Batman Returns

Director: Tim Burton

Screenwriter: Sam Hamm, Daniel Waters, Wesley Strick (uncredited)

Released: June 19, 1992

Method of Screening: Blu Ray

Cast:

Batman / Bruce Wayne – Michael Keaton

Catwoman / Selina Kyle – Michelle Pfeiffer

Penguin / Oswald Cobblepot – Danny DeVito

Max Schreck – Christopher Walken

I’m going to start this off by saying something about this film. Something I’m sure others before me have thought or said. But upon watching this with an inquisitive and researching eye I came to the conclusion that despite this being a Batman film, and there being an ensemble cast, the protagonist of this film is actually SELINA KYLE aka CATWOMAN. She is played as an anti-hero, a conflicted good guy if you will. And, the true antagonist of this film is actually MAX SCHRECK.

This film is really about the villains… Batman has very little screen time and in reality, is hardly a player in the film.

ACT 1

Beginning

The film starts off by luring the audience into a storyline they know nothing about, but again, relatable to the Batman mythos. We see a wealthy man, in his mansion, standing by his window, and a woman screams in the background – his wife giving birth. He rushes in, past the midwife, and screams a shriek of terror upon entry. Why is he screaming at his wife giving birth? Moments later, they’re looking at a crate – the kind you’d put a cat into. It’s shaking around, and then a flipper reaches out and grabs a nearby cat and pulls it in – presumably eating it.

Following that, we follow the rich couple as they wheel their carriage into a park, and dump the baby and contents into the water.

We learn through this, with no relevant dialogue, that something is wrong with this rich couple’s child – so wrong that they’re ready to kill it by dumping it off a bridge. Obviously to those who saw any marketing, they figure it’s Penguin, but from a story perspective, we’re brought in, curious. The baby, in the carriage, survives, and makes its way through the sewers, before finally coming to a stop before a group of penguins – BAM. Connection.

We move to 33 years later.

Plot Point 1 (~ 12 minutes in)

Penguin unleashes a band of freaks on Gotham near Christmas as Max Schreck – a villainous and corrupt business magnate – gives a speech. Selina Kyle, a meek and quiet young women is, moments earlier, revealed to be his secretary. As a result of the attack, a brooding Bruce Wayne sees the signal and decides to suit up. This moment introduces us to our villains, and our heroes.

Plot Point 2 – INCITING INCIDENT (~ 23 minutes in)

Using his previous attack on Gotham as a distraction, Penguin kidnaps Schreck and brings him into his lair where he blackmails, and gets Schreck to agree, to help him leave the sewers and join Gotham above. Schreck agrees, and already begins hatching his plan to use Penguin to get what he wants – a nuclear power plant that will grant him power. The pieces are in place.

Plot Point 3 – KEY INCIDENT (~28 minutes – 31 minutes in)

Selina Kyle, in an attempt at being a good assistant, comes back to Schreck’s office to prep some paperwork for his meeting with Bruce Wayne. However she stumbles upon some incriminating documents, and Schreck approaches her. He pushes her out of a window, causing her to fall to her death – but is revived magically by cats who come to her aide.

She’s reborn, as Catwoman. And her goal right now – stop letting men get away with whatever they want… and if she can incorporate some slow and painful revenge on Max Schreck, hell that’s a bonus too.

This ends ACT 1.



ACT 2

Plot Point 4 (~36 minutes in)

With the help of Schreck, Penguin resurfaces, after “rescuing” the mayor’s child from a kidnapper (“rescuing” meaning he staged it all). He becomes somewhat of a local hero with a tragic tale – abandoned by his parents, left alone to fend on his own. Sounds somewhat parallel to our favourite winged vigilante, no?

Plot Point 5 (~44 minutes in)

Catwoman, now dressed in her leather getup, goes out on her first night on the town. She prevents a woman from being assaulted in an alley, and berates the girl for just waiting for Batman – thus giving women in this town a bad name. Selina displays her disdain for men, and for the women who let them do what they want. Part two of this plot point is a few moments later, when Bruce and Schreck meet the next day, and Bruce shuts down Max’s proposal for a power plant. Selina shows up, scaring the hell out of Schreck, but she doesn’t give away that he murdered her… once. She begins to play with all the men in her life – Bruce Wayne, Schreck, and soon – Batman.

Plot Point 6 (~54 minutes in)

While Penguin has been up to some scheme that the audience doesn’t know too much about (although we know he has a list of sorts), Schreck begins his next plan – find a person to help him get what he wants. Schreck sees Penguin as a motivational shaker in Gotham know, and he creates a plan to make Penguin the mayor – and as the mayor, Penguin can back Schreck’s desire for a power plant up. Penguin agrees – his original plan (with this list) is put on hold. He has a new obsession – becoming mayor.

Plot Point 7 (MID POINT) (~59 minutes in)

On a night where Penguin orchestrates a riot (so he can clean it up as part of his mayoral bid) Catwoman encounters Penguin and Batman on a night out, after she blows up Schreck’s department store. As a result, her and Bats begin fighting while Penguin flies off on an umbrella. Batman defeats her, and kills her (again) in the process. At this point, her goal changes from stand up for women to get Batman.

Plot Point 8 (~1 hour, 7 minutes in)

To help Selina further her plan to get Batman, she goes to Penguin and makes a deal with the devil. She figures that Batman is the “thorn in both their sides” and enlists in his help to eliminate him – their plan? Turn him into what he hates – a criminal.

Plot Point 9 (~1 hour, 14 minutes in)

On the other side, Selina (not as Catwoman) begins to hang around with Bruce Wayne, who she sees a decent guy – a guy even she could have feelings for – perhaps redeeming her views of the male population in a way. She says something along the lines of “he makes me feel the way I – I hope I really am” – she knows that she’s taking this obsession too far, and Bruce helps quell that.

Plot Point 10 (~1 hour, 19 minutes in)

After Penguin has kidnapped a model – the “Ice Princess”, he kills her and makes it look like Batman pushed her off a building. As a result, Catwoman and Penguin’s plan begins to take effect – but after Catwoman rejects Penguin’s advances, her kills her (again) with one of his trick umbrellas (how many lives does she have left?). Her goal has changed again – now her hatred of men has spread out again. They’re all bad guys.

Plot Point 11 – END OF ACT 2 (~1 hour, 30 minutes in)

Penguin nearly ruins Batman again by taking control of his Batmobile remotely, and nearly kills several citizens with it before Bats diffuses the situation. But in the process, Bats was able to record Penguin saying some incriminating things. During a press conference, Bruce and Alfred are able to hijack the frequency and play it for all of Gotham to hear. Penguin freaks, and ends up retreating to the sewers – his old plan with this ‘list’ is put back in action – Kill all the first born boys in Gotham – take their lives away, the same way his was taken from him.

ACT 3

Plot Point 12 (~1 hour, 38 minutes in)

While at a masquerade party for Schreck, Bruce and Selena are dancing – they’re the only two without masks (because their faces are their real masks. Get it? Symbolism!?) And while dancing, Selena reveals her intent – kill Schreck with a pistol she concealed. Bruce tries to talk her out of it, and they each realize who the other really is when they repeat lines they spoke to each other in costume earlier (“Mistletoe can be poisonous if you eat it. But a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it” – Bruce figures out who someone else is again with something they said… the guy’s quite a detective). They are now conflicted – do they fight? Or live peacefully. Before that can be figured out, Penguin makes a grand entrance, blowing up the floor and revealing to the Gothamites that their kids are his targets, and he kidnaps Schreck again.

Plot Point 13 (~1 hour, 46 minutes in)

Batman manages to foil Penguins plan of using remote-controlled penguins to bomb citizens of Gotham. When he and Batman meet above the sewer entrance in the zoo, the penguins begin firing their rockets, blowing the hell out of the zoo, and causing Penguin to fall down into the sewer – fatally injuring him.

Plot Point 14 – CLIMAX (~1 hour, 52 minutes – 1 hour, 55 minutes in)

Selina has Schreck cornered, and Bruce tries to talk her out of killing Schreck, but ultimately, she’s forced to finally get her revenge after Schreck shoots her several more times. She forgives Bruce – she knows he means well, but can’t let Schreck off. With her claim that she has two lives left, she kisses Schreck with a tazer, and pulls on electrical cords, burning the two alive. Batman tries to dig her out, but only finds Schreck’s scorched corpse. Penguin dies nearby and is dragged into his watery grave by his pet penguins.

In the classic “The hero must be reborn to succeed” – Catwoman literally dies (numerous times) to achieve her final revenge on Schreck.

Ending

Bruce is being driven by Alfred when he sees a shadow in an alley – similar to that of Catwoman’s. He goes looking for her, but only finds a cat. As he gets back into the car, Alfred wishes him merry Christmas, and Bruce replies “And good will towards men… and women”.

The batsignal goes off, and Catwoman stares at it from a rooftop.

—

As you can see, this film is really about women standing up for themselves. It’s very feminist in nature, and Batman is – specifically in literary terms – not the protagonist. Selina is. Batman is a supporting character, a contrasting personality to Catwoman. He’s the lawful good, she’s the conflicted and lawless good.

Upon reading the script – it’s surprising how similar it is compared to the film – especially in stark contrast to how much the ’89 script changed (although this draft is considerably closer to production). Mostly dialogue changes and scenes being tightened up.

Guess the next couple Batman movies will give me a good laugh. Unfortunately I’ll be out of town and won’t be able to watch the next film until at least Monday – but the Batman marathon will continue!

SCRIPT (dated Aug 1, 1991)

TRAILER

