Things develop in waves and advance in spirals.
Hollywood is no different; every few years, audience tastes shift. Movie studios must constantly cater to these ever-changing appetites to ensure sustained profits.
From the Golden Age of suspense films, musicals, and gangster movies, to the action films of the '80s and '90s, to the rapidly developing sci-fi and epic films, and now to the era of superhero movies, the variety of film genres is staggering, often dazzling audiences.
Film development seems to have reached a threshold. How to captivate audiences has become a puzzle studios continuously strive to solve.
Superhero films have existed for a long time, from the Superman movies to the most recent Spider-Man 3. It is evident that, with technological advancement, superhero movies have become increasingly sophisticated in production.
Yet, all superhero films fundamentally remain in the mainstream realm's most common exploration: justice must prevail, and villains must be defeated.
The Dark Knight does not deviate from this category, but as Charles Roven said after seeing Gilbert's edited cut,
The Dark Knight transcends the themes of traditional superhero comics. The depth of its exploration is unprecedented in superhero films.
Its strong dark, realistic style is also rare in superhero movies.
Few superheroes can carry a dark tone, and Batman is the most suitable.
Internally, Warner Bros. hesitated when they saw Gilbert's edit without music.
CEO Kelly Ross directly questioned, "This type of film is uncommon in the market, especially among superhero movies.
I doubt whether the market will accept it."
Facing Warner Bros. executives' doubts, Gilbert said, "I cannot guarantee the market will like it; that's not for me to decide.
What I can guarantee is that I will do my utmost to make a film. If Warner Bros. is unsatisfied, they can hire a new editor.
If you want The Dark Knight turned into The Cheerful Knight, I assure you I have no objections."
Other Warner executives quickly smoothed things over: "No need, no need. The version edited by Director Gilbert is undoubtedly the best. We at Warner fully support it."
Kelly Ross still wanted to object, but with unanimous agreement among the executives, her objection was invalid.
Kelly Ross had little authority within Warner Bros.; if she weren't appointed by the corporate office, the executives would have already removed her.
When it comes to matters concerning the survival of DC films, the executives clearly trusted Gilbert, the super director.
Kelly Ross was displeased, thinking that once her Superman project became a hit, she'd show them who had the last word.
After the internal screening, Hans Zimmer's score was completed, and The Dark Knight entered the music-adding phase.
Hans Zimmer's style had evolved significantly from the first film, using more symphonic music to amplify the epic and grand feel of the movie.
Many fans joked that Gilbert was essentially shooting a music video for Hans Zimmer's score, which indirectly proved how outstanding Zimmer's work was.
It was precisely because of his excellent work that Hans Zimmer gained the favor of Gilbert and other top Hollywood directors, who invited him to compose scores for their films.
During downtime, Gilbert discussed with Hans Zimmer how music could enhance the film and evoke emotions in the audience.
Zimmer belonged to the "roaring" school, advocating for loud, powerful scores that dominate the audience's auditory experience, guiding their emotions.
Many other Hollywood composers belonged to the "silent" school, believing music should assist the film subtly, guiding emotions unobtrusively.
Gilbert had worked with composers from both schools; neither was inherently better. Music should fit the film's style.
While composing for the film, Zimmer used different musical styles and moods, each associated with one of three characters:
Batman/Bruce Wayne, the Joker, and Harvey Dent/Two-Face.
The Joker's music was oppressive and chaotic, resembling noise, inducing unease.
Zimmer employed electronic sounds and dissonant tones to evoke the Joker's unsettling presence.
Batman's music was divided into two parts: Bruce Wayne and Batman.
Bruce Wayne's portion used modern music interwoven with beautiful cello melodies, evoking a faint sadness and loneliness.
Batman's portion was grandiose and heroic, a rich and ornate symphony, befitting the character's entrance.
Harvey Dent's portion mirrored his fate in the film, alternating between light and dark, with variations on the Batman theme, hinting at his divergent path.
Gilbert was undoubtedly satisfied with the music work. The score was quickly integrated into the final cut, completing The Dark Knight as a fully realized film.
However, just as the film was about to be officially locked, Charles Roven sent news: Christian Bale had been arrested by the police for assault.
"What exactly happened?" Gilbert pressed Christian Bale's agent.
His agent replied, "Christian had a conflict with his family and struck someone. As of now, the public doesn't know the details."
Because of Gilbert's good relationship with the Los Angeles Police Department, coupled with years of sponsorship, the police informed Gilbert immediately about Christian Bale's situation.
Gilbert frowned. "The media will definitely spin this. Get Christian bailed out first!"
Christian Bale had a temper, though many Hollywood stars do. Naomi Watts, Charlize Theron, and others were notorious for their bad tempers.
During the filming of King Kong, Naomi Watts often gave Peter Jackson a hard time.
While shooting Hancock, Charlize Theron verbally tore into co-star Brad Pitt to the point he couldn't lift his head.
Other stars had histories of assault, domestic violence, alcohol abuse, or even drug use; the list was endless.
Many Hollywood stars also had bizarre families. Britney Spears, for instance, had a very unusual family; without them, she might still be the queen of pop today.
Christian Bale's family background was complicated too, with gambling, drinking, and even criminal behavior. These people were like vampires draining him, yet the media didn't care.
So when Christian Bale was released, Gilbert immediately issued a media blackout order, preventing him from giving interviews or appearing publicly.
Then Gilbert controlled the media narrative, emphasizing the absurdity of Christian Bale's family to portray him as an innocent victim and garner public sympathy.
Of course, competitors didn't miss the opportunity. Stories about domestic violence, irritability, and alleged victims of Christian's violence surfaced.
The intention was obvious: to hinder The Dark Knight's box office success during the summer.
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