People like superhero movies because they ’re escapist amusement , right ? Not according to writer Neal Gabler , who says that the power of The Dark Knight and Iron Man is that they ’re all about our deepest awe .
Writing for Variety ’s Oscar web log , Gabler argues that both movies have deep intellectual underpinnings than you may expect , making both potential Academy Award - cannon fodder :
“ The Dark Knight ” function like a shell game . It lay up an idea and encourages watcher to accept it , only to then beak up the shell and reveal that the audience has been hoodwink … In the end , it is n’t social club or anomie , but human good that prevails . Batman ’s only purpose is to guard against the aberrations . [ In contrast , ] the symbolisation of the “ Iron Man ” is unmistakable . mogul must be tempered by humanity , in this case literally come out the man inside the arm . More , the weapon is almost literally power by Stark ’s heart , which is impound to a tiny nuclear reactor . It is the human attribute of Stark , even his fallibility , that make him heroic .
No one would claim that this is an world-shattering Epiphany of Our Lord . Still , it raises the film above the distinctive cathartic muscle - flexing , and it supply an wry edge to the genre . Whether that will be enough to get it Oscar attention remains to be ascertain , but “ Iron Man , ” like “ The Dark Knight , ” is at least on the elector ’ radar , which is no little accomplishment . estimation can do that for you , even when they are package in a comicbook extravaganza .
As someone who think that Dark Knight was too weighed down with its motivation to make a grand statement , I ’m unsurprised to see it being mentioned here , but Iron Man ’s appearing is a welcome surprisal ( even if I ’d be very surprised to see it get nominated for anything other than visual effect and potentially a nod for Robert Downey Jr. ) ; has Dark Knight flipped critics ’ wigs so much that they ’re re - evaluating popcorn movies for hidden meaning ?
Image byAaron Williams .
Comicbook films address serious issues[Variety ]
Iron ManMoviesOscarsSuperheroes
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and culture intelligence in your inbox day by day .
News from the future , delivered to your present .
You May Also Like
