Arts & Culture

The Batman: A Robert Pattinson Renaissance

1 April 202231 March 2022By
The Batman: A Robert Pattinson Renaissance

Following months of buildup and anticipation, Robert Pattinson’s interpretation of our favourite caped crusader debuted in cinemas for the world to see, and it did not disappoint. 

⅘ – Spoilers ahead!

When it was initially announced that Robert Pattinson had been cast to play the new interpretation of, The Batman, the internet broke out in debate about this obscure and unexpected casting. How can the vampire from the Twilight Saga possibly play The Batman? 

For those who had watched Twilight and hated it, I can imagine seeing Edward Cullen play one of the most beloved superheroes to exist would be nothing short of a nightmare — yet Robert Pattinson rose to the challenge excellently, with an equally fantastic ensemble cast and storyline to work with. 

Bats of the Past and Present 

The cape and mask has been worn by various actors with different calibres of both fame and acting expertise, but having Batman on your CV is not a bad role to be associated with — even if some of the films were abysmal (George Clooney, I’m looking at you.) Equally, following this trajectory and the legacy of the character is an extremely tough act and where some have flourished, others have been forgettable, and this is a line Pattinson has had to tread when developing his character. 

A large part of The Batman fandom associate some of the character’s best interpretations from either Michael Keaton or Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan’s, The Dark Knight Trilogy, which has arguably redefined the superhero film genre forever. More recently, Ben Affleck took on the role of Bruce Wayne by day and Batman by night in films such as Batman vs Superman or Justice League — a phase of DC’s filmography that they would probably wish to forget rather than revisit. It is not to say Affleck’s performance was poor. It is just difficult to do a character justice when the film as a whole is poorly written, filmed and conducted. Perhaps there is a redemption arc awaiting him for when he reprises the role in the upcoming Flash film. 

R-Patz into R-Batz

As for Robert Pattinson, it could have been tempting to recreate or try and mirror the performance of Christian Bale — someone who coopted the dark and tortured depiction of Bruce Wayne/Batman, but instead deviates from this to establish himself as an independent character. In the past few years, audiences have seen a quiet renovation to Pattinson’s CV which has been tainted for too long by his performance as Edward Cullen. Starring in films such as The Lighthouse, Good Time and Christopher Nolan’s recent venture, Tenet, he has proved himself to be a nuanced and complex actor who when digs deep enough — can return impressively underrated performances. 

Pattinson’s ability to play the character so differently does stem from the new direction Reeves has chosen to take in what we can expect will be a new series of films. Bruce Wayne, may be rich but he is haemorrhaging money, and struggling with who he is expected to be, who he should be and who he wants to be — all of which he does not have the answers to. His closest relationship is with Alfred, played by Andy Serkis, who helps him along in solving the Riddler’s cryptic messages and also tries to encourage this very introverted Bruce Wayne to be more forthcoming and not so isolated. When Pattinson is not wearing the suit, he is in an oversized black t-shirt, with flattened down hair and black sunglasses — mirroring something more of a hungover teenager on a Sunday morning rather than a vigilante saving Gotham city at night. Not only is he an introverted, ‘emo’ Batman, he is also no longer depicted as a playboy which makes for his chemistry with Selina Kyle /Catwoman, played by Zoe Kravitz, all the more endearing. 

Commissioner Gordon & Detective Bruce Wayne

The audience sees Bruce keeping a diary of his experiences so far in Gotham and he is only two years into this ‘project’, which seems apt, as violence and misconduct in the city is rife. The two year project indicates how early into his role he is, which excuses this internalised battle he is having with himself. He is young, rough around the edges and prone to making mistakes — he is not perfect and he does not pretend to be. This incomplete and flawed character enables Pattinson to grow and develop Bruce Wayne into a more matured, well rounded character in future ventures.

An interesting and new take on the Batman’s character is that while he still is skilled in combat, he accompanies Commissioner Gordon while investigating the Riddler’s crimes. Collaboratively, they begin to solve the Riddler’s riddles and while they may be late to saving Gotham City, he still takes on a pivotal role to solving the Riddler’s motives. There is a David Fincher-esque aesthetic to how they uncover and solve new clues and it proves to captivate not only the characters, but the audience alike. 

Kravitz, Cats and Co

It would be a disservice to not mention the performances of the ensemble cast in the film but particularly focusing on Zoe Kravitz playing the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Being one of the only female characters on screen can be difficult but she carries herself with class and power, and is a force to be reckoned with throughout. You can see the inspiration taken from previous Catwomen such as  Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry and Anne Hathaway, but her new take on the character is complex and exciting. 

Her dynamic and chemistry with Pattinson is not only undeniable but also, electric and it resonates through the screen to make their quick personal and working relationship believable. Her “thing for strays”, explains why herself and Batman gravitate towards one another so frequently and work together so successfully. They are both hard to trust and emotionally independent but collaboratively, they know they make one another better. Kravitz’s performance makes you wonder why we have not seen her in more and hope that this is not the last time we have seen Selina Kyle on our screen.

The Villains

Colin Farrell steps into the infamous shoes of Penguin and he is utterly unrecognisable. Farrell has always been underrated in his performances and despite his infrequent appearances throughout this film, he dominates the screen every time he is on it. He unifies the perfect balance of toxicity, repulsiveness and humour — the mix you need to embody the Penguin’s self serving purpose in the narrative. There is no risk of his performance wavering into hyperbole but his outlandish and menacing behaviour is harnessed to create enough havoc to disrupt the narrative.

As for Paul Dano, who plays the Riddler, there was an indication of the menacing streak he was due to bring to the role in the trailer where the mix of his distorted voice and the Nirvana soundtrack creates the dark atmosphere maintained throughout the film. There is one word for Paul Dano’s interpretation of the Riddler — unhinged. From his mannerisms, to his voice, all the way to the intonation of specific words — Dano effortlessly encapsulated the level of lunacy needed to be a villain important enough for Batman to pay attention to.

The Riddler leaves havoc and letters (addressed ‘To The Batman’) everywhere he goes and both the audience and surrounding characters have no choice but to play along with his sick, twisted games. In a superhero film, it can be difficult to play a villain evil enough to hate, but also smart enough to be likeable. Heath Ledger became the blueprint for this balance when he played the Joker in Nolan’s, The Dark Knight and we are yet to see a performance that could rival that mastery. While Dano’s performance should not be compared to Ledger’s, there is an argument to be made that you cannot hate his Riddler and instead, in the darkest parts of ourselves, there is an enjoyment to how much he antagonises The Batman. 

Overall Thoughts

The superhero universe is a crowded space to fight your way into, especially for DC films which usually fall short in comparison to its rivals. It can also be difficult to revive and reinvent an iconic character, loved far and wide, and please every fan. However, Reeves’ idea of what a new Bruce Wayne and Batman should look like is an exciting step into a new era of superhero films which may be DC’s saving grace. The direction is young, flawed and complex and appeals to a young, flawed and complex audience. The strongest aspect of the film is towards the end where it begins to feel like a disaster film. Nobody won, and more was lost rather than gained. Batman did not save Gotham as expected and a massive rebuild is needed. These elements provide the building blocks required to allow the films to progressively explore the darker and unseen side of Gotham that is yet to be tapped into. 

The Batman is not attempting to be like its predecessors and instead understands its role as establishing itself as a unique venture away from the usual formula of a Batman film. Matt Reeves has opened the door for a rebrand for several characters in the comics and a new perspective of this universe that we have not seen before. In a time where DC seemed to fall so far behind in its filmmaking, storylines and plots, our favourite caped crusader swoops in to save the show again — except this time, he listens to Nirvana and wears eyeliner extremely well. 

The Batman is a progressive, enjoyable and exciting step into unknown territory and is the Robert Pattinson renaissance we have all waited for.