Lessons from the Dark Knight (Spoilers and all)

Warning! I'm going to discuss the plot of the Dark Knight. I tried to wait patiently so I could discuss it, so I believe most of the world has reached the statute of limitations on spoilers by now. In case I'm wrong, I'll do some extra butt-covering for good measure.

WARNING! SPOILER AHEAD!

That being settled, I'll move on.

The Dark Knight is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. One of the reasons for this is the deeper issues of morality and human nature. The explosions are cool, too, but that's beside the point.

The scene with the two boats, or the result of Joker's "social experiment", gets me every time. I can never get over who acts first, and what he says and does. I don't cry, but I get pretty close.

Recently my wife and I re-watched the Dark Knight. I explained how I love that scene, and on the second viewing she had a question. Does that scene suggest man is basically good?

I had wrestled with that one as well, so I thought about it.

Not really, I eventually replied. Just that there's hope.

I'll add now that Batman (or the Batman if you prefer) would never suggest people are basically good. He wouldn't do what he does if he thought so. (In the movies and comics, of course. I do acknowledge he's not real.) But there is hope of making the right decision as well.

I recently realized why that scene moves me. It has to be the most convincing and powerful conversion scene I've seen in a movie. No one prays a prayer or anything, but you can see a change of heart.

I'm not saying the character(s) "got saved." But the humility and honesty involved show a true change, a repentance I don't remember seeing done convincingly in any movie, including evangelistic ones. Knowing who you are and taking steps to change it may not be the end all, but it's a good start.

I also like the part about the people in the other boat following suit. It reminds me of the "rest of us", those who think we're not so bad. We have potential to do at least as much damage with our dismissive judgmental whims such as "They had their chance." In the end, we could (and many have) destroy lives. But the end of this tense scene reminds me that there's even hope for us.