I've watched the other day again Christopher Nolan's Batman "The Dark Knight". An impressive work by Christopher, no doubt, but it was another Nolan that emerges as the genius of the film. Jonathan is Christopher's young brother and he is an author and screenwriter. You find him writing Memento back in 2000 and Prestige six years later before he launches the absolute anarchy encapsulated in Joker's persona.
Jonathan seems familiar with chaos theory, complexity science and the idea of emergence. He goes that far by replicating the well known Prisoner's dilema when the boats' fates, resting in a fragile equilibrium that could be destabilised any moment, have been left to a single human decision (the well known Cold war technique that pushed finally human out of the loop). Mostly though, Jonathan is aware of accidents and non-linearities, the dynamic aspect of the world and as a consequence the unpredictability immanent in every aspect of life.
"Do you know that thing about chaos" asks Joker to "the two faced" Dent. "It's there." Something that Nolan tries to make apparent through out the film. Chaos is an implicit aspect of order.
Taking plans as our ultimate reality turns out to be a 'bad' Joke. The obsession with order is a petty as petty is the obsession with chaos. But now and then, we can turn ourselves into dogs chasing cars. Introducing a bit of anarchy, upsetting the established order we drive the course of the system in a new direction. Not necessarily good or bad but new.
"You know what I am, Harvey? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it. I just DO things. I’m just the wrench in the gears. I hate plans. Yours, theirs, everyone’s. Maroni has plans. Gordon has plans: schemers trying to control their little worlds. I’m not a schemer; I show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are." Zizek's take on Batman here
Jonathan seems familiar with chaos theory, complexity science and the idea of emergence. He goes that far by replicating the well known Prisoner's dilema when the boats' fates, resting in a fragile equilibrium that could be destabilised any moment, have been left to a single human decision (the well known Cold war technique that pushed finally human out of the loop). Mostly though, Jonathan is aware of accidents and non-linearities, the dynamic aspect of the world and as a consequence the unpredictability immanent in every aspect of life.
"Do you know that thing about chaos" asks Joker to "the two faced" Dent. "It's there." Something that Nolan tries to make apparent through out the film. Chaos is an implicit aspect of order.
Taking plans as our ultimate reality turns out to be a 'bad' Joke. The obsession with order is a petty as petty is the obsession with chaos. But now and then, we can turn ourselves into dogs chasing cars. Introducing a bit of anarchy, upsetting the established order we drive the course of the system in a new direction. Not necessarily good or bad but new.
"You know what I am, Harvey? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it. I just DO things. I’m just the wrench in the gears. I hate plans. Yours, theirs, everyone’s. Maroni has plans. Gordon has plans: schemers trying to control their little worlds. I’m not a schemer; I show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are." Zizek's take on Batman here
