The opening shot to any film is a crucial one, as it sets the tone for what is awaiting. This is no different when it comes to the highly anticipated The Batman, as star Robert Pattinson claims the film's opening shot is "so jarring."
Director Matt Reeves has confirmed that The Batman takes inspiration from many iconic 1970s crime thrillers such as The Godfather, Chinatown, Taxi Driver, and The Conversation. Now, Pattinson feels audiences will be able to see the inspiration in the upcoming DC film's first frame.
“I watched a rough cut of the movie by myself. And the first shot is so jarring from any other Batman movie that it’s just kind of a totally different pace,” the actor shared with GQ. “It was what Matt was saying from the first meeting I had with him: ‘I want to do a ’70s noir detective story, like The Conversation.' And I kind of assumed that meant the mood board or something, the look of it. But from the first shot, it’s, ‘Oh, this actually is a detective story.'" Pattinson added that he had never heard the nickname "world's greatest detective" for Batman before, but that aspect of the character shines in Reeves' film. "Just ’cause there’s a lot of stuff where he’s in amongst the cops. Normally, when you see Batman he arrives and beats people up. But he’s having conversations, and there are emotional scenes between them, which I don’t think have been in any of the other movies."
What separates Reeves' film from previous adaptations of the comic hero is that there seems to be a greater emphasis on the noir / detective side of the character. This was, of course, an aspect that was explored in some scenes throughout Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy (primarily in Batman Begins). However, it appears that Reeves is really honing in on telling a mystery story first and then showcasing the big, explosive action sequences second throughout the film's 175-minute runtime.
In addition to the darker tones and themes the film is striving for (much of which resembles David Fincher's crime thriller Seven), leaked The Batman reactions from test screenings reportedly say the film is controversial and complex, as the story may cause some divisiveness amongst fans. But with numerous live-action Batman films already out there, a more challenging and fresh narrative may not be such a bad thing, especially when having an acclaimed filmmaker like Reeves behind the camera.
However polarizing it may be, from Pattinson's intriguing comments to what has been presented in every trailer, The Batman will no doubt draw in crowds, as it is one of the most hyped up films of 2022. The film is the first planned in a trilogy, as two other spin-off series for HBO Max are in the works.
The Batman is set to release in theaters on March 4th, 2022, and will be available to stream on HBO Max on April 19th, 2022.
Source: GQ