Batman will be a hit in 2022. Fans enjoyed Matt Reeves’ dark and grim take on the celebrated comic book hero, as well as the increased focus on research in storytelling. Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader specifically stood out and founded the huge action blockbuster. However, the film is not for everyone, as a former Pattinson collaborator recently said about the film. Although he was praised for his acting ability and introspection, the filmmaker had issues with other elements of the film.
In a recent interview with ScreenSlate, legendary French director Claire Denis talked about her filmmaking technique along with fellow filmmaker Isaach de Bankolé of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. While the verbal exchange focused on her filmmaking achievements as an artist, she also revealed that she watched Pattinson’s performance in The Batman, as she is friends with the prominent actor and worked with him on the acclaimed film High Life. Denis praised the Lighthouse star’s acting skills, but struggled with the overall scale of Hollywood. She said:
I watched “The Batman” because Robert Pattinson is a friend. Of course, that’s a lot, a lot, a lot of post-production. A team of three hundred people. But the paintings inside, the way Robert thinks about Batman. . . I love the way he built his Batman. That’s the rest: the effects, the crowds, the post-production, it’s like two movies in one. There’s the Batman story, which is very intimate and delicate, and then the rest. . . I would make a Batman if he could do it without the rest.
Batman is much more anchored than the rest of the films in the superhero picture. There is no emphasis on the fantasy powers or science fiction elements that often take precedence in comic book movies. It is necessarily a solemn and serious crime drama that features villains and heroes facing real-life afflictions. However, it still has Hollywood blockbuster elements that you can’t ignore. Batman features a major car chase scene with extensive special effects, and the Madison Square Garden set is a grand finale, with typical CGI production for a film of such size. It’s understandable that a filmmaker interested in a smaller scale would dismiss scale as extraneous rather than additive.
It may seem odd to ask a filmmaker like Claire Denis about her future in the field of blockbuster superheroes, as the director has been conservative in her technique and has never sought out a big-budget Hollywood production. However, Marvel and DC also don’t have a history of hiring independent managers for their projects. Marvel hired Chloe Zhao to direct Eternals after directing Nomadland, and DC decided to have Cathy Yan direct Birds of Prey after receiving praise for her Sundance film, Dead Pigs. It wouldn’t be strange if a major studio was interested in Denis for Batman, but it turns out that the director of Beautiful Work would have a different technique than DC would likely go for.
On the other hand, a Batman movie without blockbuster or classic superhero elements might just be interesting. A crime drama focused solely on the psyche of a vigilante and his desire for revenge can be fascinating. No car chases, no big sets, a small cast and a minimal budget. I wonder if superhero enthusiasts would be interested in such a project, or if it would take away from the adrenaline rush that can be felt in an action-packed movie. It’s a fun assumption, but Matt Reeves is set to return to direct The Batman 2 and probably won’t abandon his established taste anytime soon.
You can re-watch Robert Pattinson’s lauded performance in The Batman, which is recently streaming for Max subscribers. Claire Denis fans will probably never see her direct a superhero movie, but they will be able to see her work with Pattinson in High Life, which is also streaming on the platform. To learn more about other titles available on the subscription service, be sure to check out our article on the best videos on Max right now.
Writer, podcaster, CinemaBlend contributor, film and television enthusiast, enthusiastic person. Hoping to bring a lifelong hobby of storytelling to CinemaBlend.
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