Tim Burton’s rendition of Batman remains perhaps one of the most eccentric yet authentic versions of the Caped Crusader. To the gothic filmmaker, the orphaned superhero didn’t symbolize the heroic savior that comes to Gotham’s rescue, as is the quintessential take of the character.
Perhaps it is this painfully realistic and gritty take on the character that sets Burton’s creation apart from the sundry other Batman films, making it next to impossible to recreate his historic vision.
Tim Burton’s Darkly Authentic Perspective of Batman (1989)
When the news of Michael Keaton’s casting broke, comic book fans approached the 1989 classic with nothing but outrage (via Vulture). But all their embittered outcries died down upon seeing Tim Burton’s somber version of the Dark Knight, who, in all his pathos-filled glory, depicted the very essence of Batman.
What Burton, 65, envisaged and ultimately translated into his film, was not a crime-fighting vigilante saving the day with his superpowers. No, Batman’s character was much more nuanced in his eyes than that. The Beetlejuice filmmaker saw him as he was – a depressed man stripped of any vestige of happiness owing to his traumatic experiences in life (via Grantland).
Placed against the starkly dismal backdrop of a metropolitan Gotham, Burton’s version of Bruce Wayne brought to life the dark, violent aspects of not only the character but of life itself.
“It’s about depression and it’s about lack of integration. It’s about a character. Unfortunately, I always see it as being about those things, not about some kind of hero who is saving the city from blah blah blah […] It’s about duality, it’s about flip-sides, it’s about a person who’s completely f**ked and doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
With Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson’s unhinged Joker, the dingy superhero action movie was met with both critical acclaim and monetary profit, banking over $400 million at the global box office (via The Numbers). But Burton’s comeback for a second movie wasn’t quite welcomed with the same ardor.
The Polarizing Viewership of Batman Returns (1992)
The much edgier sequel to Batman (1989) left fans completely divided, with some touting it as a masterpiece while others claiming Burton’s work to have fallen through the cracks owing to the film.
It also faced a lot of backlash after targeting a much younger audience for content dark enough to be R-rated. Unsurprisingly enough, Batman Returns garnered as much recognition as it did controversial attention (via MovieWeb). The sequel also got the shorter end of the stick financially, making almost half of its predecessor with only $266 million at the worldwide box office (via The Numbers).
But even though the 1992 installment’s unpleasantly viscous storyline didn’t sit right with many, the movie had its moments too, like with Danny DeVito’s deranged portrayal of Penguin. Sure, there were times when Batman himself appeared more of a side character, but Burton’s filmmaking had at least some ground to stand, if for nothing else, then owing to its abrasively comical tone.
Both Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) can be streamed on Max.
