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Batman is as synonymous with his brooding nature as he is with his Batsuit and Batmobile. Touted as The Dark Knight, the crime-fighting vigilante dedicated his life to ridding Gotham City of criminals after losing his parents at the young age of 8 years. He spends the rest of his life grappling with his inner turmoil, leaving him with little time for romantic pursuits.
I only knew the Caped Crusader as a brooding loner until I watched 1993's animated film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. The movie depicts the DC Comics character's origin story - his transformation from Bruce Wayne to Batman - and offers a comprehensive look at the series of tragedies that shaped his life.
Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's personal opinion.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm explores the man behind the mask
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The 1993 film takes a compelling look at the character's complex psyche, which most live-action films have failed to do. It also explores Batman's lack of a long-term romantic partner, unlike other superheroes.
When he does find love with Andrea Beaumont, Bruce grapples with the guilt of breaking his childhood promise made to his parents. In an especially moving scene, he visits their graves and implores them to allow him to choose a happy married life for himself.
"It doesn’t mean I don’t care anymore. I don’t want to let you down, honest, but… but it just doesn’t hurt so bad anymore. You can understand that, can’t you? Look, I can give money to the city – they can hire more cops. Let someone else take the risk, but it’s different now! Please! I need it to be different now. I know I made a promise, but I didn’t see this coming. I didn’t count on being happy. Please… tell me that it’s okay," he says.
That particular scene humanized the character for me more than any other scene in the movie. Kevin Conroy voiced the titular character in the film, with Mark Hamill, Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach, Dick Miller, etc. voicing supporting roles.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is co-directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm. It is written by Alan Burnett, Martin Pasko, Paul Dini, and Michael Reaves and is based on Batman: The Animated Series, which ran for two seasons from 1992 to 1995 on Fox Kids. The movie was a critical success upon its release and currently holds an impressive 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 58 critic reviews.
Why does Bruce Wayne turn into Batman?
The film opens with a young Bruce Wayne grappling with the death of his parents. He copes with the loss by fighting criminals and bringing down the crime rate in Gotham City. Bruce's life takes an unexpected turn when he falls in love with Andrea Beaumont, voiced by Dana Delany. The two bond over their shared loss of loved ones.
Having committed his life to fighting crime, Bruce initially struggles to give himself permission to be happy and in love. I was very moved by the scene in which he visits his parents' graves to seek their permission. In that moment, the source of his brooding nature becomes clear, as it is his way of honoring his parents.
Despite his internal conflict, Bruce gets engaged to Andrea Beaumont. But she abruptly breaks off their engagement, leaving him brokenhearted. This event becomes the catalyst to turn him into a hardened crime-fighting vigilante. Bruce assumes the alter ego Batman and dedicates his life to protecting Gotham City with a renewed sense of purpose.
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