It's the sort of story that puts Christian Bale's un-Batman-like rant into perspective -- Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan's brother may be a murderer. Matthew Francis Nolan, 40, is wanted in Costa Rica for the kidnapping and murder of a Florida businessman.
Nolan allegedly presented himself to the now-deceased Robert C. Cohen as an investor, claiming he wanted to do business in South America. But his real mission, authorities say, was to get $7 million that Cohen owed another man in Florida. Nolan's accomplice, Douglas Mejia, has already been convicted of kidnapping Cohen when he and Nolan attempted to extort the money from Cohen's family. When that failed, cops say that the pair killed him.
We've all mulled over the Heath Ledger story, to the point that I forgot that there was another death attached to the film in 2007:
A special effects technician was killed Monday in an accident during London production of the latest Batman film "The Dark Knight." Warner Bros. said the unidentified crew member died when a truck carrying a camera platform crashed into a tree while following a stunt vehicle. Filming on the movie was not taking place at the time, and no actors were involved in the accident. The studio issued a statement saying the producers, cast and crew "are deeply saddened by this tragedy and their hearts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased."
I don't know what any of this is about and we must uphhold the assumption of innocence on Matthew Nolan's part. And obviously, Christopher Nolan is not accused of anything here either.
But what I can say is that there is something dark and cold in The Dark Knight, and in The Prestige as well. As time goes by I like those films even less, just as I am horrified and disgusted by the Joker killers we've seen popping up.
We're living in a time where memes are bounced back and forth around the world in nanoseconds, as are the unhealthy energies sometimes attached to them. We're so heavily mediated that we don't have time to process one thing before we're bombarded with the next.
In this context then I believe we all have to take responsibility for the memes we disseminate and psychic energies we channel.
The more impact an meme has on the culture at large, the more potential it has to do harm. I think this is something we need to keep in mind, as producers and consumers of media.
What we choose to support is what others will choose to produce.