Re: The Man of Steel
The Nolanverse, for all of it's subtlety and realism lacks the mood and characterization that gush out of every pore in the Burtonverse.
I agree with most of what you said, except this.
There's nothing "subtle" about any of Nolan's Batman films. Any theme or message is blatantly told, over and over again, constantly hitting the audience over the head. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I can only take it in doses. Both Burton films are full of subtlety, some very clever and interesting, some annoyingly unexplained (fill in the blank for yourself). Some of the greatest subtle moments come from Keaton's Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Where Burton will SHOW you what Bruce Wayne is feeling in a human, relateable way, Nolan will tell you in a dramatic, analytical way. That's the biggest difference.
Best way to sum it up is how Bruce Wayne describes himself in Burton's flicks vs. Nolan's. Burton's seems like a natural response most people would have,
"Sometimes I don't know, either. It's just something I have to do."
"Why?"
"Because nobody else can . . . . I tried to avoid all this, but I can't, this is how it is. It's not a perfect world."
"It doesn't have to be a perfect world. I just have to know, are we going to try to love each other?"
"I'd like to . . . but he's out there right now, and I've got to go to work."
Pretty much sums up Batman and the reasons he's compelled to fight crime. His Batman is almost like a silent film or a film noir type.
Nolan's is more dramatized, character's are literally themes and wear their emotions on their sleeves. They discuss and talk about everything, almost like cardboard cut outs of what they represent. Rachel is the worst culprit, then Dent (talking about Rome) and Gordon. Gordon is pretty normal and relateable in Begins as "one, good cop" but in TDK and TDKR, he starts to be come overly melodramatic and preachy. They don't talk like normal or real people, they speak of scripted ideals and Shakespearean melodrama.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about . . ."
"I said some terrible things."
"
But true things I was a coward with a gun, justice is about more than revenge, so, thank you."
"I never stopped thinking about you. About us. And when I heard you were back, I started to hope, but then I found out about your mask.
"Batman's just a symbol, Rachel."
"No, *this* is your mask. Your real face is the one that criminals now fear. The man I loved - the man who vanished - he never came back at all. But maybe he's still out there, somewhere. Maybe some day, when Gotham no longer needs Batman, I'll see him again."
That's the big difference. There's not as much nuance in Nolan's Batman films as there are in Burton's.
