In the film The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan, the importance
of privacy is highlighted through the interplay between dual identities,
anonymity, ethical dilemmas surrounding surveillance and a fight against
crime, and the use of information to manipulate the public. Despite
being on the opposing sides of a fight, Batman and Joker mask their true
identities to maximize their achievement. The Joker uses this veil to
create anonymity, which allows him to avoid being caught. Still, most
importantly, it enables him to reduce himself to be detached from his
actions, reservations, and the consequences of life. The dual identity
of Batman (Bruce Wayne) is also used to be detached from his actions,
but the existence of his personhood is one of the primary separators
between him and his enemy. Bruce Wayne uses the mask to escape the
consequences that would be enforced on his true identity and to give him
an escape from the nonchalant, spoiled character that he plays in his
real life. However, he cannot fully embrace this escape due to the value
he places on his relationships and human life.
Surveillance
is a controversial topic within the film, as Batman uses it to fight
crime. In the movie, beyond using CCTV cameras, Wayne employs a tool to
locate the location of the Joker within Gotham City by tapping into
every cell phone and using sonar to create a map of the city and live
updates of what people within it are doing. When Bruce’s assistant finds
out about the project, he submits his resignation as he can understand
the privacy implications despite Batman using it to save lives. This
parallels the modern-day surveillance tools used to track human
behavior, whether it be the government spying on citizens, as revealed
by Snowden, or the private sector using algorithms to manipulate the
population.
In addition to the key pillars of privacy that
include information and surveillance, there is a contrast between
private and public morality that manifests within Harvey Dent, the
district attorney of Gotham City. Publicly, Harvey Dent stood for
justice as he tried to solve the state of emergency within Gotham;
however, behind the scenes, he put his work at risk by using
intimidation and, in some cases, violence to achieve his goals. In
dealing with the trauma associated with his wife’s murder, Dent’s
corrupt characteristics were put on display as he turned into a villain.
This period was short-lived as he was killed in a fight with Batman;
however, the information regarding his private life was sworn to be
withheld by Wayne and the commissioner. They protected his character
despite his wrongdoings to preserve the good he had done and keep him as
the unmasked symbol of hope for peace within Gotham. The control of
information is a recurring theme in the movie as Commissioner Gordon
also had to publicly denounce Batman despite his full belief in him, and
others were forced to lie about Bruce Wayne being Batman.