History Film / THEDarkKnight

* XanatosSpeedChess: Batman has to play an ''insane'' game in the film's final minutes. [[spoiler:DisguisedHostageGambit with multiple SWAT teams bursting in all over the place. Batman has to quickly incapacitate SWAT teams so they don't kill the hostages-disguised-as-Joker-thugs, and take out the real Joker thugs at the same time. There are also police snipers targeting the disguised hostages. He ends up having to use his grapple hook in creative ways to knock over hostages to get them out of line of sight while at the same time getting to floors he needs to be on, blow the floor up beneath SWAT teams and thugs with his bomb launcher, and use the SWAT teams' own grapple ropes to tie them together and then suspend them over the side of the building.]] All this thought up and implemented on the fly within a time span of two minutes.

* MirrorCDharacter: The Mob Trio and the trio of Gordon, Dent, and Batman are essentially mirror factions. Both came together in the aftermath of Falcone's arrest and Ra's al-Ghul's death to deal with a crisis inflicted upon them by their opposites (the mob are being squeezed by Batman, Dent, and Gordon, and they are trying to stop the mob's attempts to grab power back). Both of them fight for control over Lau. Both of them vastly underestimate the Joker and what he represents until it's too late. Both of them get savagely torn apart by the Joker at every opportunity[[note]]Joker murders Gambol to co-opt his operation, turns one of Gordon's own cops against the man they're trying to protect, blows up Rachel and disfigures Harvey, butchers the Chechen and feeds him to his own dogs, then finally drives Harvey off the deep end[[/note]], and both of them eventually have one member turn on them because of how far the Joker goes[[note]]Maroni is horrified at what the Joker is wreaking and tries to stop him by going to Gordon. Dent is driven mad in his grief by the Joker and blames Gordon for Rachel's death[[/note]].

* NearVillainVictory: The only thing that keeps ComicBook/TheJoker from winning is Batman's decision to take the heat for the murders Harvey, safeguarding Harvey's image and [[ThePowerOfLegacy the stability of Gotham with it]].
** And Batman's [[ChekhovsGun projectile scallops.]]

* OffscreenVillainDarkMatter: It's not elaborated on very much where the Joker gets all the resources to enact his plans, which include explosives and even an RPG at one point. However, he does start off the film robbing mob banks, and the deal he makes with them later on seems to give him all the {{Mooks}} and power he needs.

At its peak, the film was the second-highest-grossing film of all time in the United States (behind ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'') and the fourth-highest worldwide (behind ''Titanic'', ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing'' and ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest''). It also became the first comic book film to win an acting UsefulNotes/AcademyAward when Ledger was posthumously given the honor of [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole Best Supporting Actor]].

-->'''The Joker:''' So you think Batman's made Gotham a better place? Hm? Look at me. '''''[[GutturalGrowler LOOK AT ME!]]'''''

Followed by the third and final part in the trilogy, ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''. An AnimatedAnthology ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamKnight'' takes place between the two movies.

''The Dark Knight'' is a 2008 superhero thriller film. It is the second entry in Creator/ChristopherNolan's ComicBook/{{Batman}} film trilogy, ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy''.

* BigShutUp: When Dent, [[FaceHeelTurn now Two-Face]], interrogates [[CorruptCop Wuertz]] and he tries to bullshit his way out of it, his response is this.
-->'''Dent[=/=]Two-Face''': Who picked up Rachel, Wuertz?\\

'''Dent[=/=]Two-Face''': ''[slams glass down on table]'' SHUT UP!

* BigBadEnsemble: In the second half of the film, Two-Face becomes just as big of a threat as the Joker as he seeks revenge against everyone he blames for his disfigurement and [[spoiler:Rachel's death]], even if it adds to the chaos the Joker is sewing. However, the two are both pursuing their agendas separately and never cross paths after Harvey cements his FaceHeelTurn.

* AndThenWhat: The Joker admits he wouldn't know what he'd do if he won. "I'm like a dog chasing cars; I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it." When he gets hold of the mob money that's the supposed objective, he sets it on fire. When someone is about to reveal the Batman's identity on live TV, the Joker demands that he be killed.