Batman Begins - Definition and Overview

Batman Begins (originally under the tentative title Batman: Intimidation or The Intimidation Game) is a 2005 American superhero/action film based on the fictional character Batman. Directed by Christopher Nolan and written by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, based on original character by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This movie is neither sequel nor prequel for the previous Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher films.

Plot summary

As a boy a young Bruce Wayne watched in horror as his millionaire parents were slain in front of his eyes, a trauma which led him to become obsessed with revenge but his chance is cruelly taken away from him by fate. After disappearing to the East where he seeks counsel with the dangerous but honorable ninja cult leader known as Ra's Al Ghul, he returns to his now decaying Gotham City overrun by organised crime and dangerous individuals manipulating the system whilst the company he inherited is slowly being pulled out from under him. The discovery of a cave under his mansion, and a prototype armoured suit leads him to take on a new persona, one which will strike fear into the hearts of men who do wrong – he becomes: The Batman. In the new guise, and with the help of rising cop Jim Gordon, Batman sets out to take down the various nefarious schemes in motion by individuals such as mafia don Falcone, the twisted doctor/drug dealer Jonathan 'The Scarecrow' Crane, and a mysterious third party that is quite familiar with Wayne and waiting to strike when the time is right.

Cast

Batman Begins logo

• Christian Bale – Batman
• Michael Caine – Alfred Pennyworth
• Katie Holmes – Rachel Dodson
• Ken Watanabe – Ra's al Ghul
• Cillian Murphy – Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
• Liam Neeson – Henri Ducard
• Morgan Freeman – Lucius Fox
• Gary Oldman – Lt. James Gordon
• Tom Wilkinson – Carmine Falcone
• Rutger Hauer – Richard Earle

External links

• Batman Begins official web site (http://batmanbegins.warnerbros.com/)
• Batman Begins (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/) at the Internet Movie Database
• Picture of Christian Bale in Batman costume (http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/batsuit.jpg)