2. "Some men just want to watch the world burn." (The Dark Knight)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efHCdKb5UWc Younger moviegoers probably chiefly recognize Caine for his role as Batman's butler Alfred in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. While the series is filled with wonderful dialogue by Alfred (much of which in the butler's trademark sarcastic tone), the one line that tops them all is when Alfred offers Bruce Wayne an explanation why The Joker is so unpredictable in the second movie of the trilogy. When Wayne questions what motivates The Joker to create chaos, Alfred offers an anecdote of his past in Burma to explain how some criminals don't follow logic because their only goal is cause disorder. He continues, "Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with." Alfred then ends his point with this deeply chilling line that seems to scare even the Caped Crusader. The line was so compellingly delivered that it was used in commercials for The Dark Knight and likely helped push the worldwide box office over the billion dollar mark. But more than that, it perfectly defines the threat of The Joker in one line more than any other description in the Clown Prince of Crime's nearly seventy-five year existence.
Chris McKittrick is a published author of fiction and non-fiction and has spoken about film and comic books at conferences across the United States. In addition to his work at WhatCulture!, he is a regular contributor to CreativeScreenwriting.com, MovieBuzzers.com, and DailyActor.com, a website focused on acting in all media. For more information, visit his website at http://www.chrismckit.com.