The Dark Knight (film) The Dark Knight (film) The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the second part of Nolan's "The Dark Knight Trilogy" and a sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins", starring an ensemble cast including Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman. In the film, Bruce Wayne / Batman (Bale), Police Lieutenant James Gordon (Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart) form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City, but are menaced by an anarchist
The Man Who Laughs (1928 film) from the film. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the character in the 2008 film "The Dark Knight" (which was released 80 years later) makes this connection more direct by depicting the Joker's smile as the result of disfiguring scarring rather than an expression of his insanity. A 2005 graphic novel exploring the first encounter between Batman and the Joker was also titled "" in homage to the 1928 film. Although prominent actors, including Christopher Lee and Kirk Douglas, expressed interest in taking the role of Gwynplaine in a hypothetical remake, there has been no American film adaptation of "The Man Who