Dear Dan,

First, I would like to state that I am a huge fan of “The Dark Knight.” Like most fans of the film, I was captivated by Heath Ledger’s incendiary “Joker”: at once horrific, funny and eerily heartbreaking. While I was happy to hear of his nomination, I was delighted to learn of the film’s seven other nominations, which made “The Dark Knight” the third highest Oscar-nominated film of 2008. Clearly, it did not go unappreciated. While many share your displeasure that “The Dark Knight” was not nominated for Best Picture, let us not ignore its weaknesses. Being a true fan, I still find myself cringing at the writing, the characterization of Batman and, most alarmingly, the contrived, confusing climax. It is the outstanding work by Ledger and the crew that elevate the film to Oscar-worthy. And it has been justly recognized.

As for the direction, Christopher Nolan has been “snubbed” ... twice: eight years ago for his far more inventive film, “Memento,” and in 2006 for “The Prestige.” I yearn to see the skill he utilized in these films applied to the direction of “The Dark Knight” – ultimately an above-average summer blockbuster that became a cultural phenomenon.

Sincerely,
Clayton Huebner,
Senior bachelor’s of general studies major
Batman enthusiast

All comments are moderated before being published. We will not edit your comments, but we also will not approve those that are abusive, off-topic, attack another poster or contain information we know to be libelous or false.

During peak weekday viewing times, most comments will be reviewed within six hours. For more detailed information, click here.

After submitting your comment, check below for a confirmation message.

• Your name:
• Enter text from image:
  

• Your comment:

* 300-character count. HTML formatting will not display.