The Batman: Matt Reeves Teases Alfred Hitchcock Inspiration
Not just the hero you need, but the one you empathise with.
According to new The Batman director, we might be in for a Dark Knight movie with a very classic perspective. Matt Reeves has spoken to CNET to discuss his approach to story-telling and revealed also that he is a student of the Hitchcockian school of character focus.
By the sound of it, we're in for something entirely different in the wake of what we've seen since Tim Burton's Batman debuted in 1989. But at least the director has lofty creative aspirations:
“For me, point of view is really important. I want to make sure you are experiencing something from the perspective of the main character in the story. I’m a huge Hitchcock fan – I like the idea of being immersed in that perspective.”
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So, does that mean we're going to be getting a more suspenseful Batman movie? Something more akin to him actually being the world's greatest detective, rather than just a muscle-bound hulk with a load of gadgets? If so, that's a great direction for Reeves to be taking.
Just imagine an Arkham Asylum set movie in which Batman is stalked by escaped villains in Hitchcockian fashion... It's an incredibly intriguing prospect. Especially as we could see some point-of-view sequences that would be exceptional in a Batman movie.
Intriguingly, of course, Hitchcock pioneered a sympathetic presentation of villains through his use of perspective, and his style of filming led to deeper audience experiences through suspenseful scenes. And if Reeves can pick up some of that empathy for Batman - who exists in a space between hero and villain, of course - we'll be in for a new cinematic experience that establishes a more personal spirit.
So far, on screen Batman has remained veiled behind a curtain of mystery, leading to a more impersonal experience in the interest of establishing symbolism and his mythology: we've never been invited to experience empathy for him. Sure, there's been some effort - particularly by Chris Nolan - to demystify Bruce Wayne, but the same can't be said of Batman.
However it turns out, at least Reeves is looking to establish difference. That can never be a bad thing.