The Dark Knight released

The Dark Knight Released: July 18, 2008 Studio: Warner Bros. Genre: super hero/action Box Office (numbers in millions): Domestic: 535.20 Worldwide: 1004.90 Adjusted for Inflation: Domestic: 730.08 Worldwide: 1253.10

Directing: Christopher Nolan Screenwriting: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart Review: This is “considered to be one of the best films of the 2000s – and one of the finest superhero films ever. The Dark Knight took comics into the realm of the serious movie.” MSN Director Christopher Nolan “never saw it as a superhero film. It’s closer to a Michael Mann crime epic except…you get a bloke dressed as a bat and a psychotic clown in a police interrogation room.” EM’18 The film is “easily as influential on the genre as that other summer ’08 comic-book movie, Iron Man.” EM’18 It is also the runaway favorite for best superhero movie of all time, showing up on all 19 lists (and topping 12 of them) aggregated to make the Dave’s Movie Database list of top superhero movies of all time. “Superhero films don’t typically garner Oscar nominations, but this one received eight and won two of them.” MSN Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance as The Joker has been hailed as one of the best ever performances in a superhero film. The story is “set within a year after the events of Batman Begins,” IMD the 2005 which kicked off Nolan’s Batman trilogy. “Lieutenant James Gordon [Oldman], and new District Attorney Harvey Dent [Eckhart] successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City, until a mysterious and sadistic criminal mastermind known only as ‘The Joker’ appears in Gotham, creating a new wave of chaos. Batman’s struggle against The Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing him to ‘confront everything he believes’ and improve his technology to stop him. A love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne [Bale], Dent, and Rachel Dawes [Gyllenhaal].” IMD Sources: EM’18 Empire (3/20/2018). “The 100 Greatest Movies” MSN MSN Entertainment (7/19/2018). “100 Best Movies” by Shahnaz Mahmud

Awards/Honors/Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Genre Lists: Box Office: Oscars: Wins: 2: Best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger), Best Sound Editing Nominations: 8: Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects Other Awards: Other Lists/Honors: First posted 9/3/2019; last updated 5/28/2023.

Brokeback Mountain loses Best Picture Oscar to Crash

Brokeback Mountain Released: December 9, 2005 Studio: River Road Entertainment, Focus Features Genre: romantic drama Box Office (numbers in millions): Domestic: 83.03 Worldwide: 178.04 Adjusted for Inflation: Domestic: -- Worldwide: --

Directing: Ang Lee Screenwriting: Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Randy Quaid Review: Brokeback Mountain is a “2005 neo-Western romantic drama” WK adapted from a 1997 short story by Annie Proulx. “Its plot depicts the complex romantic relationship between two American cowboys, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, in the American West from 1963 to 1983.” WK The story starts in 1963 when Ennis (Ledger) and Jack (Gyllenhaal) are hired as sheep ranchers in Wyoming. Jack makes a pass at Ennis one night after they’ve been drinking and Ennis eventually becomes receptive. He insists, however, that it was a one-time thing. The two move on. Ennis marries Alma (Williams) and they have two daughters. Jack marries Lureen (Hathaway) and they have a son. Jack and Ennis get together over the years for private fishing trips and when their marriages disintegrate, Jack tries to convince Ennis that they should build a life together. Cinematically, “the landscapes astound. The woods and mountains of America’s West convey a sense of serenity, as well as an air of promise.” HC The relationship between Jack and Ennis seems to be comprised of “aggression, conflict, and confused passion” HC without “any significant emotional or interpersonal growth.” HC Sadly, these are men locked into worlds of silent masculinity that keeps them from expressing themselves with complete honesty. The film generated several controversies. While the movie is now seen “as a turning point for the advancement of queer cinema into the mainstream” WK it faces criticism and censorship from conservative media outlets at the time. It was also considered a shock when it lost the Best Picture Oscar to Crash, which has now become infamous as one of the least-deserving wins in Oscar history. Sources: HC The Harvard Crimson review by Julia J. Hynek WK Wikipedia

Awards/Honors/Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Lists: Genre Lists: Eras: Awards: Oscars: Wins: 3: Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score Nominations: 8: Best Picture, Best Actor (Ledger), Best Supporting Actor (Gyllenhaal), Best Supporting Actress (Williams), Best Cinematography Lists: Hall of Fames: First posted 3/5/2025.