http://www.sundance.tv/blog/2015/11/top-10-differences-between-the-gothams-of-nolan-and-burton-2 (http://www.sundance.tv/blog/2015/11/top-10-differences-between-the-gothams-of-nolan-and-burton-2)
Sometimes you can't really put your finger on what makes the two dark comic book adaptations so different, but I find this author articulates that fairly well.
The biggest difference lies in the "stylized dark" vs. "bleak dark." See, it never made any sense when someone said one was dark and the other wasn't; they both take on the source material in a serious manner. The difference lies in whether the director chose to portray that through the lens of the comic book, or the real world.
I like how the director didn't make it a competition either; none of these choices was superior to the other, they just give of a very different feel (sound stages vs. on location).
The one thing I never thought about was the New York vs. Chicago feel. I might be partial to the New York inspiration, as that's what Gotham was before it was... well, Gotham.
Quote from: Slash Man on Thu, 12 Nov 2015, 06:10
Sometimes you can't really put your finger on what makes the two dark comic book adaptations so different, but I find this author articulates that fairly well.
Agreed. And what I like about this article is that it doesn't conclude that one style or approach is superior to the other. It articulates the differences well and basically leaves the question of which is best to individual taste.
I personally prefer a somewhat more stylised, fantastical approach to a grittier one, and I also prefer Burton's black and white colour scheme to Nolan's more autumnal one, as well as Burton's larger-than-life 'retro opulence' as opposed to Nolan's more realistic, everyday backdrop, but both approaches are equally as valid and have their own strengths and weaknesses.
Nolan's was good, Burton's was better. The difference? Showmanship! ;)
One was a Gotham of steel and stone, the other was a Gotham of glass. Make sense?
Burton's films are visual banquets. Nolan's films are meditations.