10 Iconic Images From Tim Burton's Batman

5."Mirror!"

Mirrorfive This is the part referenced in the Simpsons when Lisa gets braces in €˜Last Exit to Springfield€™. While Tim Burton was not a fan of the comics, he liked the darker material that the comics drew from. So we get this scene that you can image being in a horror movie. The doctor being horrified at what is under the bandages. The Joker starts crying. The doctor apologies as the camera shows blood-stained surgical instruments. The crying gives way to mad laughter. By now, critics who had expected something light and fun must have been horrified. This version of the Joker differs from the comics by having his face locked into a permanent smile. Given Burton€™s love of old horror movies, this may be a reference to the films €˜Mr Sardonicus€™ and €˜The Man who Laughs€™. The latter is cited as an influence on the creation of the Joker.

4.Gotham City

Gotham Cityfour There are two ways you can handle a live-action Batman film. You can try to make it as realistic as possible as Christopher Nolan did. Or there is Burton€™s approach. Create a stylised world in which Batman fits in. The late production designer Anton Furst with Peter Young, won an Oscar for the Art Direction on this film. Gotham City is the evil twin of the city in €˜Metropolis€™, with little brightness and steam rising from vents. One of the principles for designing the city was that buildings would shut out the light. Men walk around in suits and hats. The use of color television and American Express cards become reminders that this is not still the 1940€™s.
Contributor

David is a life-long fan of films, novels, comic books and animation. He reviews books for http://concatenation.org and is responsible for two cats.