Event Title

Some Men Just Want to Watch the World Burn': Post 9/11 Symbolism in The Dark Knight Trilogy

Location

Diamond 342

Start Date

1-5-2014 1:00 PM

End Date

1-5-2014 2:45 PM

Project Type

Presentation- Restricted to Campus Access

Description

Terrorism has been a subject of major Hollywood films for decades. Since the September 11 attacks on American soil, a great number of films have grappled with the subject matter of terrorism and its ramifications on American society. For my thesis, I examine the ways in which the September 11th terrorist attacks and Americas resulting war on terrorism during the Bush administration can be viewed as symbols within the Dark Knight Trilogy; I believe that these films are instructional political allegories in need of unpacking.I discuss what ideology director Christopher Nolan is promoting with regard to American politics and culture through the themes of his films, if he is indeed encouraging a certain ideology upon his audience in addition to what that ideology is. Moreover, I also examine such seemingly unconventional fields as the psychology and philosophy of the characters of Batman, Bruce Wayne, The Joker, The Scarecrow, Bane, Selina Kyle, and other memorable personas from the original Batman comics that have appeared in these three films to better grasp what these characters exemplify. I will also interpret how Christopher Nolan intends for viewers to draw connections between these fictional characters and the public figures of the post 9/11 age so that viewers can recognize how Nolan wants for viewers to apply the archetypes of good and evil in the Dark Knight Trilogy to heroes and villains to America and its foes and struggles post 9/11. At the core of these films, they are not simply superhero films about, the good guy vs. the bad guy. They grapple with Americas questionable and ever-changing attitudes towards such real issues as torture, how we as a country perceive terrorism as unprompted chaos, the corruption of those in public office. these films shouldt be ignored.

Faculty Sponsor

Laura Saltz

Sponsoring Department

Colby College. American Studies Program

CLAS Field of Study

Interdisciplinary Studies

Event Website

http://www.colby.edu/clas

ID

702

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May 1st, 1:00 PM May 1st, 2:45 PM

Some Men Just Want to Watch the World Burn': Post 9/11 Symbolism in The Dark Knight Trilogy

Diamond 342

Terrorism has been a subject of major Hollywood films for decades. Since the September 11 attacks on American soil, a great number of films have grappled with the subject matter of terrorism and its ramifications on American society. For my thesis, I examine the ways in which the September 11th terrorist attacks and Americas resulting war on terrorism during the Bush administration can be viewed as symbols within the Dark Knight Trilogy; I believe that these films are instructional political allegories in need of unpacking.I discuss what ideology director Christopher Nolan is promoting with regard to American politics and culture through the themes of his films, if he is indeed encouraging a certain ideology upon his audience in addition to what that ideology is. Moreover, I also examine such seemingly unconventional fields as the psychology and philosophy of the characters of Batman, Bruce Wayne, The Joker, The Scarecrow, Bane, Selina Kyle, and other memorable personas from the original Batman comics that have appeared in these three films to better grasp what these characters exemplify. I will also interpret how Christopher Nolan intends for viewers to draw connections between these fictional characters and the public figures of the post 9/11 age so that viewers can recognize how Nolan wants for viewers to apply the archetypes of good and evil in the Dark Knight Trilogy to heroes and villains to America and its foes and struggles post 9/11. At the core of these films, they are not simply superhero films about, the good guy vs. the bad guy. They grapple with Americas questionable and ever-changing attitudes towards such real issues as torture, how we as a country perceive terrorism as unprompted chaos, the corruption of those in public office. these films shouldt be ignored.

https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2014/program/66