Screening preceded by a discussion of the film’s sound design by Colby students in MU237A (Film Music and Sound). Free admission, sponsored by Colby’s Music Department, Department of Cinema Studies and The Center for the Arts and Humanities.
Tim Burton’s Batman highlights the enduring mythology of the Batman character by visually mixing time frames: the 1930s, when the original Batman comics emerged, the 1960s, when the campy animated TV series premiered, and the 1980s, the actual time of the film’s production. Danny Elfman’s gestural score also participates in this mythology-building, refusing to locate the film in a place or time and instead creating a dark atmosphere that highlights the split both within Batman/Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) and the close relationship between Batman and the Joker (Jack Nicholson). In contrast to the rendering of many modern superheroes, scholar Janet Halfyard has argued that Elfman’s score is what constructs a superhero identity for Batman, rather than the “magic” of either cinematic technology or traditional superhero capabilities. With its minor key, avoidance of both fanfare and march, and almost constant variation and harmonic traveling, Elfman’s Bat-theme also deviates from older models of scoring heroes. This deviation reflects both the demand for a different kind of superhero during the Reagan era as well as Burton’s emphasis not on the extraordinary actions of his hero, but rather on Batman’s identity as a traumatized and guilt-ridden individual.
Sunday, April 30
12pm
Reserve free tickets below. Without an advance ticket, seating is not guaranteed. Any remaining tickets will be issued at the Box Office before the event.