A Batman for the Pandemic
Warning: Some mild spoilers for The Batman.
One thing I love about movies and television is how they often reflect the mood of the times we are in. The past year has produced numerous stories about grief, which makes sense, as we have topped 6 million deaths worldwide from Covid-19. One experience that I think we’re going to see more of in the coming year is the themes of isolation and loneliness. And I feel like The Batman has kicked that off splendidly.
Because of the nature of being a vigilante, Batman has always been a bit of a loner, but this movie brings that to the forefront. Yes, Alfred is in the picture and yes, Batman works with Jim Gordon, but they are kept at arm’s length to a degree that we haven’t seen in past live action feature length films. And where previous versions of Bruce Wayne have been portrayed as a man about town and a playboy, this one is a complete recluse. We only really see an extended Bruce Wayne scene one time in the movie. For the most part, even when he’s not in costume, we see Batman. He chooses isolation at nearly every juncture.
On the other side of isolation and loneliness, we have The Riddler. Like Bruce, he is an orphan, and like this version of Bruce, Edward Nashton declares himself at his truest form behind his mask. But unlike Bruce, Edward desires companionship. He expresses gratitude to his social media followers for being his friends. He believes that he and Batman are working together to clean up the corruption rampant in Gotham City. Where Batman is hiding in the shadows, The Riddler is performing in the open, trying to get people to see him, to follow him, to like him. If that can be achieved by stirring up discontent and violent intentions, so be it.
Where the difference really comes to the forefront is in the limited relationships both of these characters have. The Riddler has a following, but they aren’t the people who visit him in jail. They don’t care about him as a person, they only care about him as an avatar for their own frustrations and grievances. He is just a tool, not a friend.
While Bruce has a sense of self-imposed loneliness, there are people who continue to reach out to him. He may not let Alfred in very often, but at his most vulnerable, Bruce opens himself up to the love that Alfred has to give. He only interacts with Selina Kyle as Batman, but nearly all of their most intense interactions happen in some kind of daylight, something that he fastidiously avoids. Jim Gordon cares about him, and invites him in to places where Batman is not usually accepted, and protects him from other officers. There aren’t many people in his life, but those who are there care about him more than they care about his cause. They may understand his desire for vengence, but that is not what drives their loyalty.
As we near the two year marker for when the world shut down due to Covid-19, many of us have found ourselves unintentionally isolated. Life changed dramatically two years ago, moving many interactions behind masks and screens. We couldn’t hug our friends, we couldn’t celebrate birthdays, we couldn’t attend graduation ceremonies, we couldn’t even be with loved ones as they died because the same disease could kill us.
In the midst of this, we have all had to make a choice about how to respond. Do we choose fear and anger, or do we choose hope? Do we allow ourselves to sink further into cynicism, or do we choose to seek out the goodness in those around us? And more importantly, who are we choosing to follow and align ourselves with during this isolation?
I want people to accept me for who I am. But I also want those close to me to feel able to encourage me to be my best self. Followers are great (like, share, and subscribe!), but they aren’t friends. A friend can both accept and challenge. If The Batman has any meaning, it’s that a few friends are better than a lot of followers.