THE BATMAN – “The Bat and The Cat” Trailer offers a glimpse into the fraught, and complex relationship between Batman and Catwoman, while offering a deeper look into the events that haunt Gotham City. Key moments to highlight is the conversation between Bruce and Bella Reál, and the former struggling with his complicated legacy, while the Riddler terrorizes an already-on-edge Gotham city.
The latest trailer depicts a slightly different storyline for a young Bruce Wayne. According to a woman, Gotham politician Bella Reál, Bruce’s family has a history of philanthropy, but he isn’t doing anything to further that purpose. To us, his inability to do this is compensated for by his hunger for Vengeance or Justice. He even introduces himself as Vengeance in the teaser trailer, but Bella’s reaction is understandable, as she is unaware of Bruce’s night-time vigilantism. The trailer is a sign that the movie will look upon Vengeance and Justice as two sides of the same coin, often interchangeable, with blurred lines. This is evident in one of the Riddler’s riddles and Batman’s solution in the trailer itself.
Since The Dark Knight trilogy, the villains have always wanted to hurt Gotham more as opposed to the figure of the Batman himself, as the city is inexplicably connected to the caped crusader, acting as an extension of him, and vice versa. For instance, Ra’s al Ghul wished to restore balance through abject destruction, the Joker wished to evoke absolute anarchy, and Bane wished to liberate the city via his own twisted ends.
In the latest Batman trailer, the Riddler says that he wishes to unmask the truth about Gotham, and there seems to be some sort of inexplicable connection with Wayne that has not been revealed yet. It may be that the Riddler, too, had a past that made him nurture his present hatred for Gotham. And he knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman, which provides him with considerable leverage, which functions no less than a weapon. While the Riddler’s true motives are yet to be unveiled, there seem to be greater forces at play than a simple game of cat-and-mouse between someone who wishes to disrupt Gotham and someone who wishes to do their best to prevent it.
The Bat and the Cat – A Dangerous Game
Batman’s hunger for Vengeance is what makes even Catwoman, AKA Selina Kyle, refer to him as “Vengeance” rather than “Batman.” While The Dark Knight Rises explored little of the relationship that Batman and Catwoman shared, Matt Reeves’ The Batman will throw more light on it. Historically, their relationship has always been a love-hate one, complex and layered, to say the least. Right from Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfieffer in Batman Returns to Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway, to Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz, the friction has just gotten more intense, and so has the chemistry.
In “The Bat and the Cat” Trailer, we see Batman and Catwoman go one-on-one with each other, taking turns to engage in conversations and fights tinted with unmistakable sexual tension. We also see Selina unmasked in front of Batman, but he isn’t (as per the trailer so far). This is proof that he is struggling to trust her, as evidenced by his hesitation to define their dynamic in-front of Alfred and the guarded manner in which he engages with her. However, his concern is visible when he tells her not to throw her life away.
On the other hand, Selina doesn’t really have anything to lose by revealing herself to Batman. She knows her identity is safe with him, just like his own is. Overall, the trailer suggests that we will get a better taste of the dynamic they share and that it will take its toll on them both, one way or another.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman will be more like a steampunk version of Batman, as the core characters have been inspired by Kurt Cobain’s song, Something In The Way (as per Reeves himself), while the narrative unfolds more along the lines of a gritty noir. As one can tell from the different frames of the trailers, the color scheme will play a significant role in establishing the tone of the film, as it sticks to neon-tinted, low-light hues, often drenched in high saturation. Surely, colors will uphold the events of The Batman and will have a symbolic significance of their own, pretty much like the bat-signal and Bruce Wayne’s personal character arc itself.
The Batman is a 2022 Action Drama film directed by Matt Reeves.
