This film manages to encapsulate the very essence of Batman. Every story is independent from each other and each of them focuses on a certain aspect of our Caped Crusader.
When you look at every story altogehter, you can see that Batman is more than a hero. He represents something different for every part of the community in Gotham.
For the civilians, he is a mythical entity, like an urban legend. They find him very mysterious but also fascinating. People are having a hard time to describe him but they trust him dearly because of his work. Behind his enigmatic and dark facade, he is a beacon of hope for the people of Gotham. You get to see this in the first story.
For the criminals, he's like a creature of the night. He's relentless and inevitable. He's watching all of them day & night. If you're doing something wrong, he will get you eventually. He won't kill you but he will hurt you really, really bad.
When it comes to the authorities, Batman is a contoversial and divisive figure. He's a righteous man who's devoid of any personal gains and ambitions. His moral code is beyond any authorities and he cannot be stopped. He cannot be tempted by any powerful and influental people in Gotham. He is totally incorruptible. Even though trustworthy and virtuous men like James Gordon believes in him, his reckless and independent nature scares the authorities.
Aside from these qualities of Batman, the film also explores Bruce Wayne, especially in the fifth story which is also my favorite one. Bruce Wayne is a man who can't overcome his tragedy in his life. He is scarred forever and the pain he suffers from is unbearable. He goes on a long journey to find out how to bury this pain but he finds out that the only this he can do is to become one with the pain. He cannot escape this eternal suffering and the place he belongs to, Gotham. Hence, the sad story of our Dark Knight begins.
I see that the art style is a bit mixed bag for the viewers. I personally liked every single one of them. They're pretty unique and fit their respective stories like a glove. Especially in the first story, Batman's vague urban legend like status is portrayed perfectly with hip-hop like fluid and abstract animation and colors. Also, since the first story is told by bunch of skater dudes, I think this art style fits the narrative and characters.
Overall, this film will be a great experience for open-minded die-hard Batman fans. It's like a Batman 101. Highly recommended.
