Week 2: Day 5 – Protag/Antag Relationship Scene — THE DARK KNIGHT

[Mary]

Scene Mastery, Week 2 Day 5 – Protag/Antag RELATIONSHIP

Watch THE DARK KNIGHT SCENE first time for:
Basic Scene Components, which are:
Scene Arc – Batman confronts Joker with all cops watching through window. Batman smacks him around a bit. Joker messes with Batman. Says they are both freaks. Reveals Batman’s friend and fiancé are in danger. He has time to save only one and must choose.
Situation – Batman’s first in person talking with Joker. Batman must get the info from him. Smacks him around. Joker reveals he has put Batman’s friend and fiancé in danger with time now to save only one.
Conflict – Batman and Joker are on opposite sides – law and lawlessness. But Joker NEEDS Batman to “complete” him? Because they are both freaks? Does Joker want a conscience? No. He just wants a worthy opponent to mess with, and he really has.
Moving story along – Two people Batman loves are in danger – which will he save?
Ent. Value – We see what Joker wants from Batman – to really screw him over. To beat him and show him that his rule-less life wins. This is an interesting and novel viewpoint from a villain. Super thoughtful and entertaining.
Setups/payoffs. Batman punches Joker around – part of them IS alike. But Batman CARES. That’s the difference. It is a lever Joker uses to his advantage to really mess Batman up with THE CHOICE.

2nd time:
What makes it great? Joker pushes Batman’s buttons expertly. Gets him angry. Gets him wanting to kill him. Goads him – we are alike as freaks. You are not like the mortals who will drop you when its convenient. Which there is truth to that which makes Batman CRAZY to kill him. Then Joker reveals his setup with Batman’s friend and GF both in mortal danger, with time to save only one. The choice. Yikes!
HOW are they similar? They are both freaky unhuman. They both scare people because of that. Both rare freaks of nature that normal people fear.
How are they different? Batman works for the law. Joker works for himself and his own twisted selfishness. Batman has rules, Joker has none.
Motivation to be in this relationship? Batman wants to get rid of Joker. But Joker has something Batman needs – info on where to go to save the D.A. and his GF.
Interesting action. Batman smacks around an unarmed suspect. Interesting. He is going to a dark place inside himself. Part of him IS like Joker. Then between smacks, as Batman gets more angry, he BLOCKS the door with chairs – showing his intent to do Joker in. Powerful stuff – to watch him plan to break the law and go rogue.
Interesting dialogue. Joker’s every line shows that he is not an average bad guy. He has thought this trough with great planning to really screw with Batman. And his hate of mortals. His lines about mortals – “only as good as the world allows them to be – they will turn – I’m just ahead of the curve.” Super brilliant lines that make us think of ourselves as humans – and the fact that there is some truth to his demented views.