In his newly lauded reimagining of The Batman, Matt Reeves opts not to retell Bruce Wayne’s origin tale but rather to focus on the psychological analysis of a young, inexperienced Dark Knight. The Batman is a character study of its titular antihero, but Zo Kravitz’s Catwoman also receives a lot of screen time. Catwoman is typically a simple antagonist (or even a secondary antagonist) in Batman films, but The Batman portrays her as a co-lead with admirable goals and relatable motives.
Kravitz’s subtle, sensitive portrayal of Selina Kyle in The Batman could be the best one yet. Selina Kyle had previously been represented on cinema by such legendary actors as Julie Newmar and Michelle Pfeiffer, and those performances were indisputably fantastic. She portrays Selina as a real human being rather than as a noir comic book cliché.
Her Dynamic With Batman Is Ripped Straight From A Classic Neo-Noir
Although numerous 1970s masterpieces are referenced in The Batman, including the voiceover diary entries of Taxi Driver and the stunning parental narrative turns of Chinatown, the story’s most obvious direct inspiration is Alan J. Pakula’s neo-noir classic Klute. Pakula’s trilogy on “political paranoia,” which also included The Parallax View and All the President’s Men, began with Klute.
While Kravitz’s Catwoman pays reference to Jane Fonda’s Oscar-winning performance as the streetwise witness he falls for while she aids with his most recent case, Pattinson’s Batman fills the Donald Sutherland position as a jaded investigator. The Bat and the Cat’s on-screen interactions take on a new perspective because to this well-known relationship.
Her Fighting Style Is As Efficient And Badass As Batman’s
In The Batman, Reeves directed some of Batman’s best fight scenes, including him beating up criminals at a railway station, disarming gunmen in a shadowy passage, and fending off snipers dressed in Riddler garb. However, he also found time for several butt-whoopings from Catwoman.
The Catwoman action in this film is some of the most thrilling to date. Her reenergized combat technique is exhilaratingly fast-paced, featuring numerous high kicks delivered quickly after one another and slick, agile moves to counter the Bat’s infamous tactic of unrestrained brute force.
Kravitz Contrasted Catwoman’s Femininity With Batman’s Masculinity
Catwoman and Batman are both vigilantes who clean up the trash from Gotham City’s streets while wearing masks. Kravitz contributes to the key distinction between the two. “Batman represents a very kind of male force, while Catwoman represents a very feminine power,” the actor told Variety.
Batman represents masculinity in an almost comedic way as a dark, gloomy, aggressive lone wolf who deals with his inner problems by hoarding wealth and beating up criminals. Selina was “somewhat more complicated [than Bruce] and softer, too,” according to Kravitz. I appreciate the notion that one may be kind and soft yet incredibly strong and dangerous at the same time.
Kravitz Is More Interested In Selina Than Her Alter Ego
The majority of performers who play characters from comic books are more concerned with having fun than with creating an alter personality. The fact that Kravitz is more interested in the person wearing the mask than what the mask stands for is what distinguishes her performance as Catwoman from other Catwoman roles.
The Batman provides the titular superhero a lot more screen time than the orphaned billionaire wearing the cowl, although Selina is given more attention in Catwoman’s portrayal than her cat-themed vigilante character. With the help of this film, the audience becomes so engrossed in Selina that they begin to see Selina as Catwoman rather than Selina without the mask.
Kravitz’s Selina Kyle Is More Three-Dimensional Than A Standard Femme Fatale
Catwoman is frequently portrayed as an archetype because she is a comic book interpretation of the “femme fatale,” a well-worn noir cliche. The Catwoman character in The Batman is far more human and three-dimensional than she is in other Catwoman movies.
She is not a heartless killer who just kills for pleasure. She has deep bonds with her friends, family, and even Batman, and these relationships shape the decisions she makes.
The Batman Sets Her Up For A Larger Arc
Kravitz’s Catwoman might be the first character in the franchise’s history to make many appearances and have a protracted story arc that runs parallel to Batman’s own journey in a bigger cinematic world. Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Pfeiffer all played Catwoman in just one film each, but The Batman establishes an arc for Selina that might last for the remainder of the trilogy (and beyond).
In the coming years, Kravitz might give Selina Kyle the same complexity and longevity that actresses like Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey, Jr. have given to their Marvel roles. Kravitz’s Selina gets off to a wonderful start in The Batman, and hopefully that’s just the beginning.
This Catwoman Is Vulnerable
Kravitz’s interpretation of Catwoman is considerably more realistic and well-balanced than the stereotype of her as a harsh, heartless monster. The character seems more human-like in this iteration.
Selina played by Kravitz is not immune to the sentiments that come with recalling her mother’s passing or learning about her roommate’s murder from a voicemail; instead, she accepts and shares those thoughts.
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