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References |
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced, and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the sequel to 2005's Batman Begins and the second installment in Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy . In the film, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) forms an alliance with Police Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City, but are thwarted by a criminal mastermind known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) who seeks to undermine Batman's influence and create chaos in Gotham. The film also stars Michael Caine as Bruce Wayne's butler (Alfred Pennyworth), Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. It was released in Australia on July 16, 2008.
The Dark Knight grossed over a billion dollars worldwide, [1] becoming the fourth film in history to gross more than $1 billion worldwide [2] and the highest-grossing film of 2008. It is currently the 47th highest-grossing film of all time. The Dark Knight also received a high critical acclaim, accumulating an approval rating of 94% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. [3]
The Dark Knight garnered numerous awards and nominations with particular praise for Heath Ledger's performance of the Joker. The film received eight Academy Award nominations at the 81st Academy Awards in 2009, winning two for Best Sound Editing and Best Supporting Actor (posthumously awarded to Ledger). [4] Notably, the film's Best Sound Editing win prevented Best Picture winner Slumdog Millionaire from having a clean category-sweep.
At the People's Choice Awards—in which the winners are determined by the choices of the people (audience) in the Gallup polls—The Dark Knight won five awards, including: Favorite Movie, Favorite Action Movie, Favorite Superhero (Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman), Favorite On Screen Match-Up (Christian Bale and Heath Ledger), and Favourite Cast. [5] The film was included in top-ten films of 2008 lists by multiple publications, including the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review. [6] [7]
In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Academy Awards | February 22, 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [4] |
Best Art Direction | Nathan Crowley and Peter Lando | Nominated | |||
Best Cinematography | Wally Pfister | Nominated | |||
Best Film Editing | Lee Smith | Nominated | |||
Best Makeup | John Caglione Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan | Nominated | |||
Best Sound Editing | Richard King | Won | |||
Best Sound Mixing | Lora Hirschberg , Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick | Nominated | |||
Best Visual Effects | Nick Davis , Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin | Nominated | |||
African-American Film Critics Association Awards | December 19, 2008 | Best Picture | The Dark Knight | Won | [8] |
Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA Awards | – | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [9] |
Special Mention Award | The Dark Knight – Joker's first scene | Won | |||
American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards | February 15, 2009 | Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic | Lee Smith | Nominated | [10] |
American Film Institute Awards | N/A | Movies of the Year | The Dark Knight | Won | [6] |
American Society of Cinematographers Awards | February 15, 2009 | Outstanding Achievement Award – Theatrical Release | Wally Pfister | Nominated | [11] |
Art Directors Guild Awards | February 14, 2009 | Excellence in Production Design – Fantasy Films | Nathan Crowley | Won | [12] |
Austin Film Critics Association Awards | December 16, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [13] |
Best Picture | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Won | |||
Best Adapted Screenplay | Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan | Won | |||
Best Original Score | James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer | Won | |||
Australian Film Critics Association | – | Commendation for Best Overseas Film | The Dark Knight | Won | |
Australian Film Institute Awards | December 5–6, 2008 | International Award for Best Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [14] |
British Academy Film Awards | February 8, 2009 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Heath Ledger | Won | [15] |
Best Cinematography | Wally Pfister | Nominated | |||
Best Costume Design | Linda Hemming | Nominated | |||
Best Editing | Lee Smith | Nominated | |||
Best Film Music | Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard | Nominated | |||
Best Makeup and Hair | Peter Robb-King | Nominated | |||
Best Production Design | Nathan Crowley and Peter Lando | Nominated | |||
Best Sound | Lora Hirschberg, Richard King, Ed Novick and Gary Rizzo | Nominated | |||
Best Special Visual Effects | Chris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin and Tim Webber | Nominated | |||
Boston Society of Film Critics | December 14, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [16] |
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards | January 8, 2009 | Top 10 Film of the Year (#4) | The Dark Knight | Won | [17] |
Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Best Acting Ensemble | Christian Bale , Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman | Won | |||
Best Cinematography | Wally Pfister | Won | |||
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 18, 2008 | Best Picture | The Dark Knight | Nominated | [18] |
Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Nominated | |||
Best Original Score | James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer | Nominated | |||
Best Cinematography | Wally Pfister | Won | |||
Best Adapted Screenplay | Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan | Nominated | |||
Cinema Audio Society Awards | February 14, 2009 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing | Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo | Nominated | [19] |
Costume Designers Guild Awards | February 17, 2009 | Excellence in Fantasy Film | Lindy Hemming | Won | [20] |
Critics' Choice Awards | January 8, 2009 | Best Picture | The Dark Knight | Nominated | [21] [22] |
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Best Acting Ensemble | The Dark Knight cast | Nominated | |||
Best Action Movie | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Best Composer | Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard | Nominated | |||
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | December 17, 2008 | Top 10 Film of the Year (#3) | The Dark Knight | Won | [23] [24] |
Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Best Cinematography | Wally Pfister | Won | |||
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Runner-up | |||
Directors Guild of America Awards | January 31, 2009 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film | Christopher Nolan | Nominated | [25] [26] |
Empire Awards | March 29, 2009 | Best Film | The Dark Knight | Won | [27] [28] |
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Won | |||
Best Actor | Christian Bale | Won | |||
Best Sci-Fi/Superhero | The Dark Knight | Nominated | |||
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 18, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [29] |
Best Cinematography | Wally Pfister | Won | |||
Golden Globe Awards | January 11, 2009 | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Heath Ledger | Won | [30] |
Golden Trailer Awards | – | Best in Show | The Dark Knight | Won | [31] |
Best Action Trailer | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
"Batman Teaser" Poster | The Dark Knight | Nominated | |||
Best Summer 2008 Blockbuster Poster (teaser) | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Best Motion Title/Graphics | The Dark Knight | Nominated | |||
Grammy Awards | February 8, 2009 | Best Score Soundtrack Album | James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer | Won | [32] |
Houston Film Critics Society Awards | December 17, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [33] |
International Film Music Critics Association Awards | – | Film Score of the Year | James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer | Nominated | [34] |
Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure Film | James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer | Nominated | |||
Iowa Film Critics Awards | January 12, 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [35] |
Japan Academy Prize | February 20, 2009 | Outstanding Foreign Language Film | The Dark Knight | Won | |
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | – | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [36] |
Best Fantasy or Horror Film | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Sierra Awards | December 18, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | |
London Film Critics' Circle Awards | February 4, 2009 | Actor of the Year | Heath Ledger | Nominated | [37] [38] |
British Director of the Year | Christopher Nolan | Nominated | |||
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | December 9, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [39] |
Best Film | The Dark Knight | Runner-up | |||
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Runner-up | |||
Best Production Design | Nathan Crowley | Runner-up | |||
Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards | February 21, 2009 | Best Sound Editing: Music in a Feature Film | Alex Gibson and Daniel Pinder | Won | [40] |
Best Sound Editing: Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Film | Richard King, Hugo Weng, Linda Folk, and Michael Magill | Nominated | |||
Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects and Foley in a Feature Film | Richard King, Christopher Flick, John Roesch, Alyson Dee Moore, Michael W. Mitchell, Hamilton Sterling and Michael Babcock | Won | |||
MTV Movie Awards | May 31, 2009 | Best Movie | The Dark Knight | Nominated | [41] |
Best Male Performance | Christian Bale | Nominated | |||
Best Villain | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Best Fight | Christian Bale vs. Heath Ledger | Nominated | |||
National Board of Review Awards | January 14, 2009 | Top 10 Films of the Year | The Dark Knight | Won | [7] |
National Movie Awards | September 8, 2008 | Best Superhero Film | The Dark Knight | Won | [42] [43] |
Best Performance – Male | Christian Bale | Nominated | |||
National Society of Film Critics Awards | January 3, 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Runner-up | [44] |
New York Film Critics Online Awards | December 15, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [45] |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | March 28, 2009 | Favorite Movie | The Dark Knight | Nominated | [46] [47] |
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards | December 23, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [48] |
Top Ten Film of the Year | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Online Film Critics Society Awards | January 19, 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [49] |
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Won | |||
Best Cinematography | Wally Pfister | Won | |||
Best Picture | The Dark Knight | Nominated | |||
Best Original Score | James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer | Won | |||
Best Adapted Screenplay | Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan | Nominated | |||
Best Editing | Lee Smith | Nominated | |||
People's Choice Awards | January 7, 2009 | Favorite Movie | The Dark Knight | Won | |
Favorite Action Movie | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Favorite Cast | Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman | Won | |||
Favorite Male Action Star | Christian Bale | Nominated | |||
Favorite Leading Man | Christian Bale | Nominated | |||
Favorite On-Screen Match Up | Christian Bale and Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Favorite Superhero | Christian Bale as Batman | Won | |||
Producers Guild of America Awards | January 24, 2009 | Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures | Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas | Nominated | [50] |
Project Fanboy Awards | March 1, 2009 | Best Comic Book to Movie Adaptation | Batman: The Dark Knight | Won | [51] |
Best Comic Book to Movie Adaptation: Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | December 15, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [52] [53] |
Best Film | The Dark Knight | Runner-up | |||
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards | December 15, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [54] |
Best Cinematography | Wally Pfister | Won | |||
Satellite Awards | December 14, 2008 | Best Sound (Editing and Mixing) | Richard King, Lora Hirschberg, and Gary Rizzo | Won | [55] |
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Nominated | |||
Best Visual Effects | Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber, Paul Franklin | Nominated | |||
Best Film Editing | Lee Smith | Nominated | |||
Saturn Awards | June 25, 2009 | Best Action, Adventure, or Thriller Film | The Dark Knight | Won | [56] [57] |
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Nominated | |||
Best Writing | Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan | Won | |||
Best Actor | Christian Bale | Nominated | |||
Best Actress | Maggie Gyllenhaal | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actor | Aaron Eckhart | Nominated | |||
Heath Ledger | Won | ||||
Best Music | James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer | Won | |||
Best Costume | Lindy Hemming | Nominated | |||
Best Make-Up | John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullian | Nominated | |||
Best Special Effects | Nick Davis, Chis Corbould, Tim Webber, Paul Franklin | Won | |||
Scream Awards | October 18, 2008 | The Ultimate Scream | The Dark Knight | Won | [58] [59] |
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Won | |||
Best Screenplay | Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan | Won | |||
Best Sequel | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Best F/X | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Best Comic Book Movie | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Best Fantasy Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Best Superhero | Christian Bale | Won | |||
Best Villain | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Best Supporting Actor | Gary Oldman | Won | |||
The Holy Sh!t Scene of the Year | Big Rig Flips over | Won | |||
Best Line | Heath Ledger – "I believe that whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you... stranger!" | Won | |||
Best Fantasy Movie | The Dark Knight | Nominated | |||
Best Fantasy Actor | Christian Bale | Nominated | |||
Best Fantasy Actress | Maggie Gyllenhaal | Nominated | |||
Best Villain | Aaron Eckhart | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actor | Michael Caine | Nominated | |||
Best Line | Heath Ledger – "Why So Serious?" | Nominated | |||
Heath Ledger – "I'm gonna make this pencil disappear!" | Nominated | ||||
The Holy Sh!t Scene of the Year | The Batmobile/Batpod Chase | Nominated | |||
Screen Actors Guild Awards | January 25, 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [60] |
Best Stunt Ensemble | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | December 15, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [61] |
Top Ten Film of the Year (#4) | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards | December 15, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [62] |
Best Special Effects | Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber, Paul Franklin | Won | |||
Best Music | James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer | Nominated | |||
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Nominated | |||
Best Picture | The Dark Knight | Nominated | |||
Best Cinematography | Wally Pfister | Nominated | |||
Taurus World Stunt Awards | May 12, 2009 | Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director | Paul Jennings, Rick LeFevour, Tom Struthers | Won | [63] |
Best Fight | Rob Cooper, Richard Hansen, Mark Mottram, Andy Pilgrim, Dominic Preece, Marvin Stewart-Campbell, Buster Reeves, Steen Young | Won | |||
Best High Work | Mark Harper, Luke Kearney, Tom Lowell, Mark Mottram, Brian A. Peters | Won | |||
Best Specialty Stunt | Jim Wilkey | Won | |||
Best Work With a Vehicle | Rick Avery , Richard Burden, Gillie, McKenzie, George Cottle, Tobiasz Daszkiewicz, James Fierro, Terry Jackson, Tom Lowell, Rick Mille, Jean-Pierre Goy, Jim Wilkey | Won | |||
TEC Awards | October 10, 2009 | Film Sound Production | The Dark Knight | Won | [64] |
Teen Choice Awards | August 4, 2008 | Choice Movie: Summer – Action | The Dark Knight | Nominated | [65] |
Choice Movie: Rumble | Christian Bale vs. Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Choice Movie: Summer Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | |||
Christian Bale | Nominated | ||||
Choice Movie: Summer Actress | Maggie Gyllenhaal | Nominated | |||
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | December 17, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [66] |
Utah Film Critics Association Awards | – | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [67] |
Best Director | Christopher Nolan | Runner-up | |||
Best Picture | The Dark Knight | Won | |||
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | January 13, 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [68] |
Visual Effects Society Awards | February 10, 2009 | Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Feature Motion Picture (Garbage Truck Crash Models and Miniature) | Ian Hunter, Forest Fischer, Branden Seifert, Adam Gelbart | Won | [69] |
Outstanding Created Environment in a Feature Motion Picture (IMAX Gotham City Scapes) | Peter Bebb , David Vickery, Philippe Leprince, Andrew Lockley | Won | |||
Outstanding Special Effects in a Motion Picture | Chris Corbould, Peter Notley, Ian Lowe | Won | |||
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 8, 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Heath Ledger | Won | [70] |
World Soundtrack Academy Awards | October 17, 2009 | Soundtrack Composer of the Year | Hans Zimmer (also for ( Frost/Nixon and Angels & Demons )) | Nominated | |
Writers Guild of America Awards | February 7, 2009 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan; Story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer | Nominated | |
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, from a screenplay co-written with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to Batman Begins (2005), and the second installment in The Dark Knight trilogy. The plot follows the vigilante Batman, police lieutenant James Gordon, and district attorney Harvey Dent, who form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City. Their efforts are derailed by the Joker, an anarchistic mastermind who seeks to test how far Batman will go to save the city from chaos. The ensemble cast includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman.
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States in 1998 to further develop his film career. His work consisted of 20 films in a variety of genres, including 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001), Monster's Ball (2001), Casanova (2005), Lords of Dogtown (2005), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Candy (2006), I'm Not There (2007), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), the latter two of which were posthumously released. He also produced and directed music videos and aspired to be a film director.
Christopher Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. His feature directorial debut was the neo-noir crime thriller Following (1998) which was made on a budget of $6,000. Two years later, he directed the psychological thriller Memento (2000) which starred Guy Pearce as a man suffering from anterograde amnesia searching for his wife's killer. Similar to his debut feature it had a non-linear narrative structure, and was his breakthrough film. It was acclaimed by critics and was a surprise commercial success. For the film Nolan received his first nomination for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, and for writing its screenplay he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He next directed the mystery thriller remake Insomnia (2002) which starred Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. It was his first film for Warner Bros., and was a critical and commercial success.