The pop culture landscape today is one dominated by comic book properties, with superhero movies regularly drawing in huge audiences and making boatloads of cash as a result of it. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is, of course, a considerable part of this, but before that became the colossus that it is, there was The Dark Knight, a movie that changed cinema.
It is not only the most excellent superhero movie ever but one of the best movies ever made, period. The film is full of fantastic characters played by brilliant actors, with a few of note dominating the runtime of the movie, and some side characters having surprisingly little time on screen.
Least - Gambol (2:30)
Michael Jai White portrays Gambol in this film, a powerful criminal whose operations have gotten thwarted by Batman, and who crosses paths with the Joker in his limited screen time.
He is a great minor character, whose quality is dependant on the phenomenal scenes in which he is in. The first is the perfect scene in which Joker performs a magic trick and interrupts Gotham criminal's get together. The second being the Joker's killing of Gambol, and the uttering of the iconic "why so serious?"
Most - Rachel Dawes (13:15)
For this film, the role of Rachel Dawes got filled by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who replaced Katie Holms and delivered a really good performance as both the fierce district attorney and as the romantic interest of Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne.
Rachel is an essential character in the story, with her death being the catalyst for Harvey Dent's downfall into Two-Face and being a crucial part of Bruce Wayne's story as he battles with his dual life.
Least - James Gordon Jr. (2:00)
Speaking of Harvey Dent's fall to Two-Face, that entire arc reaches a boiling point at the end of the movie when he captures the wife and children of Jim Gordon and threatens to kill them.
James Gordon Jr. only appears a couple of times in the movie, that being here and when Gotham Police go to Jim's house to tell Barbara of Gordon's death, which, obviously, turned out to be false.
Most - Lieutenant/Commissioner Jim Gordon (19:15)
Speaking of Jim Gordon, the iconic GPD Commissioner gets played by Gary Oldman in this trilogy, and delivers an immense performance, particularly in this film, often overshadowed by others despite being so terrific.
Gordon is always a great character, and his time in this movie is spent in a similar way to Batman's, dealing with the Joker, dealing with Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and helping Batman protect Gotham.
Least - Barbara Keane Gordon (1:15)
Sticking with the Gordon's, Barbara Gordon is so often the daughter of Jim in the comics and broader Batverse, but in this movie, played by Melinda McGraw, is his wife.
The only reason she has less in frame time as James Jr. is due to that final sequence where Two-Face is threatening to kill him. Apart from that, the two appear in the same number of scenes, the other being the aforementioned news delivery of Jim's death.
Most - Harvey Dent/Two-Face (22:15)
Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy Dark Knight Rises had Bane, Talia Al Ghul, and a villain turned hero Catwoman, and this film had the Joker and Two-Face.
Harvey Dent is crucial to this movie, as he is the source of Joker's plan, as he aims to turn the White Night bad and show people there is no hope, no good, and insanity is a stone's throw away. Aaron Eckhart is great in the film, and the character design is very well done and striking, with his death leading to a goosebumps-inducing final monologue.
Least - Jonathan Crane (1:00)
While Scarecrow was the villain for Nolan's previous entry in the trilogy, Cillian Murphy portrays the iconic character in all three movies, getting a small part here at the start of the film.
Only in the frame for about a minute, Jonathan Crane appears in a crime deal near the start of the film, and that is the last we see of him until he appears as a judge in The Dark Knight Rises.
Most - The Joker (25:15)
What is there to say about Heath Ledger's legendary performance as The Joker that has not already gotten said many a time over the past decade? It is sublime, one of the most outstanding acting performances of all time.
For all of his twenty-five minutes plus in the frame, Joker steals the show, captivating the audience with his masterful mannerisms, iconic voice, and overall picture-perfect character work. From the bank heist to the magic trick to the interrogation to the hospital explosion, every scene with the Joker is flawless.
Least - Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb (0:45)
This film is the one in which Jim Gordon gets promoted to his famous Commissioner position, after being Lieutenant in the previous entry to this iconic trilogy.
However, that was not a simple promotion; it was done due to the death of the former Commissioner, Gillian Loeb. He was a target of the Joker, and despite everybody's best efforts, nobody could prevent the Joker from poisoning the Commissioner with acid.
Most - Batman/Bruce Wayne (35:30)
It is no surprise that the character whose nickname is the title of the film, and who is the central protagonist for the entire trilogy, gets the most screen time, with Bruce Wayne's and the Batman's combined screen time reaching over thirty-five minutes.
There are some who criticize Bale's Batman for the voice, but even with that, he is, without a doubt, at the very least second best live-action Batman, but is really number one. He is fantastic in this movie, as he is in most, both as a billionaire playboy philanthropist and hardcore vigilante.
