WARNING: Spoilers ahead. If you haven’t seen the movie yet and do not wish to have any clue or hint revealed unto you, don’t read this post.
The more I think about this movie, the more I think of edits that could have made it better (in my humble, non-Oscar-winning, never-been-trusted-with-a-$185-million-budget-and-delivered-a-great-movie opinion), and the more I marvel at Lucius Fox’s moral/ethical code. To wit:
Providing material support to a vigilante? Okay.
Providing material support to a vigilante who violates the law? That’s fine.
Providing material support to a vigilante who violates the law and illegally arrests other vigilantes? No problem.
Providing material support to a vigilante who violates the law and illegally arrests other vigilantes and works with a police division whose stated policy is to arrest him? Kosher.
Providing material support to a vigilante who violates the law and illegally arrests other vigilantes and works with a police division whose stated policy is to arrest him and kidnaps foreign nationals? Hey, you do what you have to.
Providing material support to a vigilante who violates the law and illegally arrests other vigilantes and works with a police division whose stated policy is to arrest him and kidnaps foreign nationals and defrauds the investors in Wayne Enterprises? Look, do you want Gotham to be overrun by terrorists or not?
Providing material support to a vigilante who violates the law and illegally arrests other vigilantes and works with a police division whose stated policy is to arrest him and kidnaps foreign nationals and defrauds the investors in Wayne Enterprises and beats detainees in efforts to coerce information? Lives are at stake, here, man. The world is a hard place, and evil must be defeated.
But working with DOD to use cell phone signals to sniff out the Joker before he kills several hundred people?
Wrong. Immoral. Unforgivable. That’s where the line must be drawn. The only right thing to do is tender your resignation.
Okay, do it just this once, but never again. Destroy the machinery. After all, what are the odds it would ever come in handy again? This is Gotham.
It reminds me of high school. Of all the civil liberties, the time-honored right to use a cell phone is held most dear.
I’m not sure why you’re apologizing (probably because I’m dead tired). Are you suggesting that individuals who violate others’ rights should be protected, given probable cause that a crime is imminent or was committed? Or are you suggesting that individuals rights should be protected from being violated by other individuals? If it’s the latter, then you’re crazy–how else could Batman save us?
I wasn’t really making government infringment of civil liberties the point (after all, the D.A. and the police themselves abet Batman, right?). It’s the cell phones. For God’s sake, don’t mess with people’s cell phones. Has any other invention ever become such an inviolable element of the self so quickly?
August 13th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Speaking of individual liberties and the inviolable element of the self, I just thought of a great quote that is missing on your front-page.
“I put my pants on, just like the rest of you, one leg at a time. Except once my pants are on, I make gold records.” (Christopher Walken as Bruce Dickinson on Saturday Night Live)
August 15th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
VDV'S JOURNAL 
3 Comments
I have not seen the movie, but quasi-spoilers ahead since I read the redacted portions:
So, is this typical Hollywood? Civil liberties can be violated left and right as long as it’s not the government doing it?
There seems to be a theme here – one man standing up against the System can do whatever he wants. As soon as the government uses similar tactics, it is bad and evil.
I’m as skeptical of big government as any good right-of-center person should be. However, the same protections should apply to individuals infringing upon the rights of other individuals. Sorry, Dom, I’m going to offer that statement without defending it.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:37 pm