Matt Reeves has a lot to live up to as director of The Batman. As well as helming the first solo movie for the iconic hero since Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Reeves has also taken over from Ben Affleck, who fans were excited to see direct the film. Fortunately, it seems that he has a strong vision for what he wants to do with the character and has set himself some lofty inspirations to reach.
While talking with CNET to promote his latest movie, War of the Planet of the Apes, Reeves spoke about how he really wants to focus on a sense of perspective for the film, and how he’s being influenced by one of the greatest directors of all-time.
“For me, point of view is really important. I want to make sure you are experiencing something from the perspective of the main character in the story. I’m a huge Hitchcock fan – I like the idea of being immersed in that perspective.”
Invoking Hitchcock’s name is a bold move by Reeves, but the directors of Batman movies have always looked to classic cinema for inspiration. Tim Burton’s entries are a strange mix of film noir and old Universal horror movies, while Nolan’s love for James Bond and Michael Mann’s work can be seen throughout his series.
Still, this doesn’t mean that Reeves envisions The Batman as a thriller, like most of Hitchcock’s movies. Instead, he wants to employ Hitch’s use of perspective to ensure the audience can empathize with Batman.
“Movies for me are about empathy. The idea is to make you, the audience, feel what the character feels.”
If Reeves can evoke Hitchcock’s celebrated command of suspense and tone, and then combine it with a lot of emotion and a sympathetic portrayal of the Dark Knight, we should be in for a real treat with The Batman, which will hopefully arrive sooner rather than later.
