Good thing you’ve convinced the
public you’re actually smart...
Batman creeps forward
slowly.
JOKER
Now let’s see here. There’s one little girl--
The Joker lifts one finger
on the hand that’s holding the little girl.
JOKER (CONT’D)
And then there’s one of you--
He lifts another finger.
JOKER
And then there’s me.
The Joker is now only
holding onto the girl with his index finger and thumb. Batman steps closer
again.
JOKER
So
what’s it gonna be, Batman? Or do I need to count again, slower this time?
Batman PUNCHES the Joker
and he falls to the ground, letting go of the little girl. She SCREAMS, and
that same wire shoots from Batman’s suit, catching the girl with a super
adhesive end.
He has almost totally
reeled her up when the joker, comes behind Batman with a broken pipe, and hits
him in the back of the head. Batman tumbles forward, he and the little girl
falling to the ground below.
Halfway to the ground, he
grabs the little girl and shoots the wire, flinging them both back onto the
roof. But the Joker is gone.
INT. GOTHAM MALL – EVENING
The Joker FIRES TWICE and
TWO SWAT TEAM MEN fall to the floor.
INT. GOTHAM MALL, STAIRCASE – EVENING
Batman leaves the little
girl on the stairs and she CRIES. Out of the Joker’s view, he peeks around the
door and sees the Joker standing over the two dead SWAT team men.
INTERCUT—
The Joker picks up the
microphone again. He grins, kicking the dead men in front of him.
JOKER
(singing,
creepy)
Silent night, Holy night,
all is calm, all is right...
Batman then SHOOTS another
spur and the microphone is knocked out of the Joker’s hand. The Joker LAUGHS,
reloading his gun.
JOKER
What, does Batman hate Christmas?
He jumps from the stage
and walks towards the back staircase.
INTERCUT—
Batman BREATHES HEAVILY,
looking at the little girl. He puts his finger to his lips and she quits
WIMPERING. Once the Joker is finally close enough, Batman steps out into the
open and hits the Joker in the stomach. He goes flying, crashing into a shoe
store window display. The glass SHATTERS.
Batman walks over to the
Joker, stepping on his throat.
JOKER
(coughs)
You’re
too late, Batman. The bomb will go off any second now.
BATMAN
Where is it?
JOKER
(grinning)
I’ve hidden it.
The Joker smiles, and
Batman stomps on his face, knocking him unconscious. The little girl runs out
from the staircase and points to Santa’s red bag. Batman runs over to it; the
mall cops are already sifting through the wrapped boxes.
Batman grabs a box and
shakes it... nothing. He shakes box after box, throwing them off the stage,
until none are left. MALL COP #1 wipes the sweat from his forehead. Batman
stands up when he hears the TICKING.
MALL COP #1
(stuttering)
Over here, sir.
The mall cop points to one
of the dead SWAT team guys. The TICKING is coming from SWAT GUY #1. Batman
pulls back his bullet-proof vest and sees a vertical cut in the man’s chest. He
reaches in, pulling out the bloody bomb.
THIRTY SECONDS LEFT.
Batman pulls at the timer but it won’t come off. He finds a hidden keypad, and
starts typing random number combinations into it. Again, no luck.
FIFTEEN SECONDS LEFT.
Finally, Batman runs to the roof...
CUT TO:
EXT. GOTHAM MALL, ROOF – EVENING
ZERO SECONDS LEFT. The
Mall cops reach the top of the building and stare at batman, holding the bomb.
Batman nods, then jumps off of the building, bomb in hand. As the cops rush to
the ledge of the building, they watch Batman land into his batmobile and zoom
away from the scene.
Mall Cop #1 bends over,
picking up a JOKER CARD that has writing on it. It reads:
STILL CAN’T COUNT?
FADE TO BLACK.
MOVIES WATCHED: 9
SCREENPLAY PAGES WRITTEN: 26
NOVEL PAGES WRITTEN: 60
PAGES LEFT IN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR
PECULIAR
CHILDREN: 170
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