Mask of the Phantasm tells a story that is among the most daring and bold ever told within the Batman canon. Its tragedy is heartfelt, depicting Bruce Wayne as if he is trapped in a cell, jailed by an oath made in passion and sorrow immediately following his parent's death. He wonders if he deserves to be happy, if he has earned the right to live a normal life, and indulge in the pleasures Batman has continually been stripped of. Heroism is deconstructed here, no longer a sanctuary of virtue, but rather an asylum of deprivation. The villains he has amassed in his turn as the Batman have torn his life apart, beautifully conveyed in the fact that through a simple murder, the Joker once again deprived Bruce Wayne of the life he should have had.
Mask of the Phantasm is constructed perfectly, boasting incredible Germanic artistic influences, a resounding and operatic score, a remarkably concise script and a masterful manipulation of tone and linear shifts. The Citizen Kane-esque storytelling structure is ingenious, visually articulating the life Wayne may have had if he had never embraced the Batman identity. The mask of the phantasm is a facade that defines Bruce Wayne, a representation of the consistently conflicting notions of morality and heroism. If he falls into the abyss, he becomes just like the villains he has fought for so long. If he rises above, he can only look on as the life he deserves passes him by and that is the real tragedy of the Batman character.
Mask of the Phantasm is a masterpiece of animation, and of film in general. It defies the expectations of what an animated superhero film should be and stands as one of the greatest examples of what nuanced and passionate filmmaking and animation in particular can accomplish. It's one of the greatest pieces of art in the gargantuan Batman mythology, and among the multitudes of cinematic explorations of the Batman character out there, this one may just stand out as the diamond of the bunch.
Mask of the Phantasm is constructed perfectly, boasting incredible Germanic artistic influences, a resounding and operatic score, a remarkably concise script and a masterful manipulation of tone and linear shifts. The Citizen Kane-esque storytelling structure is ingenious, visually articulating the life Wayne may have had if he had never embraced the Batman identity. The mask of the phantasm is a facade that defines Bruce Wayne, a representation of the consistently conflicting notions of morality and heroism. If he falls into the abyss, he becomes just like the villains he has fought for so long. If he rises above, he can only look on as the life he deserves passes him by and that is the real tragedy of the Batman character.
Mask of the Phantasm is a masterpiece of animation, and of film in general. It defies the expectations of what an animated superhero film should be and stands as one of the greatest examples of what nuanced and passionate filmmaking and animation in particular can accomplish. It's one of the greatest pieces of art in the gargantuan Batman mythology, and among the multitudes of cinematic explorations of the Batman character out there, this one may just stand out as the diamond of the bunch.