Batman Begins is great blockbuster cinema. The cast, who are given a great script, play the parts to perfection and the technical elements are exemplary. I really enjoyed my two hours in the theatre.
What struck me is how well the Batman Begins story would have worked as the Star Wars prequels with the obvious distinction that in Batman Begins the central character emerges as a hero rather than a villain. Both stories explore the role of fear in the human psyche, either as a cause for action or inaction. Moreover, in both stories, the viewer knows the outcome of the journey the central character takes. Nolan, though, has you suspend your knowledge of the outcome and convinces you that Wayne is on a precipice. A fall into darkness or Wayne's choice to get back up again are equally believable alternatives for the character. The motivation and the incentive are there for either choice and the turning point(s) are believable, even powerful.
In analyzing the Star Wars prequels alongside Batman Begins, it is also impossible to ignore the appearance of Liam Neeson as mentor in both. I couldn't help but smirk when Neeson's character says to Bruce Wayne, "Mind your surroundings." It sounded very Jedi-esque. Intriguing too is the master-learner motif in which Liam Neeson's character in Batman plays an important part.
One last comparative comment... Nolan employs special effects perfectly in this movie. They do not overwhelm but complement.
Overall, Nolan and screenwriter Goyer do an excellent job in Batman Begins. It's too bad they weren't given the reins for the Star Wars prequels.
For more in-depth comments on the new film, check out Peter Chattaway's blog entry on the movie. I agree with most of the points Peter makes (though not all). Also, I encourage you to check out the comments to that post, which bring up some other interesting thoughts. Then, check out Tyler's post too.
James Sanders has a wonderfully informative and insightful review (PDF) of the Biblia Hebraica Quinta: Fascicle 18. If you passed it by when you received your RBL Book Reviews email, I'd definitely recommend reading it now. It provides much more than your average review.
I've been somewhat of a procrastinator in getting my thoughts up about the CSBS, in part because Tyler did such an excellent job blogging each day of the conference. He started with an opening report, then continued with reports for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and finished up with some final thoughts. So, rather than duplicate his excellent work, I'll just offer a few quick observations:
First, I really enjoy the CSBS conference. It is more laid-back and yet still intellectually stimulating. There are an excellent group of OT/HB scholars that attend this conference and, interestingly, many of them share similar research interests in Persian Period Yehud. This makes the social aspect of the conference a lot of fun.
Second, in general, the papers were interesting and, more than in previous years, many were funny too, including David Hawkin's Presidential Address.
Third, Paula Fredriksen's Craigie Lecture reminded me why I prefer OT/HB to NT; I just find the OT/HB a whole lot more intriguing. That said, I'm sure NT scholars greatly enjoyed her excellent presentation and I thought she was especially interesting, not to mention displaying a sharp wit, when answering questions.
Fourth, one of the unofficial themes of this conference seemed to be anachronistic language. Paula Fredriksen suggested several ideas/words that needed to be "retired"; John Van Seters suggested the same for the OT concept of a redactor. The charge of anachronism also came up in other papers too. Finally, one of my good friends at the conference suggested in exasperation, "Perhaps we should just stop doing scholarship in English because that's anachronistic. No English back then!" Touche!
Fifth, I'm proud to announce that the CSBS Executive approved my proposal for a three-year seminar on historiography. I'm very much looking forward to this addition to the conference's schedule. An official website will be going up soon!
Batman Begins
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