Reflecting on the tragedy at ‘Dark Knight Rises’
I woke up to the news this morning that dozens of people had been shot by a young man at a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Colorado.
Midnight screenings are big, hyped, advertiser-driven events. The premieres have become a way to feed the Hollywood data beast, by showing how interested audiences are to see a movie.
But they’re also a product of genuine enthusiasm and an expression of collective joy. Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has meant a lot to an enormous number of people.
And as someone who writes about movies, and who cares about movie fans, I’m saddened by someone turning that shared enthusiasm into a weapon.
This tragedy happened at one of the few mass cultural events left in this country.
Not only that, the alleged gunman used the audience’s suspension of disbelief as cover. He reportedly started shooting during a sequence involving gunfire, leaving the audience slower to react.
We’re vulnerable when we go to the movies. We’re open to fear, and love, and disgust, and rapture. We surrender our minds and hearts to someone else’s vision of the world.
We don’t expect to surrender our bodies, too.
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