Comic Book Movies 101: Batman Returns

• 18th Mar 2011

Batman Returns is seen by studios as a bit of a failure. It made money – but far less than the first film. Tim Burton also had more creative control which perhaps they see as a negative considering how much darker he made it – scaring away the kids, and not providing anything in the way of much in terms of toys or Happy Meals. But when you have the Bat, the Cat and the Penguin, toys and accessories are going to be limited at best!

While I have no argument with the first film, Batman Returns is pure fantasy on a grander and darker scale. But it has so many gifts to give – and it is still astonishing how two characters like the Penguin and Catwoman go so well together, despite their limited threat as antagonists (the Penguin isn’t a fighter and Catwoman is more vigilante than criminal).

This Christmas-based Batman film sees the return of Keaton to clean up the streets. The circus it appears is in town and Jim Gordon calls on Batman to help clean the streets of this violent gang who later turn out to be under the control of the yet-to-rise Penguin. This comes about when he orchestrates the abduction of high powered Max Shreck. This ends up with a plot to have the Penguin return to the surface and take on a very vocal stand against the mayor on a political race. Of course Batman is no fool and sets about finding out what they’re up to. And in the background of all this, is quiet and socially uncomfortable Selina Kyle – who will go onto to take on a very domineering role by the film’s end.

The true surprise in this film is the transformation of Selina Kyle into Catwoman. It’s very deftly and darkly handled. We first get the scene after she’s plummeted to the ground where she awakens after a horde of cats in almost ritualistic form meow, paw and bite at her. If it was left at this and she went straight to being Catwoman that would be daft (and it is daft!). It’s what happened to her before this day and what follows is what makes it so powerful.

We’re given a short scene of her arriving home and talking to herself. Her bosses have been leaving messages on her phone about how great she can look if she buys their products. She talked to her non-existent partner, and then also the cat as she fed it. Another message from herself on the phone makes her realise she forgot something – so back to the office she goes. Once there she is eventually confronted by Christopher Walken’s wonderful Max Shreck and upon revealing she knows more than she should about the company, he sends her out the window. Knowing this earlier scene is what makes her transformation so powerful; she arrives home in a complete trance, blood still trickling down the side of her face, her skin now very pale (almost zombified). She goes about the same routine, whispering/muttering what she said before to the non-existent partner. It’s much more scary and fractured; turning on the answer machine, feeding the cat until she starts to crack. It’s the answer machine that does it with the sales advert inferring that if she shops there and buys their product she may get asked to stay after hours at work by her boss. Of course having just been thrown from a window by this very person after hours causes Selina to finally scream and break down.

In the following montage, accompanied by a swelling Danny Elfman score, we see her trashing her apartment. But not randomly trashing it though; she goes to specific places and starts to destroy all the small details, essentially killing Selina Kyle once and for all and all of her dreams in the process. At the end she finds herself some material and hungrily started to sew together what will become the visual representation of Catwoman. Transformation complete.

The Penguin has a less emotional arc as he is at his game right from the get go. It’s his rise from the sewer that we see as he is chaperoned by Shreck. It’s that development combined with the teaming of Penguin and Catwoman that the plot has most of its holes (we never really do get told why Catwoman suddenly attacks Batman for no apparent reason?).

But what the film does harness so well is all three leads having to deal with double lives. The Penguin discovers his heritage which opens up a world of wealth and power only to throw it all away due to his bitter nature. Catwoman/Selina Kyle confront Batman/Bruce Wayne in a series of fight/love encounters. It’s the constant duality that makes the film so rich. This all culminates in the third act when Wayne and Kyle are having a dance (to Siouxsie and the Banshees “Face to face”) at Shrek’s party and they repeat dialogue spoken to each other as Batman and Catwoman. The sudden realisation thrusts our characters into the final act where the Penguin launches his attack on the city. The next time these two meet will be at the climax of the chaos and it will cost them their relationship (and Max Shrek his life).

Everyone really stepped up their game for this film. The whole thing was much moodier with hints of black comedy thrown in (the Ice Queen does eventually get to light the Christmas Tree – with her plummeting body). The music is far more passionate – gone are the love ‘em or leave ‘em Prince tracks and instead we have a much steadier and dramatic score (the Siouxsie And The Banshees song is by far more a decent fit for the film).

The key players probably deserve a large percentage of the credit here. All of them really did blow the audience’s minds in roles that are conceptually very difficult to bring to life in modern day. And by and large they’ve yet to be topped 20 years later!

Tim Burton went on to produce the next instalment in the franchise, but he tops out here on this much more controlled effort – long before he became the CGI-based repetitive film-maker he is now.

Steven Hurst