The Batman is a strange journey that is just as reminiscent of the DC universe as it is of old detective movies. Director Matt Reeves had previously commented that he wanted to make a Batman movie focusing on the investigation side of things. Batman is known as the world’s greatest detective, he has been part of DC since it was called Detective Comics. The Riddler is the star of The Batman as any villain is the star of a crime story. His intellect is one that sends Bruce Wayne for a ride. Did you figure out the philosophy behind The Riddler’s plan? Let me break it down for you.
The initial introduction of Batman was as a vigilante who was investigating crimes in Gotham. Batman is a normal human being and his greatest asset is his mind. That is the reason his rogue gallery is so diverse and chaotic in its own right. The Riddler is a crucial piece of this puzzle. Edward Nygma, in the comics, is a man of superior intellect. He enjoys messing with Batman because Bruce Wayne is the only one who is capable of solving his riddles. This movie focuses on their relationship as much as it focuses on the crime in Gotham and Batman’s sense of responsibility towards it. The Bat is in his second year and he has been fighting with vigor but he is facing a corrupt capitalist system where he plans to change things with the help of fear.
Philosophy Behind The Riddler’s Plan
Batman’s idea is to put the fear of God inside the hearts of criminals. We may see him as a hero but he breaks the law every night when he dresses in a suit of armor and goes out to beat street things into a pulp. He is the fire’s last gasp against the darkness of crime and it is fueled by his rage. It is not a terribly realistic concept. The reason for this is that a person like Batman would need to be in near perfect mental and physical condition to do what he does. That is also why it is so easy to relate with Batman villains. But The Riddler in The Batman has a different ace up his sleeve.
His philosophy in the movie is to tear down everything and cause absolute anarchy. He follows the philosophy of anarchism which is reminiscent of another Batman villain known as Anarchy. In philosophy, anarchism is a kind of societal structure where independent cells exist in society and an absolute laissez-faire economy exists between them. Two groups interact cordially only for bartering resources. Think more Mad Max and less Star Trek.
This is a unique system that requires tearing down societal structures. As a child, The Riddler was orphaned and placed in an orphanage. He was a victim of this city’s crime and with his superior intellect, he determined that the best course of action would be to tear it all down for pure anarchy to prevail. This can be deciphered both from his actions and his words. He wants to dole out punishment to those responsible for creating havoc in this city.
The Consequences
The Riddler does this by killing one and leading Batman to the others. He considers Batman an ally because he knows that Batman can understand what he is going through and help him fight the festering corruption. There is also a hint that The Riddler might have been considering Batman to be an old acquaintance, maybe from his orphanage days. However, his plan fails at the end of the movie because Batman is not who he thinks he is. This is the crucial part of his thinking that was not accurate and backfired on him.
The Riddler still chooses to blow the sea wall of Gotham to let in the water and push society to the brink and cause more chaos. However, this is where the philosophy of The Riddler’s plan fails. He focuses too much on the chaos and too little on the rebuilding. This is his downfall. Let us know what you think about it down in the comments below and keep watching this space for everything Marvel, DC, and Hollywood.
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