Kim at Tranquil Dreams and Drew at Drew’s Movie Reviews are hosting this great blogathon “The Ultimate 90s”, and I have decided to write an entry on Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992). It will be fair to say that I was practically brought-up on this film and, in many ways, this film reflects my understanding and experience of the 90s decade. 

Batman Returns [1992] – ★★★★

Three years after directing Batman (1989), Tim Burton came up with Batman Returns. Visually stunning and well thought-out, the film is about the rise to power of Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin (Danny DeVito), who has been hidden away and shunned by society for 33 years in the city of Gotham. In his quest to become the mayor of Gotham, Penguin is unwillingly helped by a dishonest businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) as the Penguin’s freaky followers intermittently wreak havoc on Gotham to discredit the present mayor and eventually make it look like the Penguin is fighting crime. Meanwhile, Shreck’s shy secretary, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), finds out too much about Shreck’s illegal activities, causing Shreck to try to get rid of her, and the result of his efforts is Selina’s transformation into the Catwoman. Bruce Wayne/Batman (Michael Keaton) is also not indifferent to the crimes orchestrated by the Penguin and is determined to stop the Penguin and his gang while having a love-hate relationship with Selina/Catwoman. 

From the very first scenes of the film, we are intrigued. We are confronted with a Dracula-inspired-setting and gothic surroundings, as we see a couple who gives birth to a deformed baby, and, then some time later, on a cold Christmas night, rushes across the Gotham park to throw their new-born into a river crossing the park. The eerie wintry landscape and the menacing soundtrack by Danny Elfman complete this picture, as we then see the crib of the baby-monster floating down the sewer of the city.

Prior to Batman Returns, Burton also directed Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990), already establishing himself as the director for shooting the themes of supernatural, odd, unknown and dark. In that vein, Burton makes Batman Returns his very own. With Burton’s flair for presenting a Gothic fantasy, Batman Returns’s cinematography is moody and grim, now reminding of Sleepy Hollow (1999) or Sweeney Todd (2007), but with a comical twist, a freaks-show setting and more stand-alone odd characters. Burton transforms the city of Gotham into a lavish wintry high-buildings’ landscape populated by mysterious personalities: odd freaks and brave anti-heroes. In his prior and forthcoming work, Burton relied heavily on the old German expressionist cinematography, and Batman Returns is no exception. From the very first scenes, the film is all about sharp dark edges, futurism, and the macabre, similar to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). We also see the skyline of the Gotham City, and the tall buildings, grim atmosphere and fog are all a nod to Metropolis (1927). The elaborate sculpture work of the Gotham Zoo and the camerawork are also similar to the camerawork and the town scale model found in Burton’s Beetlejuice.

Action-wise, Batman Returns is great. From the firebombing of Shreck’s department store to the faulty Batman car racing, the action is fast-paced, with great visual effects. Add to this a rich animal symbolism, distinctly-gloomy, but deliciously macabre, cinematography and a thought-provoking ending, and it is safe to say that Burton has probably crafted the best Batman film ever.

Having said that, Batman Returns is, primarily, a character-driven film. Michael Keaton reprises his role of the Batman, but the spotlight is not on him, and he has to give way to “more interesting” and “crazier” characters. Keaton’s performance is unimaginative and unenthusiastic, though he is a very dignified and “intellectual” Batman; that kind of a Batman who will snug in on a weekend in front of a fireplace with a book, rather than practise his combat moves in front of a mirror.

Every imaginable Hollywood actress was considered for the role of the Catwoman: from Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman and Jodie Foster to Cher and Meryl Streep. In the end, Annette Bening was cast, but was replaced by Michelle Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer is perfectly cast and gives a convincing, almost iconic performance. She is equally good as both – sexually-frustrated shy secretary Selina and confident and blood-thirsty Catwoman. Selina’s duality and her transformation into a Catwoman are particularly well-presented. We see something close to the nowadays Black Swan (2010)- transformation, because Selina is first surrounded by her pink soft toys and immaculate kitchen, and then goes berserk and lusts for a darker and mysterious side of life. Her chemistry with Bruce Wayne is also very good, and it is interesting to watch how the pair is mentally trying to figure out each other’s true identities and thoughts.

The real revelations in the film are Danny DeVito in the role of the Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot and Christopher Walken in the role of Max Shreck. DeVito’s Penguin is very memorable: he is hideous, totally demented and power-hungry. Walken’s Shreck is also a show-stealer. Cool, strange and menacing, Walken as Max Shreck makes the atmosphere very uncomfortable, and it is a pity that the Shreck’s “energy aspirations” idea is left underdeveloped in the film.

It is true, however, that Batman Returns is not a perfect movie. We hardly get to know anything about the title character, and his personal development (a hero’s journey) is questionable. The reason why Batman as a character is so neglected in this film is perhaps because Burton/Waters/Strick is not really interested in him. In fact, Burton agreed to do Batman Returns only on condition that the studio gives him more creative control over the material and that Daniel Waters, a screenwriter known for his black-comedy Heathers (1988), comes on board. The influence of both is evident in the final product.

Another weakness of the film is that it has too many villains which form surprising partnerships. However, the biggest criticism at the time of its release was that Burton’s version of a Batman movie was too gloomy and grotesque, sexually too suggestive (Catwoman finds herself on top of Batman) and violent (child-kidnapping takes place on a regular basis). There are valid points, but should be seen in a perspective. Unlike the Super-Man and even the Spider-Man series, the Batman series is all about the dark nature of humanity, mysterious personal duality, masks and camouflage, the colour black, unclear characters’ origins, underlying childhood trauma and gloomy settings. Taking this into account, Burton’s gothic, macabre and dark take fits the Batman adaptation perfectly.

Batman Returns may not be the film to immediately spring to mind when you think “films of 1990s”, but its unusually presented-superhero theme, advanced computer-generated special effects and the director’s distinctive influence on the style and plot of the film are the features which later came to define films shot in 1990s (was not it the decade of the rise of independent cinema after all?). Batman Returns is a Tim Burton film through-and-through. Rich in visuals, it is grim, dark, fantastical and strangely enticing. It also a film which is very entertaining: it has an interesting plot, perfect casting, great soundtrack and a very memorable presentation of such oddball characters as Penguin and Catwoman.