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Batman Begins:
The first 50 minutes should focus on the kid Bruce Wayne and his life with his parents, making the viewer see that a) this is not a regular child and b) there are real relations between this group of people (Thomas, Martha, Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth). These first 50 minutes would comprise Bruce's life from the age of 11 to 13. The following ideas are sketches toward presenting that picture:
- A shot of Bruce's bedroom would show a mess of: medals and trophies for his early accomplishments on track & field / gymnastics (Bruce excels at gymnastics at his ultra-posh school); maps of earth, maps of space, maps & charts (this is a curious kid); books, books, books, piled up on the floor, opened up across his desk; two computers on at all times; maybe (maybe) a beefed up version of those chemistry kits kids get.
- A scene where Bruce sneaks downstairs during a gala ball and charms his way into a couch w/ matrons & old gentlemen; he amazes the present company with some comment that's a bit advanced for his age, people laugh etc. He's formally introduced by his mother who then beckons Alfred to take him back to his bedroom. People are delighted with the young man and of course the question in everybody's lips is: "But what do you want to be when you grow up?" This is a key question in this movie, because to young Bruce Wayne, the possibilities seem limitless.
His mother says he'll be what he wants to be, as long as it's not politics. Bruce himself says he doesn't know yet. This theme resurfaces once more a bit later in the filme when Bruce is being put to bed by his father. They talk for a bit about the future, because, well, I'll let them do the talking:
THOMAS
Well if I were you I'd enjoy your time as a kid, Bruce... sooner than you think it'll all change and it's gonna be all decisions and SATs and CATs and people will expect you to have figured out what to do with yourself... I know you probably don't like to do the same thing day after day after day, but... that's life, it's what you are... Me, for instance... I rarely think of myself as Thomas Wayne anymore... do you know what I mean? I'm Doctor Thomas Wayne now. It's good to have potential, but you gotta use it or it'll spoil you.
BRUCE
Spoil me how?
THOMAS
Nevermind that, that's too depressing a talk to have before sleep.
BRUCE
It's just that I like everything so much! Maybe I could be a lot of things at the same time, like a cop who's a doctor or a scientist who makes movies...
THOMAS laughs and says:
THOMAS
You'll figure it out, son. It'll come to you.
BRUCE
Well I made one decision at least.
THOMAS
Oh yeah?
BRUCE
Yeah I think I'll have a moustache like you.
THOMAS laughs again
(etc)
- I'd also use the scene from Frank Miller's "TDK" where Bruce falls in the cave, with minor changes.
- During a walk w/ Bruce, Thomas Wayne is required to do some risky yet urgent traumatic procedure on someone, in a public space, in order to save his/her life. The point is to show Bruce's father saving a life in front of his son. Ideally there would be a contrast between the brutality of the procedure (blood in his hands etc) and the fact that it's done for a greater good (saving a life). Thomas's action has a great impact on Bruce: He's shown staring almost hipnotized at the blood in his hands (because he touched his father's sleeves or something). Later it's made clear that he had decided to become a doctor. That's when the family decides to go out for the movies.
The whole point of this setup is to help creating a sense - not of realism, but of verisimilitude: Equating the human material that made Batman with historical behemoths like Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte is the easiset way to achieve that. Those were men who brimmed with inner power and determination and shaped geography and History. What made them stand so high compared to ordinary humans was a fortuitous combination of brains, inner power, resourcefulness and resilience with wealth.
It is my not so humble opinion that the "Batman Begins" script made a disservice to the credibility of the movie by asking us to believe that that bumbling moppet that was on the screen for 5% of the movie could become Batman. In my version, Bruce Wayne would be the type of child that's truly touched by what would be called in 19th century literature a "divine spark" (with all the usual genius/madness implications, which would be really useful in a movie about a man who dresses like a bat to fight crime. Why does Batman dresses up as a bat to fight crime? A: Because he's MAD and he CAN).
This is all I thought up so far... There are some points re: Batman's relationship with Harvey Dent that I'd like to work on, too, but I guess I got bored now. Maybe later.
P.S.: Oh, and how could I forget? In my movie, Commissioner Gordon would be the "Batman: Year One" version. Not that moustachioed spaz from "...Begins". |
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