Chapter 624: Justice and Evil

Disheveled hair, a chalk-white face, blackened eyes, blood-red lips stretched across scars, a terrifying gaze, an eerie laugh, and a tongue that flicked out like a venomous snake's when he spoke—he made people shudder. There simply wasn't a single part of him that didn't exude pure evil.

This was the Joker! Kyle had only one thought: no villain in the history of cinema had ever been this captivating.

From his fleeting appearance during the opening bank heist to his ensuing madness as he took on the mob alone, every moment showcased his unique charm.

If this hadn't been a Batman movie, he would have completely stolen Batman's thunder.

The film was truly phenomenal. He had thought Batman Begins was outstanding enough, but watching The Dark Knight unfold, it radiated an aura of darkness. It was so serious it felt suffocating, yet it still broadcast an irresistible allure.

Duke Rosenberg had delivered an entirely different kind of Batman, completely unlike any superhero movie that had come before it.

The bank heist, the Batman copycats, the Joker taking on the mob, the massive Moscow pursuit, the Joker's assassination attempt—the film never gave the audience a moment to catch their breath. The pacing was as relentless as a barrage of drumbeats, constantly driving emotions higher and higher.

On the big screen, the Joker began his hunt for Harvey Dent, who was posing as Batman. It seemed the film was about to reach its climax.

Inside the IMAX Cinema in Chicago, as the car chase sequence began, Taylor Swift noticed a shift on the screen. Amid the deafening sound effects, the visuals suddenly packed even more of a punch. It felt as if she were standing at a vantage point, taking in a panoramic view of everything unfolding.

She was an observant girl and quickly spotted the difference: unlike earlier films, the picture now stretched to fill every single inch of the massive screen...

This was the true power of IMAX!

Near the front row, James Cameron stared intently at the screen, nodding unconsciously. When IMAX was combined with a top-tier director and a commercial blockbuster, the resulting effect was simply... breathtaking!

Across 125 IMAX Cinemas nationwide, countless eyes were glued firmly to the big screen.

Though it lacked the in-your-face 3D effects of The Polar Express, the sheer visual impact of this action sequence left many staring wide-eyed, unable to tear their gaze away for even a second.

"The plot and the Joker's performance are brilliant, of course, but these visual effects are just as astounding!"

Inside an IMAX Cinema at Nokia Square, Kenneth Turan, a critic for the Los Angeles Times, muttered, "To blend the anxiety of human nature so perfectly with gripping commercial appeal... is this really a Duke Rosenberg film?"

Suddenly, scattered voices around him started shouting out how cool it was. Kenneth Turan pulled his attention back to the big screen just in time to see the brand-new Batcycle make its debut.

The Joker remained entirely unhinged. To push past Batman's limits, he was even willing to use himself as a tool. Yet Batman held fast to his bottom line, preferring to take the injury himself rather than shatter the code he lived by.

Just as the Joker crouched beside the unconscious Batman, preparing to unmask him, Gordon appeared. The Joker was arrested...

Was it over just like that?

Kyle glanced down at his watch. The film had been playing for over ninety minutes. With the Joker captured, it truly felt like the movie should be ending.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that an ending like this was missing something.

The plot quickly provided an answer. The Joker had intentionally let himself be caught, subtly turning Batman and Gordon's plan to his own advantage. Not only did he successfully break out of jail and take the Russian accountant with him, but he also left Batman with a monumental dilemma.

A terrible choice: save Harvey Dent, Gotham's bright future, or save Rachel?

In the end, Harvey Dent was rescued, while Rachel was swallowed by flames.

With his mind and body on the verge of collapse and his faith severely shaken, Gotham's White Knight was corrupted by the Joker. Much like his ruined face, he became Two-Face.

"I don't want to watch this anymore."

Hearing her voice, Kyle turned to look at his sister, Ella. Previously engrossed, she now looked distracted as she said, "This is too far from what I expected. Since when did Duke start making films with such heavy themes? It's too dark, too crazy. I can't take it."

Kyle felt helpless. You couldn't force someone to stay in a situation like this, so he simply said, "Then why don't you head out first? Wait for me in the lobby for a bit, okay?"

"Yeah..."

Giving a slight nod, Ella walked out of the theater without a shred of reluctance.

Stepping into the theater lobby, Ella realized she wasn't the only one leaving early. A few others had walked out even before she did.

After chatting briefly with a few of them, she found that their reasons for leaving were almost identical: the film was too dark, violent, and heavy. It wasn't the kind of movie they usually enjoyed at all.

All across the United States, a small fraction of the audience had begun to walk out. The majority of these walkouts were parents who had brought their children to see the film.

In their eyes, subjecting underage children to such a brutal cinematic baptism was simply too cruel.

"This movie should be R-rated," Ella heard one parent argue, "instead of its current PG-13 Rating."

Even as the film continued to play, this situation was immediately reported back to Duke.

Duke wasn't particularly worried. In truth, when he chose this franchise, he knew perfectly well that compared to traditional superhero movies, The Dark Knight was incredibly heavy. It could even be considered a niche genre film within the superhero category. It was entirely normal that people who preferred lighthearted entertainment wouldn't be able to stomach it.

In fact, the film was likely to polarize audiences to the extreme, with a small minority growing to absolutely loathe it.

However, the number of walkouts was small. The audience members who remained in the theaters were undergoing a different kind of baptism.

Two ferries were rigged with explosives, and the passengers on each vessel held the detonator for the other. If neither side blew up the opposing ship before midnight, the Joker would trigger the bombs himself.

This scenario instantly hit Kenneth Turan's sweet spot. It was nothing less than the ultimate test of human nature.

Given the narrative trajectory thus far, he predicted someone would definitely hit the detonator. After all, nearly the entire first half of the movie had focused on exposing the darkest corners of humanity.

The Joker had succeeded at every turn, always finding ways to draw out the basest elements of the human soul.

Watching this unfold, Taylor Swift realized she didn't enjoy the film either, yet her status prevented her from simply walking out. But despite her dislike, she still wrung her hands in anxiety. She was just a young girl; no matter how mature her thoughts, and even knowing it was only a movie, she still didn't want to see the passengers make the wrong choice.

Kyle felt the same way. The people around him were whispering, and some of their voices were tinged with despair.

"Is there really no justice or nobility left in humanity?"

"Gotham shouldn't be entirely filled with psychopaths like the Joker and Batman!"

Many people had even made up their minds: if the boats actually blew up, they would leave.

True, they loved the film's aesthetic and enjoyed the fresh thrills it offered, but they hadn't come to the theater to be emotionally abused.

A fierce-looking Black man picked up the detonator. Gotham was facing its most severe judgment of humanity yet.

Kyle squeezed his eyes shut. Unable to bear the scene, many others around him closed their eyes in despair as well.

Did desperation truly only reveal humanity's ugly, base nature?

Even in the real world, there were plenty of examples to prove otherwise.

Duke knew perfectly well that if the boats exploded, the critics would sing his praises, but the audience would be fractured beyond repair.

Unable to resist his curiosity, Kyle opened his eyes. The scene on the screen lifted his spirits, bringing a surge of hope to a heart weighed down by the film's oppressive darkness. Humanity, after all, was a noble existence!

The man who looked like a vicious thug had picked up the remote, only to promptly toss it out the window and into the water.

A collective sigh of relief echoed through the theater.

On the other ferry, when the critical moment arrived, no one pressed their detonator either. The Joker's trial had failed.

Inside the IMAX Cinema in Chicago, sparse applause broke out from the back rows, quickly followed by more. Because the film was still playing, the applause died down almost as soon as it began, but Duke understood: this was the outcome the audience wanted to see.

Inside the theater at Nokia Square, Kenneth Turan felt a twinge of disappointment. Duke Rosenberg had opted for a cliché resolution after all.

Yet, considering the director's established style, he could only let out a knowing sigh.

Even if this scene slightly contradicted the earlier narrative trajectory, it was merely a minor flaw that didn't detract from the whole. The Dark Knight was brilliant enough as it was.

The film's characterization was remarkably deep, blurring the line between good and evil. Batman, the Dark Knight representing justice, was rendered so helpless under the Joker's relentless pressure that he was ultimately pushed to the brink of turning himself in. Meanwhile, Harvey, the district attorney and White Knight who also stood for justice—Bruce Wayne's greatest hope and a shining star against the forces of evil—was transformed by hatred and a raging fire into Two-Face, a man who decided life and death with the flip of a coin.

Whatever scant comic book flavor had survived in Batman Begins had been thoroughly discarded by Duke Rosenberg. The Dark Knight was completely a realistic crime film—incredibly serious, incredibly dark, and even incredibly tragic.

This time, Kenneth Turan couldn't detect the slightest hint of a comic book vibe.

This had to be the most profound film Duke Rosenberg had made since entering the industry.

Even though the ending had yet to arrive, Kenneth Turan had no trouble coming to this conclusion.

Watching up to this point, a question lingered in his mind: between reaching the absolute pinnacle of evil and reaching the absolute pinnacle of justice, which one was more terrifying?

If forced to answer without thinking, his response would undoubtedly be evil. In the minds of most people, justice was naturally better the stronger it became.

However, after watching this movie, Kenneth Turan couldn't help but draw parallels to reality. Was justice really better the stronger it got?