Batman: 5 Reasons Why Tim Burton Was The Best Batman Director (& 5 Why It Was Christopher Nolan)

Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan brought fantastic but completely different versions of Batman to the big screen. Which director’s work was better?

You Are Reading :Batman 5 Reasons Why Tim Burton Was The Best Batman Director (& 5 Why It Was Christopher Nolan)

Both Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan are hugely important figures in Batman’s history. While Tim Burton led the character out of the campy world of Adam West’s Batman and into the dark, gothic metropolis of Gotham City, Christopher Nolan led the character out of the ridicule of Joel Schumacher’s Batman and Robin and into one of the most critically well-received and universally loved comic book trilogies of all time. As a result, both directors have created totally different, yet fantastic versions of the caped crusader.

This article will give five reasons why Tim Burton was the best Batman director and five reasons why it was Christopher Nolan.

10 Burton: Gotham City

Tim Burton’s Batman not only presented a darker version of the Batman character, a version that was new and shocking to some viewers due to the popularity of the Adam West version. In order to ground this new Batman, Burton also crafted a new, darker, and more imposing Gotham City.

This Gotham City was a gothic masterpiece, with imposing statues, high buildings, and seemingly always covered in a dense, ominous fog. This, essentially, made Gotham City its own unique and distinct character within the Tim Burton Batman universe.

9 Nolan: Gritty Realism

The gritty realism of the Nolan movies was one of their finest characteristics. Batman is always more of a down to Earth hero than many other comic book characters, which allowed Nolan to introduce how Batman would work in a world similar to our own.

This gritty realism was refreshing for the comic book genre at the time, allowing the franchise to produce something closer to crime movie classics than full comic book blockbusters.

8 Burton: Gothic Style

The gothic style of Burton’s movies was one of its most successful elements, with the theme and atmosphere giving the Burton-Batman Universe its own character and life. While both Nolan and Burton had a dark tone to their movies, Burton’s was far more stylized than Nolan’s.

This dark stylization allowed the Burton movies to craft their own world, rather than exist in a similar world to ours, like in the case of the Nolan movies.

7 Nolan: Heath Ledger’s Joker

While Jack Nicholson played the role of the Joker incredibly well in Burton’s 1989 movie, Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the character was the best live-action Joker. In fact, it may also be one of the best performances in a supporting role of all time.

Despite early fan suspicion, Ledger would go on to blow viewers away, creating an iconic, intimidating, and universally loved version of the Clown Prince of Crime that would elevate The Dark Knight to a whole new level.

6 Burton: Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman

While The Dark Knight Rises’ Catwoman was a fantastic representation of the character, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman in Batman Returns was an incredible portrayal that became both influential and iconic.

Despite the fact that Batman Returns’ Catwoman was notably different from her comic book counterpart, Pfeiffer’s performance won over fans, with many considering it to be the best Catwoman performance of all time.

5 Nolan: Oscar Winner

In terms of Acadamy Award nominations and wins, the Nolan trilogy of Batman movies blows any other on-screen adaption of the caped crusader out of the water. The Dark Knight alone would go on to receive eight Acadamy Award nominations, with the movie winning two of them; one for Heath Ledger for Best Supporting Actor and one for Richard King’s sound editing.

If the two directors were being judged on the accolades their Batman movies received, then there would be no beating Nolan’s awards for The Dark Knight Trilogy.

4 Burton: The Batman Theme

There is no denying that Tim Burton’s Batman had a fantastic theme. The iconic Danny Elfman score helped to perfectly capture the dark, gothic world that Burton’s movies existed in, while also showcasing the darkness within Batman himself. This isn’t to say that Hans Zimmer’s theme isn’t good, rather, it is that Elfman’s score is simply iconic.

The Elfman theme would go on to be the Batman theme for years after the release of Burton’s Batman and the score would also influence the music behind the iconic Batman: The Animated Series.

3 Nolan: Moral Code Of Batman

One of the best aspects of the Nolan trilogy is that he made sure Batman had a clear moral code, that is, Batman refuses to murder anyone. This gave the character a clear motivation and limitation in how he would go about his crusade, clearly separating him from the villains.

On the other hand, Burton’s Batman is far less clear in his moral motivations. He, essentially, kills the Joker in the first movie and then attaches a bomb to a goon in the second movie after setting fire to another villain with his Batmobile exhaust.

2 Burton: Bat-Vehicle Designs

One aspect that Burton managed to easily trump Nolan at was the Bat-vehicles. Nolan’s trilogy was aiming for a more gritty and realistic style than Burton’s. While this may have had some positives, it also had severe drawbacks when it came to crafting vehicles for the caped crusader to use.

Burton, however, was not aiming for a gritty and realistic style, allowing the director to create fantastic designs for the Batmobile and Batplane that would go on to influence Batman: The Animated Series and countless other Batman adaptations.

1 Nolan: Wrapped Up A Trilogy

Perhaps the clearest sign of Nolan’s superiority in this matchup was the fact that Nolan was given the green light to wrap up his Batman’s story with a trilogy. That being said, we ought to remember that Tim Burton was kicked off the Batman franchise as Warner Bros wanted to pursue a more family-friendly story.

While this could appear harsh on Burton, as there is no doubt that Batman Forever would have been better had Burton directed it, there is no denying that Nolan’s trilogy feels more complete than the duology of the Burton movies.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/dc-batman-movies-tim-burton-christopher-nolan-director-best/