Did you buy Harvey's transition to Two-Face in The Dark Knight?

[Horse Style]

Over the years, I've seen several reviews of TDK and a criticism that pops up from time to time is that Harvey's transition to Two-Face felt forced. Apparently, some people didn't buy that such a goody-goody would become a crazed murderer so quickly.

Personally, I think the transition was fine. Although Harvey was touted as Gotham's White Knight, he clearly had edge to him. He wasn't above kidnapping that mental patient so he can threaten him for information. That was simply for threatening Rachel's life. The Joker killed the love of his life and took away his good looks.

Also from his perspective, he was the only one who got screwed over and it was because the good guys didn't act quick enough. I can see a lot of rage building up. When he got out of the hospital, he didn't kill indiscriminately. He specifically went after the people he felt were responsible.

So do you guys think his transition was forced or did it feel natural to the flow of the movie?

 

[LATEXXX COMMANDO]

I didn't mind it.

 

[Zer]

I think like 2 hours in they realized they had like half an hour to get Two-Face in and out of the movie

 

[TrippleOG]

katie holmes and that maggie chick were terrible.

 

[Daverisimo]

The first time I saw it I was fine with it, but on repeat viewings it does seem a bit rushed IMO.

 

[ufcfan4]

Yes.

If only because that short scene in the hospital between Ledger and Eckhardt with the whole, "upset the established order- it'a all chaos," monologue was one of the best scenes in the movie or in any comic book movie in my opinion.

That scene alone sold me, even if things were obviously a bit rushed.

 

[Bald1]

katie holmes and that maggie chick were terrible.

Agreed on Maggie Gyllenhaal. I remember watching interviews with her and the hosts were saying how beautiful and stunning she was. WTF, over? I thought she was nothing more, or less than average, and didn't fit the role at all.

 

[Madmick]

I didn't mind it.

Yeah, this. Look, for such a drastic character progression, normally we would require a 2 1/2 hour drama with that character as the protagonist. No matter what Nolan was going to be forced to use enormous broad strokes to cover such an extreme transformation.

With transformations of the supporting cast like this it always comes down to, "Was that so riddled with cliche and inexplicable character outbursts that I couldn't maintain my suspension of disbelief?" You can't fight it. It just rips you away from the story, emotionally. That's what it's about at the heart of it. Is handled well enough that it preserves the integrity of your suspension of disbelief?

It was.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

RACHEL! lol

 

[loyalyolayal]

Felt forced.

 

[ocean size]

It was bullshit creating him and ending him so quickly. It felt forced. He could have held his own film.

I turn into a near-tard when a movie comes on and rarely notice any flaws or plot holes or bad writing, even in B-action movies. But Two Face had me going 'what the....fuck?'

 

[Plutoburn]

Maybe it's just me, but I would have preferred two-face to be the main villain in the third movie, and Bane as his ally/muscle.

 

[AronaBeatsJones]

It was okay, but not the greatest rendition of Two-Face. It was too rushed. When watching the film the first time, I thought they were setting up Two-Face for the third film. In the Nolanverse, Two-Face only ever existed for a few hours.

Again, "Batman: The Animated Series" is the absolute best at Batman character adaptations. If anyone's not seen the two-part Two-Face episode, then it's a must watch. They do a fantastic job establishing the psychology behind what led into Harvey Dent's transformation into Two-Face, including incorporating split-personality disorder.

 

[Tycho- Taylor's Version]

I was okay with it too. I did feel like we could have seen him express a little more volatile frustration before the transition, but they did a good job of showing him kind of being a desperate pansy around Rachel, so that was the first clear vulnerability in his white-knight-ish armour.

The hardest part to buy in my opinion was the Joker having the conversation with him that really seemed to flip the switch. It took away from the integrity and independence of Two-Face himself - but it also did a good job of reinforcing the Joker's extremely corrosive influence unfolding on Gotham.

 

[spin]

Just the last part where he was gonna kill Gordon's kid I didn't buy.

Fuck life/revenge I can by, but child murder? Mob boss, crooked cop, crooked cop, innocent child. Just seems like there's a few missed steps there in his descent.

 

[Goonerview]

Good Movie, but is over-rated and last too long IMO.

 

[Madmick]

It was okay, but not the greatest rendition of Two-Face. It was too rushed. When watching the film the first time, I thought they were setting up Two-Face for the third film. In the Nolanverse, Two-Face only ever existed for a few hours.

Again, "Batman: The Animated Series" is the absolute best at Batman character adaptations. If anyone's not seen the two-part Two-Face episode, then it's a must watch. They do a fantastic job establishing the psychology behind what led into Harvey Dent's transformation into Two-Face, including incorporating split-personality disorder.

Yeah, that really was one of the greater animated series ever made that is dramatic in tone. It may not be Ghost in the Shell, or whatever, but that was a killer show designed for the demographic between adults and kids, and it holds up to adult viewing.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

I bought it. Police corruption leads Dent and Dawes to be captured. Cheeky Joker tricks Batz into rescuing Dent, but still gets his face melted. I think it is stylishly done.

Giving a shoutout to BVS DOJ. I think it is a great movie.

 

[Mike]

It sucked, they shoehorned it in. Should have saved two face for an entire movie, and made this one all about the Joker. Still one of the goat comic movies though, was very good.

 

[Philo-Publius]

It felt a little forced, but it happened in an instant in the comics too. I think considering Nolan had to stay somewhat true to the original story, and do it inside of a a 2+ hour film, he did a great job.