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The Dark Knight (2008)

By Michael Schilf · November 26, 2010

 

Screenplay Genre: Action / Crime / Thriller

Movie Time: 152 minutes

1. INCITING INCIDENT

Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman) meets Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) in Dent's office, and after Harvey questions Gordon about his involvement with the Batman, Gordon requests search warrants for five banks that are holding the remainder of the mob's money. Dent agrees to back Gordon's search warrants, forming a tenuous trust with the honest Gordon, who in turn hails Dent as Gotham's "White Knight." (00:16:06)

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)

After Batman (Christian Bale) abducts Lau, the dubious accountant working for Gotham's criminal underworld, from his penthouse office building in Hong Kong and delivers Lau to Gordon back in Gotham, Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) interrogates Lau, who agrees to give the names of all his clients (mobsters) and their pooled investments. Dent can now link all 549 criminals together using the RICO case of conspiracy. (00:37:50)

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

At the press conference Batman told Dent to set up so that he could turn himself in, Dent explains that Batman is a vigilante but that the people of Gotham should hold him accountable and not give in to the fear The Joker (Heath Ledger) has unleashed upon Gotham. But as Bruce Wayne is about to come forward to reveal the truth, Dent announces that he himself is the Batman and gets handcuffed and taken away. (1:10:48)

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)

After Rachel dies and half of Dent's face is burnt beyond recognition from explosions set by The Joker, Dent is recovering at Gotham General, where The Joker, disguised as a nurse, enters Harvey's room and explains to Dent (who now refers to himself as Two-Face) that he needs to introduce a little anarchy and chaos. The Joker unties Two-Face and hands him a pistol. Two-Face, bent on revenge, flips his coin to decide whether or not to shoot The Joker, which The Joker agrees is only fair. (1:47:29)

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

The engines of two ferries – one with criminals and one with civilians – lose power, and The Joker informs the passengers of both boats that they're part of a social experiment. Both boats are set with explosives, each boat having a detonator to the other. If the occupants of one boat don't agree to destroy the other boat by midnight, The Joker will blow up both. But the ultimate twist is on The Joker, as neither of the two ferries will press the button, showing that there is still hope for Gotham. (2:00:18)