The ecstasy of chaos
Mediations of 9/11, terrorism and traumatic memory in The Dark Knight
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12914642 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Fran Pheasant‐Kelly (0000-0002-3647-5388, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2011 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 235-249 |
| Publication date | 2011-09-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of War and Culture Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1752-6272 • E-ISSN: 1752-6280 |
| Publisher | Routledge (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1386/jwcs.4.2.235_1 |
| OpenAlex | W2065301065 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 22 |
The Dark Knight (Nolan, 2008) garnered both critical acclaim and box office success, becoming the seventh highest grossing film ever.1 Like other fantasy films released since 2001, its content reveals a nihilism that allegorizes 9/11 and 'The War on Terror'. The Dark Knight incorporates imagery reminiscent of 9/11, and draws on events at Guantanamo Bay, revealed in 2004 as a site of detainee abuses. Locating aspects of terrorism in the character of the Joker, as well as the film's themes and visual style, this article explores The Dark Knight's mediation of 9/11 and the 'War on Terror', and their relationship to traumatic memory. Engaging primarily with Baudrillard's study of terrorism (2003), it equates the Joker's behaviour to chaos theory in that his actions provoke scenes of spectacular destruction. This article argues that the film recreates imagery embedded within the memory of those who witnessed 9/11, thus resonating with contemporary audiences, whilst certain generic qualities enable some spectators to confront traumatic memory.Keywords: Baudrillardtraumachaos9/11terrorismThe Dark Knight
Art · Fantasy · Knight · Literature · Media studies · Mediation · Psychoanalysis · Social science · Sociology · Terrorism · Traumatic memories · Comics and Graphic Narratives · Gothic Literature and Media Analysis · History · Memory, Trauma, and Commemoration · Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.07 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2011 - 2011 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |