NYC critics and The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight continues to steamroll the box office competition, taking in another $75 million this weekend and breaking another record (biggest second weekend of all time) for a $314M cume. I made my own contribution yesterday, taking in an afternoon screening before a preview screening of Kevin Costner’s latest, Swing Vote. I’m just as smitten by the picture now as I was before. Ledger’s performance is great, almost destabilizingly so–the film’s kilter is thrown a little off when he’s onscreen. But in a good way.

Taking a look at Rotten Tomatoes the other day, I noticed something interesting. The Dark Knight is pulling a 90% fresh rating amongst top critics. Only 4 of 40 have spoken ill of it. And all four of them (Henry Morgenstern, WSJ; David Denby, New Yorker; David Edelstein, New York Magazine; Stephanie Zacharek, Salon) are housed in New York City. I find this interesting.

Now, psychoanalyzing strangers is even stupider than ascribing politics to the films one sees, and I typically don’t do it. But since I’m so bound and determined to break the first rule (repeatedly, and at great length), I guess I’ll break this one as well. (Before I begin, allow me to state that I start from the presumption that these four are liberals opposed to the Iraq war.*) Might I suggest that, as inhabitants of the city so directly affected by the terrorist actions of 9/11, these four are especially unsettled by the terrorism of the Joker, and being reminded that stopping men like the Joker takes actions that they might consider distasteful? Actions pursued by the current administration they so despise? Perhaps it pains them to remember that they sleep safe at night only because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who wish them harm?

Just a thought. Maybe they simply didn’t like the movie.

*The only one I’m not sure this is true for is Morgenstern.