The Dark Knight

Billionaire vigilante Batman (Christian Bale), district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and police lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), working together to eliminate Gotham's organized crime, are confronted and confounded by a chaotic criminal mastermind known as the Joker (Heath Ledger). Made in the wake of the 2001 Patriot Act and the rise of technological mass surveillance, Batman’s path to justice in the film recalls the Bush administration’s violation of civil liberties in the name of safety. One of the highest-grossing films of all time, The Dark Knight established the template for the modern super-hero movie, and earned Ledger posthumous Academy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe awards.