The Dark Knight (social experiment scene)

Directed by :Christopher Nolan

The use of music lighting costumes plays a big part of this movie which gives it more depth, suspense and interest from the viewer. I will explain how Christopher Nolan breaks the rules of lighting in some scenes which can help explain some of the background behind some characters.

What is the social experiment? The social experiment is a plan that the Joker has planned out to prove a point. It starts off with two ships that have been planted with explosives. The difference between these ships and the moral dilemma is that one boat only has civilians on it and the other is full of prisoners on it. Each ship has been given the detonator to the others bomb, this is a major plot twist that Christopher Nolan uses to build suspense in the film. The passengers in either ship are told by the Joker over the ships microphone (PA)system if they don’t blow one or the other up by twelve oclock, he will blow them both up. The Joker uses this to show that people are just out for themselves and they will kill for themselves, and shows that they are not innocent and they will break the law to save themselves and therefore they don’t need laws or rules. Without law or rules everything would turn into chaos this movie feels like a real life example of what would happen to society without any rules or laws. It would be unsafe and everything would be a free for all, and that is what the Joker is trying to achieve.

The lighting used in this film is well thought out and is constantly changing. The lighting used in the scene on the two ship is well lit inside so you get feeling that everyone on the ship are innocent pawns in the Joker’s plan. The scene was shot at night which gives it more of a dramatic feeling. When the lights on the ship start flickering it makes the viewer feel suspense and think something is about to happen. This is a technique used by Christopher Nolan throughout the film. In the next scene when the Joker is hanging upside down the lighting is constantly on and off and from side to side this is something that most directors don’t use but Nolan breaks the laws of conventions of lighting, which gives the audience the feeling that the Joker is all over the place and unpredictable. The lighting on Batmans face is used to show his two sides, half of his face is light and well lit the other is dark (low key lighting). This helps us identify that he is good, but he has a dark side. He is not pure and not the most righteous because he commits crimes in order to stop the joker and other villains, hence the name The Dark Knight. 

Costumes played a big role in the film especially in this scene were the Prisoners wear orange jumpsuits, the ship’s crew is wearing yellow and the military are wearing camo. The costumes help us identify the different groups, The civilians costumes are bland and dont stand out which helps them look innocent. The Jokers dresses very unusual he wears very vibrant colors that do not work together which gives the viewer a hint he  different and not all there in the head. Batman’s costume is black and is bland. Christopher Nolan has chosen these costumes to add depth into each character and from first glance you can instantly tell who or what they are. The texture of the costumes shows it’s less cartoon like and more basic like what it would be like in reality. This draws more of an adult viewer into the movie. 

The music used in the scene was also well thought out by Nolan. The music he uses builds suspense, especially when there is a close up of the detonator when the civilian has his hand on the key to set off the detonator. The music grows and grows to a point it makes the viewer feel that they’re about to blow them up, but when the civilian realises that he can’t bare with the guilt of killing anyone the music drops and relieves the tension for the viewer. The scene when they are first deciding what to do, the music goes chaotic and the gun going off which adds to the feeling that everything ‘s turning to chaos.

On the ship with the prisoners there is anarchy and panic. There is a scene which has a lot of meaning behind it, the prison warden has his hands on the detonators and he wants to save himself but can’t bring himself to having the burden of blood on his hands, one of the prisoners stepped up to him. (Debo) he’s one of the biggest guys on the ship and when you see him it gives the viewer the feeling he is bad and is a serious criminal, he walks up to the warden and says “I’ll do what you should of done ten minutes ago” he convinces the warden to hand over the detonator. Debo throws the detonator overboard this is another one of Christopher Nolan’s plot twists he uses costumes and actors for various reasons to help with these plot twists. At first glance you wouldn’t ever expect him to have any good in him. This is his way into redemption for whatever bad he did, this helps decide the fate of the Jokers plans and whether or not he wins, when the clock hits twelve the ferries are still intact the Joker is very surprised with this and Batman quotes “this city just proved that it’s full of good people ready to believe in good” this part of the film shows the viewer that the Joker has lost and gotham has a chance of rebuilding and redeeming its legal system.

Christopher Nolan has put a lot of meaning into every little detail of the film, especially when it comes to the names of the ferries Spirit and Liberty this ties in with the scene very well showing that if one was blown up or both it takes away the city’s spirit and liberty and the quotes and dialogue of each character and the way he describes each character like the Joker (an agent of chaos) which describes him perfectly. This scene/movie is like no other hero movie, he’s targeted it at an adult audience which appeals greatly to viewers with the plot twist that completely change the whole direction of the movie.