In June 2005, ‘Batman Begins’ opened and rekindled a franchise that had lay dormant for eight years while also solidifying Christopher Nolan as one of the best directors of his generation.
Following critically panned sequels of the late 1990s, ‘Batman Begins’ resurrected one of DC Comics most beloved characters and started a new era of the franchise that would produce, in many people’s opinions, the most cinematically acclaimed superhero trilogy in movie history The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Staring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne and supported by actors Katie Holmes, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldham ‘Batman Begins’ would set a theme and a standard in superhero movies that, one can argue, has yet to be surpassed almost 20 years later.
The film would precede what many consider the greatest superhero film ever (one of the greatest films ever) in 2008’s ‘The Dark Knight’.
Christopher Nolan had directed three movies previous – ‘Following’ / ‘Memento’ / ‘Insomnia’.
Yet it was ‘Batman Begins’ that set Nolan on a path over the next 15+ years that has produced some of the cinema’s most acclaimed work and created a cinematic style that is uniquely his own.
Over the course of his career his films have been nominated for Academy Awards 36 times with 11 wins – Nolan has yet to take home the award.
In a 2020 interview the incomparable Michael Caine described his first meeting with Nolan on the porch of his country house, explaining that he was a fan of Nolan’s first three films yet felt he was far too old for a Batman movie.
Recollecting his work on the trilogy he counts ‘Batman Begins’ as “one of the greatest things I have done in my life.” Nolan who has collaborated with Caine on 7 films has gone on to call Caine “…my good luck charm.”
Did you know Michael Caine was a dear friend of Sean Connery for over 60 years and once “held his jacket” while he beat up four men singlehandedly for making fun of some ladies performing on stage?
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