Ten years after its release, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is considered a masterpiece of comic book (or superhero) cinema." With its film noir atmosphere and legendary performance by the late Heath Ledger in the role of the Joker, The Dark Knight expanded the boundaries of the genre while at the same time further cementing Nolan's status as an auteur filmmaker for the millennial generation. This class will explore The Dark Knight's place in cinema history and the ideas and film movements that led to its creation.