Batman
Being Batman is a seven minute documentary film by Lossless Creative that puts the camera on a real life Batman. The level of dedication of this person is really compelling and the film weaves Batmans words and life together in a really beautiful way. I wouldn't really call this cosplay but a person with an intense focus on Batman such that he has become him.
Interested to have you watch this and then let me know what you think of it in the comments.
Interested to have you watch this and then let me know what you think of it in the comments.
I don't know how I feel about real-life vigilantes. In some cases it might be necessary, I don't know. There's a reason the comic book Batman was always hunted by the police, but then Gotham was pretty crooked. With all of the news of discrimination in some police precincts, it's questionable whether taking matters into your own hands is the answer, or if it makes matters worse. If administering justice can't be trusted to the law, though, then what should the people do?
The thing about Batman (the comic book) is that it's a story about one man and his standard. I'm not an avid reader of the books (though I have read some), but if it's like most every other superhero book I've read, if the emphasis isn't on the character and their plight, then the book loses focus, and ultimately readership. You have to keep the story on Batman. We see the world on his terms. Batman solves problems the way Batman solves problems. Consequently, that leaves little room for problem solving outside of Batman's mode of operation, which tends to rely on a good deal of violence. Contrast that with another famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. While they are both very much proactive in their pursuit of justice, Holmes promotes thinking the problem through over hostility. Not that Batman is a brute, but as detectives go he comes very well armed. Batman is more Malcolm X than MLK, ready to meet violence with violence, bringing about justice by any means necessary. That's one way to do it, but does it really bring about lasting change? Right now, we're looking at worldwide protests, almost entirely non-violent. These protests, speaking at least regarding the States, are prompting immediate significant change. The violence that is springing up only serves to undermine the movement, but maybe these people believe that change can't come any other way. I get that people feel compelled to do something, anything, to fight by any means necessary, but it's becoming more and more worrying that the consequences aren't being considered. It tends to happen when the focus is on yourself, your mission, and not the rest of the world around you. Comic books about heroes with open minds, looking to join a community and peacefully solve problems with acts of love and kindness without drawing attention for it don't sell well, though.
P.S. I don't hate Batman. Also, Batman is fiction.
I echo Scrypt's sentiments here for the most part. He's obviously dedicated his life to being a ninja and sees Bats as a natural extension of that. At that point it's odd but not harmful. But if he's going out and beating people for stealing purses then it does become a problem.
The question of whether this is getting to the point of a problem for him is whether it's making it hard or impossible to lead a life, maintain relationships, and so on. It could be massive dedication to a cause, or it could be near-insanity.
> I don't know how I feel about real-life vigilantes. In some cases it might be necessary, I don't know. There's a reason the comic book Batman was always hunted by the police, but then Gotham was pretty crooked. With all of the news of discrimination in some police precincts, it's questionable whether taking matters into your own hands is the answer, or if it makes matters worse. If administering justice can't be trusted to the law, though, then what should the people do?
This is a good question and always my biggest moral problem with Batman. Not really any other super heroes as Batman seems to ride the line between "goodbadguy." I've heard of real super heroes, or people that put on a mask and head out to patrol the streets(in another doc I saw, forget what it was) they patrol for crimes and report to the police. They have have got into a scuffle or two but they made a point to say they call the cops on actual criminals. I am OK with that, it's like a really elaborate community reporting program.
This mini doc, whereas was very well shot, edited and such wasn't very complete. So Batman didn't say how he intervened with criminals, it also doesn't say what his night routine is. It trades information for style to create a dramatic effect that really works. That said, I imagine the details of all that really detracts from the BUT THIS GUY IS FUCKING BATMAN, which is the point of this video. I'd like to see more though, perhaps more of a "night in the life of Batman."
> That's one way to do it, but does it really bring about lasting change?
If Batman were real i'd take point with him on nearly every level. He acts without any kind of check and often his actions have very unfortunate consequences. Again, one of the hardest parts of Batman for me is that he is a 1%-er that thinks he is always right. Well gee, thanks Batman. In fact, one scene in The Dark Knight the other vigilantes trying to be Batman say "why are you different than us" and his response is "i'm not wearing a hockey mask." It's a funny moment but it's not really far off his character. He is more right because he has more, is more able and has more resources. Well gee, thanks Batman.
> P.S. I don't hate Batman. Also, Batman is fiction.
Yup.
So Batman didn't say how he intervened with criminals...
The imagery of the arsenal and technique this "Batman" has at his disposal says plenty about how he intervenes. I doubt that he brings bad guys back to his lair, sits them down in front of his wall of weapons, and proceeds to have a heart-to-heart about their life choices.
Not really any other super heroes as Batman seems to ride the line between "goodbadguy."
Actually, there are plenty like Batman in the comics (Punisher, Moon Knight, Daredevil, Wolverine, The Authority, Grifter, Spawn, etc...). Spider-man is my all-time favorite superhero and he's totally a vigilante. He doesn't have the dark driven nature that Bruce Wayne has (except for the Back in Black run, where Kingpin tried to kill Aunt May. That shit got dark.), but he is a hands-on crime fighter. Every superhero is essentially a vigilante, and they all think they're doing the right thing.
As an aside, but keeping with the ideas we're throwing around, I love this exchange in Captain America: Civil War -
Vision: In the 8 years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, a number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurable rate.
Steve Rogers: Are you saying it's our fault?
Vision: I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict... breeds catastrophe. Oversight... Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand.
Strength invites challenge. The way of the world tends to default to "eye for an eye." It takes genuine effort to stop that pendulum from swinging.
With all of that said, I was totally Team Cap (in the movie, and the comics before it). I at least like my fictional superheroes unregistered :).
I just felt bad for this guy. He seems to have some deep-seated pain, that he is using Batman to escape from. I guess in that sense, he is like Batman. His actions and house (at least the way shot) tells me that he is lost in his own world. It almost looks like a hoarders house IMHO (there is stuff everywhere).
In the end I felt less like I am watching a savior but rather someone that needs to be saved.
Interesting perspective, Will_Ball. It sounds like he's lost, in one way or another, all the people that are close to him. If he's out there every night, he wouldn't have room for any type of social life. He seems to be well off, though (Maybe that's just a room above his garage? I'm assuming the editing in the video is to help with anonymity, but you're assessment is probably more likely), or at least well enough to be able to afford all the equipment and the modded car (which sounds like a beast, not a junker with a paint job). That has to be a very lonely life. Even Bruce needed Alfred. Maybe (hopefully) he does? I imagine, with that much invested in the persona, it would be hard for anyone to intervene on his behalf.
> The imagery of the arsenal and technique this "Batman" has at his disposal says plenty about how he intervenes. I doubt that he brings bad guys back to his lair, sits them down in front of his wall of weapons, and proceeds to have a heart-to-heart about their life choices.
Heh, funny. Yeah well i'd be surprised if this guy actually hits anyone because if he did he'd eventually go to prison even if he's saving the day. At least if it were a regular occurrence. I could be wrong though.
> Actually, there are plenty like Batman in the comics (Punisher, Moon Knight, Daredevil, Wolverine, The Authority, Grifter, Spawn, etc...). Spider-man is my all-time favorite superhero and he's totally a vigilante.
Yeah right, I just meant that Batman bothers me more than any other "goodbadguy." Punisher is worse sure, but I don't really follow much of his antics.
> With all of that said, I was totally Team Cap (in the movie, and the comics before it). I at least like my fictional superheroes unregistered :).
I'm with Tony on this one. Some kind of check is good. That said, I'm not to harsh on Cap but I think he puts too much stock in people being moral at all times. They caused quite a bit of damage to save Bucky. Not sure i'd have done that, but I respect his unwavering choice if I don't agree with the outcome of it.
> I just felt bad for this guy. He seems to have some deep-seated pain, that he is using Batman to escape from. I guess in that sense, he is like Batman. His actions and house (at least the way shot) tells me that he is lost in his own world. It almost looks like a hoarders house IMHO (there is stuff everywhere).
I don't think we can know in every case but it is interesting to know WHY people do what they do. The person in the video is convinced he is Batman because of his pain and how the character of Batman attracts him. I respect that but I don't entirely believe it. I have stories about myself I want to be true because they fit a narrative of myself I like. Is it all true? Well, it's a kind of truth I cling to from my point of view(THANKS OBIWAN!). It also makes for a good mini doc but is it entirely accurate? Is it easier to justify our choices when we find things that make more sense? Over time I can come up with a better and better rationale as I talk it over with people and it evolves as people respond to it. Is it less true because the pitch has changed to match the audience?
Also, I could edit the source video to make this guy seem VERY dumb. Just look at reality TV. When they want to make someone look dumb, magically, with editing and cuts and music they are. Not to say they everyone there is super smart, but editing really can effect things.
I guess all that to say, i'm not convinced of his story entirely but it makes for an effective film and this guy 100% believes he is Batman.
>"Heh, funny. Yeah well i'd be surprised if this guy actually hits anyone because if he did he'd eventually go to prison even if he's saving the day. At least if it were a regular occurrence. I could be wrong though."
He seems to really want anonymity. It's possible that he beats them senseless but gets out before the cops get there. We don't really learn that from the video. BUT I imagine it's way less of a beating than the real Batman ("real" is an odd word here) would give criminals.
I was also team Cap because if you're a governmental group of superheroes, you become an arm of the military basically. You get sent out on what your government thinks is right.
>"this guy 100% believes he is Batman."
I don't think he does. He seems totally aware that it's a conscious choice to become him based on similar conditions. We may be saying the same thing with different words though.
> I was also team Cap because if you're a governmental group of superheroes, you become an arm of the military basically. You get sent out on what your government thinks is right.
Yep. Which is why they should be with Ironman.
> I don't think he does. He seems totally aware that it's a conscious choice to become him based on similar conditions. We may be saying the same thing with different words though.
Mmmmm, when I wrote that I was like "weeeeeelll maybe not entirely" but he is really dedicated to it more than usual.
> "Yep. Which is why they should be with Ironman."
So you think they should be an arm of the military? They'd be like the Comedian and Doctor Manhattan, becoming pawns of the government and acting in the "national interest" whatever that means to whomever is in charge. It could be freeing people from terrorism, it could be terrorism. Under Obama it would have been mostly fine, but could you imagine Trump with control of the Avengers? No government is good enough to trust with that sort of thing, not even Sweden.
That's why I like S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Marvel universe. They know who all the players are, and they bring them in when they need help with something, but they don't share with the rest of the government and they don't own the superheroes or exert control over them. If they go rogue and start terrorizing citizens, they're dealt with.
It's not perfect. In the movies S.H.I.E.L.D. was infiltrated by Hydra agents, for instance, but they're building back up.
Yep. Which is why i'm with Ironman.
Our armed services have to do the same thing and I bet it's hard for them. I bet many didn't want to go to Iraq but they served and I respect their service but Iraq was a mistake. So yeah, so should Cap & the rest.
I don't see that as the same thing. Soldiers choose to go. Tony wanted to force everyone with certain genetics or circumstances to register with the government and ultimately become pawns of the government. It's forcing that choice on them and making them targets. It takes away their privacy entirely.
But really it's all theoretical because if someone had these powers in real life they'd probably be dead or in permanent captivity for experimentation anyway.
> I don't see that as the same thing. Soldiers choose to go. Tony wanted to force everyone with certain genetics or circumstances to register with the government and ultimately become pawns of the government. It's forcing that choice on them and making them targets. It takes away their privacy entirely.
I don't agree. The whole premise of the film is a brawl when people choose different sides. Tony had an agenda and pushed it hard and i'd say some of his tactics were wrong headed but I get why he did it. In the end people chose sides and again, i'm ok with what Cap chose even though I wouldn't' choose that. I'd be with Ironman until it didn't make sense and i'd be friends with Cap because at the end of the day he isn't a bad guy.
I totally agree with that except for "If be with Ironman." The part you quoted from my message is literally what the Sokovia accords are all about.
As someone that generally prefers Caps style over Ironman it is hard to side more with him.
It also occurs to me that we may be talking about different aspects of it. Tony says things like "We need to be put in check," and things that are sensible but the actual legislation is basically the Muslim registry for people with powers. I agree with what Tony said, but not the Sokovia accords themselves.
Like literally anyone who has any powers has to be tracked at all times, whether they're peaceful as a monk or an Avenger or a villain. And anyone with enhanced powers who breaks the law can be detained indefinitely without a warrant.
The whole thing is intended as an analogy to racism, just like the mutants in X-Men.
I should also add that I'm incapable of only thinking about it in terms of the movie itself. It's expanded upon significantly in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and that's definitely going to play into my thinking. The movie may not have covered how shitty it is as well, I don't remember.
How did DC change to Marvel? Different Universes!
It's an fascinating documentary. Thank you for sharing it here JDod!
One of the most fascinating aspects to the documentary is the question, how much did he choose to become Batman? He hints at the loses he has experienced, and that becoming Batman has allowed him to survive these losses. I've heard many compelling arguments that basically state every person does what they have to in order to survive trauma, and in some cases the trauma is too great to handle in a socially acceptable way. I really wonder if there is any other path he could have taken to work through his losses, and if so if they would be as healthy for both himself and his community.
JDod I agree with you that he never states how he intervenes. I won't make assumptions on what he does based on the contents of his home. I do hope that for his sake and the sake of his community he never acts in violence.