"Haven't you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?" -The Joker
Based on his success with Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Warner Brothers hired Burton to direct Batman, the script of which is loosely based on The Killing Joke and written by Sam Hamm with Warren Skaaren, writer of Beetlejuice, doing rewrites. Avid Batman fans were less than pleased when they heard of this venture, having only Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice on which to base their opinion of Burton, and thinking this would be another campy remake. Their fears were not lessened when they heard that Michael Keaton, a comic actor with whom Burton had worked in Beetlejuice, had beat out other, more conventional choices such as Mel Gibson and Pierce Brosnan for the title role. In fact, they were so displeased that they sent over 50,000 letters of protest to the studio. Like usual, this didn't actually change anything, but comic book fans everywhere became happier when Jack Nicholson was cast as the Joker (chosen over other interesting choices like Tim Curry, Willem Dafoe, and David Bowie) and Kim Basinger was cast as Vicki Vale (after considering just about every young actress in Hollywood). With this cast, Danny Elfman (Burton's trademark composer) and Roger Pratt (a cinematographer who commonly works with Terry Gilliam) as part of the crew, Burton went into production with a budget of $35 million (later raised to $48 million).
Batman was shot in England due to the media interest and, because of a writer's strike, the script was still undergoing rewrites during production. Nicholson was particularly demanding, requiring a $6 million paycheck, a percentage of the film profits, and a certain number of hours off each day, making him the best paid actor for one role to date and grossing over $50 million. However, during production, attempts at leaks were the main problems. A publicist was offered 10,000 pounds for pictures of Nicholson as the Joker and two reels of footage were stolen, making it a hellish experience for Burton. All of this was added to the stress of having the ending being written while they were filming it. But on the bright side, Anton Furst's production design and Bob Ringwood's costume design were a success. Furst designed the sets with an expressionistic influence and deliberately mixed architectural styles to create a harsh, ugly environment. Ringwood had the different challenge of making Keaton, a man with a medium frame, appear large and intimidating. All was pulled off successfully, earning an Oscar for Art Direction.
Anticipation for the film was so high that they cut a trailer as soon as they could and released it without music to theaters causing instant excitement. Comic book fans were reassured and people would buy a ticket just to see the trailer, promptly leaving after it was done. "Batmania" broke out and $750 million worth of merchandise was sold in one summer. When the film was released, it broke several box office records and earned a total of over $400 million worldwide. The film received mixed reviews, some complaining it was too dark, others complaining about the Prince songs, and still others complaining about deviations from the comic book series, but overall, it was well-received. It also created a new standard for comic book movies as well as a new market for them. So, everyone can say a big thank you to Tim Burton the next time a superhero blockbuster comes out.
Personally, Batman has never been a favorite of mine. As much as I love Jack Nicholson as the Joker, Michael Keaton just did not work for me. I've never been able to become emotionally engaged in the film, so as much as I can appreciate the themes of good vs evil, dual identity, outcasts in society, totalitarianism, etc, I just don't really care. And although it does not have as many trademarks as most of Burton's films, it does center around a misunderstood outcast, with dark themes, and stylized sets. Plus, for any Batman fans, it's a must see as the one that started it all. 3 stars.
Note: The above picture is Burton's concept art for the Joker.
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