Years ago, it seemed as if the Academy was much more willing
to nominate a film based strictly on the fact that it was entertaining and had
something to say.  Nowadays, it seems
like the only films nominated are the ones that have something to say, but lack
any sort of genuine entertainment value.  The Dark Knight may very well break that trend, much to the chagrin
and joy of film fans worldwide. 

My comments aren’t meant to take away from the honor
bestowed upon recent Best Picture winners, such as No Country for Old Men, The
Departed, Crash, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King or Chicago.  The fact of the matter is most of the recent
winners don’t have a rewatchability factor.  They are great, entertaining films, but there is nothing about them that makes me want to revisit their stories. 
Look at previous winners from the 70s, 80s and 90s, such as The
Godfather, Part 1 and 2, Kramer vs. Kramer, The Deer Hunter, Rocky, Amadeus, Rain Man and (one of the greatest in the history of cinema) The Silence of
the Lambs.  These are films that I could
watch at any hour throughout the day.  There
is a certain kind of uniqueness to these films, as if they were made to pull
you into their world and not let go for another two hours.  And what’s more, they didn’t seem to have ulterior
motives; the most evident title to prove such a fact is Rocky.  These were (and still are) films meant to
entertain, first and foremost. 

This year, there has been plenty of discussion about how
films have yet to achieve the quality of last year’s slate of films.  Speaking from a strictly artistic standpoint,
last year was one of those rare seasons that come once every decade.  It’s almost as if the stars aligned last
year, bringing the audience one great film after another.  And the resultant Best Picture nominations were
evident of that; although, the fact that Sweeney Todd was missing from the
list still smarts. 

What I’m saying is, this time last year, the movie going
public had a general idea of which films were going to be honored come Oscar
time.  Sadly, this year, we have no
idea.  A number of expected Oscar
potentials were bumped into 2009, while others failed to capture the audience’s
imagination or interest.  Early reviews
of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (the last surefire potential Best Picture
frontrunner) have been split down the middle when discussing the emotional
impact of the film, while it is generally favored to win a number of technical
awards.  Meanwhile, a number of other
films have remained hidden from public eye until we get closer to the end of
December. 

The Academy has always been accused of being a snotty sort
(a fact I disagree with, but will not divulge any further here), the type that
would much rather nominate an art film or monstrous money maker rather than a
deserving picture.  At one point in time,
I felt that was true.  Until I realized
that major blockbusters such as Jaws, Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost
Ark were nominated for Best Picture.  Sure,
they had no chance of winning , but the fact that they were included in the
running means something.  And that is,
the Academy pays attention when it wants to.

This
year, I firmly believe that the Academy has been paying attention.  And they will prove it by nominating the only
film to earn an incredible amount of money, as well as endless press and almost
universal acclaim.  Of course, I’m
talking about The Dark Knight.  Will
it win? It’s too early to tell, but probably not.  Regardless of whether or not it will win, the
truth of the matter is that it is the one and only film this year to unite and
divide audiences and create healthy and strong debate.  Like the blockbusters nominated before it, The
Dark Knight deserves, at the very least, a nomination based simply on the fact
that it is almost perfect entertainment, while at the same time a true
representation of the diverse thoughts and beliefs running rampant in society
today.

After I saw The Dark Knight, I felt as if it truly grasped
the storytelling execution of the 1970s, arguably the best decade of film and
one that director Christopher Nolan clearly admires.  On the surface, the film is one of the best
comic book adaptations we’ve ever seen. 
But beneath the surface, The Dark Knight is a challenging and
frightening crime drama that has the balls to go where very few mainstream big
studio films are willing to go.  And due
to the fact that a growing number of films are failing to grab the Academy’s
attention, we may very well witness the first time in which Bob Kane’s Caped
Crusader is welcomed into Hollywood royalty. 
But I stress that a handful of nominations is all that the film will receive
(although a Best Adapted Screenplay should be awarded) based on the simple fact
that Batman always and will be an outsider. 
Besides, we like him that way.