The document provides details about the main characters, plot, and themes of the film The Dark Knight. It describes the main characters including Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred, Heath Ledger as the Joker, Gary Oldman as James Gordon, and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. It summarizes the plot as Batman, Gordon, and Dent working to dismantle the criminal organizations in Gotham City but facing a new threat in the Joker. It then analyzes various elements of mise-en-scene, iconography, ideology, and genre features in the film.

1. The Dark Knight
AS Media-Research
Max Gilbart

2. Main Characters
•Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman:
-A billionaire dedicated to protecting Gotham City from the criminal
underworld by night.
•Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth:
-Bruce's trusted butler and confidante. His supply of useful advice to Bruce
and his likeness as a father figure has led to him being labeled
"Batman's batman“
•Heath Ledger as the Joker:
-Throughout the film, the Joker states his desire to upset social order
through crime, and comes to define himself by his conflict with Batman.
•Gary Oldman as James Gordon:
-A lieutenant in the Gotham City Police Department and one of the city's few
honest police officers. He forms a tenuous, unofficial alliance with Batman
and Dent.
•Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent / Two-Face:
-The district attorney who is hailed as Gotham's "White Knight". His battle
with the criminal underworld leaves him disfigured, transforming him into a
murderer bent on revenge.

3. Plot Summary
•Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help
of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey
Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal
organizations that plague the city streets.
•The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find
themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising
criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of
Gotham as The Joker.

4. Mise En Scene
• An example of mise en scene in the dark knight could be the joker. The
Joker has always been portrayed the villain in the Batman films, because
of the iconic image he had portrayed throughout DC comics. In my
opinion the Joker’s clothing is a crucial part to his identity, purple and
green represents the madness in his performance. I would put the Joker
in the under class category because of his criminal characteristics. The
face paint can resemble war paint, but he puts fear into the audience
and victims due to the resemblance of a clown, which a lot of people
have a phobia of. His mouth may link to his past due to the scars and also
danger because of the red make up that surrounds it.
• Another example of mise en scene could be the how colour can stand
out in a film. At first you think a school bus as a getaway vehicle isn’t the
best choice until he joins the queue of other yellow buses. This reveals
the criminal brilliance with the timing of the perfect getaway.

5. Iconography
• For the iconography of dark knight includes the
main character Bruce Wayne/ Batman.
• Not only does this documentary investigate the
mental attitude of the mysterious caped crusader
along with selective interviews from various
expert, but also put some brilliant resemblances
between the Batman and Theodore Roosevelt.
• The filmmakers shows how spiritual iconography
greatly influenced the development of the Batman
character.

6. Ideology
• The Joker is unique because he represents an
ideology and not an identifiable “tribe” that
commits crimes. And with this look he is not
a clear cut character of how he may act
(hence the mask) and shows that he is more
dangerous than a mere criminal. His mask
itself serves the rhetorical purpose of both
appearing ridiculous as well as disguising
motive.

7. Genre Features
• From the opening six minutes the film really
lives up to how a thriller genre should really
be. Which in this case is having a strong start
all the way to the end. The film produces that
after having such a crucial opening making the
viewer even more on the edge of their seat. In
this instance straight away a crime is
underway with a bank robbery planned by the
joker...