Although some may see it as less than great cinema because of the stigma attached to its source material, I feel that Batman Begins ranks as one of the greatest literary adaptations ever committed to film, and a fantastic action-drama in its own right. The characterizations are all sharp and well-played, and there is a level of psychological complexity evident that is thought out more than one would expect from the genre. The relationships between characters are also vividly portrayed, granting the film an emotional resonance and a good deal of believability. We are made to care for our hero, and see him as a human being, not just an indestructible icon- but when he becomes the personification of his own deepest fear, Christopher Nolan plays to his powers of theatricality and misdirection, and he becomes an object of fear- even, to an extent, for the audience. Whileit may not be the work of art that rivals the likes of Kubrick, Fellini, and Speilberg, it is still a fantastically well-crafted movie, and is, by far, my favorite. find ourselves afraid of