Introduction to Batman

In the following paragraphs I will be exploring the ways in which Batman has been changed since it’s inception in 1940, and how far these differences have been created with regards to social changes and historical context.  The first issue of Batman was released in 1940, during the middle of global conflicts due to World War Two. This meant that Batman was a figure of help in a time of turmoil, and allowed people to place their hopes on a character who fought crime to instil justice. Due to his origins in fighting a negative world power at the time, this has carried on throughout the various incarnations of Batman, and across the many perceived villains the West has encountered since. Another issue I will be looking at is the role of women throughout these films, and how they are represented. The four movies I am looking at are all from different decades, and so it is interesting to see how much, or rather how little, women appear as strong characters in these films. With regards to women, and gender in general, I will also be looking at the theme of sexuality within the various Batman franchises, and how explicitly the idea of sex and relationships are shown throughout the years. Attitudes towards sex have changed since 1966, the release of the first movie, and attitudes had changed then from 1940. I will then be looking at how class is presented throughout the films, in particular the representation of the ‘underclass’ and  how Bruce Wayne’s finances are presented through the various films. The bourgeoisie have increasingly become a materialisation of capitalism, and people are becoming disenchanted with the capitalist society we have today. This has changed the way in which Bruce Wayne’s wealth is represented. Finally, I will be looking at the visibility and roles of PoC within the Batman movies, due to the various different social climates at the time. I will also be looking at the proportion of villains that are foreign, and the heroes that are, if not American, still Western. 

The films I have chosen to investigate are Batman: The Movie (1966), Batman (1989), Batman Begins (2005), and Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). This is because they are all from a different decade, and so the themes I am exploring will have changed due to social issues. Although Batman (1989) and Batman Begins (2005) both have multiple sequels, I will just be focusing on the first movies from each franchise, although I may bring examples of the following films into my assessment. Apart from the 2016 movie, all of the films have a similar structure. In Batman: The Movie (1966), Batman and his sidekick Robin have to save the world from four evil masterminds, The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin and Catwoman. In Batman (1989), Batman again has to save Gotham from The Joker, whilst also being tracked down by the police force and two rogue journalists. Unlike the two previous films, the Joker does not appear in Batman Begins (2005). Instead, the film begins with Batman’s origin story of his parents death, and then his abandonment of Gotham. He then has to stop villain Ra’s Al Ghul from destroying the city once he realises he must enact justice onto Gotham. The plot of Batman vs Superman is largely different, due to it not being an origin movie and having another main character. The plot of this film is based around the world’s increasing tolerance towards superheroes, namely Superman, and Batman’s own intolerance towards Superman. This escalates throughout the film until the fight near the end. 

There has been very little change in the films on the topics of gender, class and race. Although it is clear to see where some improvements have been made, there are definite ways to see the stagnated growth of inclusion in the Batman films. There is a long way to go for equal rights in the Batman films, and we will hopefully see this in the coming years.