Alisa Heskin Religion in Film Dr. Hammerling Final Paper 25 November, 2014

Walking the Abyss in : Mask of the Phantasm

“He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster.

And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.”1 For Friedrich

Nietzsche and countless others, the abyss has long been a source of fascination. It is the

“huge and yawning emptiness” of Ginnungagap where existence first comes to be in Norse mythology.2 The abyss also finds itself in Genesis as the void and the “darkness [that] was

upon the of the deep.”3 Alongside this connection to beginnings and life, the abyss is also “symbolic of hell, destruction, or death.”4 This is the abyss that seems to possess this unnerving sentience and stares back with the implied threat of death, moral or physical. It is the second of two “eternities of darkness,” the specter that is yet to follow this “brief crack of

light.”5

Cinema proves an apt medium in probing this discussion further since films “both

interpret us and are being interpreted by us.”6 Acclaimed documentarian Werner Herzog and director of the 2011 film Into the Abyss noted that more than one of his films could have had that title since they often explore the “abyss of the soul” and our “humanness” whether it is on death row in Texas in the aforementioned film or beneath the ice of Antarctica in

Encounters at the End of the World (2007).7 Indeed, a part of what makes Into the Abyss so

powerful is that in making the film, Herzog himself faced the abyss, did so unflinchingly, and

1 Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil (New York: Barnes & Noble, 2007), pg. 67. 2 Kevin Crossley-Holland, The Norse Myths (New York: Pantheon Books, 1980), pg. 3. 3 Gen. 1:2 King James Version 4 Kathryn Wood Madden, “Images of the Abyss,” Journal of Religion and Health 42 (2003), pg. 117. 5 Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited (New York: Random House, Inc., 1989), pg. 19 6 Robert K. Johnston, Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue, Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006), pg. 33. 7 “‘Into the Abyss’ director Werner Herzog in Studio Q,” YouTube video, 9:50, posted by “Q with Jian Ghomeshi,” November 14, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlbQF2ht2ic. Heskin 2

did not surrender his views concerning capital punishment. The character of Batman and his

films are also no stranger to gazing long into the abyss. Through these intermediaries, the

abyss can be more freely confronted since they also provide paradigms and inspire

introspection in preparation for one’s own encounter with this inevitable reality. This mode

of introspection emerges in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) through the mirrored

relationships between Batman and his antagonists, and it is these similarities between them

that establish the significance of choice when gazing long into the abyss.

For the purpose of clarity, the development of the analysis will begin by briefly

summarizing the film in question and elaborating on the connection to Nietzsche in

conjunction with Batman’s relationships with his antagonists. Due to the long and prolific

history of the character, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm will serve as the cinematic focus

with references to other films and adaptations being used for supplementary purposes. In the

film, Andrea Beaumont acts as the primary antagonist, and her similarities to Bruce

Wayne/Batman will be considered in the forms of the influence their respective parents have

on them, their shared tragedies, love for each other, and the resemblance of their alter egos.

In connecting Andrea’s masked persona with the means by which she pursues justice, the

construction will culminate with an examination of how the two characters’ choices

distinguish them in their encounters with the abyss.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a film that exists within the context of the animated

series that began in the wake of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). A masked figure going by the

moniker of the Angel of Death begins systematically killing mob bosses. Mistaken for the

Angel, Batman is ostracized by City’s public figures. The return of ’s

ex-fiancée, Andrea Beaumont, sparks a number of flashbacks to their romance ten years ago

that ended with Andrea fleeing with her father to escape his dealings with the mob. The

World’s Greatest Detective uncovers the victims’ connection and begins to suspect the elder Heskin 3

Beaumont of the homicides. However, the discovery of Carl Beaumont’s murder reveals

Andrea as the one who has been dealing out vengeance in the guise of divine retribution.

Batman intervenes but is unable to prevent her final act of revenge as she confronts the Joker

at the ruins of the Gotham World Fair. The film closes with Andrea leaving behind her

locket for Bruce and sailing away to eternal loneliness. The final shots are of Batman, also

alone, as he perches high above the gargoyles before being called forth once more to continue

his unending crusade against Gotham’s criminal element.

As alluded to previously, Batman’s relationship with Nietzsche and the abyss is not a

novel one. This relationship is made explicit through essays such as those that describe

Batman as the ideal embodiment of Nietzsche’s übermensch or “overman/,” and the

two are similarly characterized by independence, knowledge of suffering, great passion, and

will.8 In an analysis of heroes who consistently confront their own darker natures,

acclaimed writers like are said to take “Batman up to the edge of the abyss.”9 The

connection reveals itself more implicitly in films such as The Dark Knight (2008) where then-

District Attorney Harvey Dent asserts with tragic foreshadowing that “You either die a hero,

or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” which echoes Nietzsche’s

warning about monsters and those who fight them.10

Another allusion to Nietzsche is found in the Joker, a character who does not so much look into the abyss as cannonball into it. His remark in The Dark Knight that “whatever

doesn’t kill you simply makes you…stranger” is a play on Nietzsche’s more conventional statement that such things make you stronger.11 In the philosophical : Crisis

8 C. K. Robertson. “The True Übermensch: Batman as Humanistic Myth”. The Gospel According to Superheroes: Religion and Popular Culture. Edited by B. J. Oropeza. (New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2005), pg. 49. 9 Greg Garrett, Holy Superheroes!: Exploring Faith & Spirituality in Comic Books (Colorado Springs, Co: Piñon Press, 2005), pg. 117. 10 Christopher Nolan. The Dark Knight. Blu-Ray. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2008. 11 Nolan, The Dark Knight; Robertson, pg. 55. Heskin 4

on Two Earths (2010), the Caped Crusader’s nihilistic counterpart, Owlman, despairs from

the apparent meaninglessness of choice that accompanies an infinity of parallel worlds and

endeavors to end all of reality. During the confrontation, Batman affirms, “There is a

difference between you and me. We both looked into the abyss, but when it looked back at

us, you blinked.”12 Here, to blink is to allow feelings of despair, fear, apathy, or vengeance to take hold of and corrupt the self. In opposing his parallel self, Batman not only defends

existence from being plunged into abysmal nothingness but implicitly assigns meaning to

choice.

This type of shared experience contrasted with differing reactions to the abyss

characterizes much of Batman’s rogues gallery, who often act as a “dark mirror” to the Dark

Knight’s character by reflecting what could happen if Batman ever chose to embrace the

darkness he combats.13 Most famously, or infamously, the Joker’s enthusiasm for chaos inverts Batman’s pursuit for order. On hearing of Batman’s supposed, newfound lethality during Phantasm, Joker gleefully exclaims, “Wouldn’t it be great if I’ve finally driven him off the deep end?”14 The same applies to Batman’s other villains or “counterparts.”15 Two-

Face reflects the duality of /Bruce Wayne persona. Scarecrow uses fear to accomplish his ends as does Batman. The Penguin’s corrupt sense of aristocracy opposes

Bruce’s benevolent presence as a philanthropist. In Andrea Beaumont, this symmetry is exemplified by their love for one another, the similarity of their tragedies, and their comparable masked personas.

Most prominently, the ties to their respective parents bind Andrea and Bruce together,

cause their separation, and keep them apart. This shared filial piety brings about their first

12 and . Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Directed by Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery. 2010. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2010. 13 Michael Nichols, “I think you and I are destined to do this forever: a reading of the Batman/Joker comic and film tradition through the combat myth,” Journal of Religion and Popular Culture 23 (2011), pg. 239. 14 and Eric Radomski. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Directed by Bruce W. Timm and Eric Radomski. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 1993. 15 Andreas Reichstein, “Batman—An American Mr. Hyde?” Amerikastudien 43 (1998), pg. 346. Heskin 5

encounter at the cemetery where Bruce overhears Andrea speaking to her mother’s

headstone. Significantly, Bruce’s vow that results in his taking up the cape and cowl

precedes the meeting and foreshadows the conflict that arises in their ensuing romantic relationship. The encounter is poignantly echoed in the present following Batman’s investigation of the second murder, which occurred at the same cemetery, when Andrea

glimpses Batman near the Wayne tombstone.

Both Andrea and Bruce are presented with the choice between the happiness found in

one other and their perceived obligations to their own families. One flashback in particular reveals Bruce’s indecision regarding the vow that he made on his parents’ graves and continuing his relationship with Andrea since “It’s gotta be one or the other.”16 In an

emotionally charged sequence complete with raging thunderstorm, Bruce makes an appeal at

the cemetery that involves him insisting that “I don’t want to let you down, honest, but…I

need it to be different now. I know I made a promise, but I didn’t see this coming. I didn’t

count on being happy.”17 Andrea appears and offers the comfort that “Maybe they sent me,” and Bruce’s choice becomes apparent in a later scene when he proposes to Andrea.18 The

joyful moment is cut short by a rush of bats emerging from below. The conflict is perfectly

encapsulated when Bruce later reads Andrea’s note breaking off the engagement to escape

with her father, and the image fades to the portrait of Thomas and Martha Wayne before

transitioning to Bruce first donning the mask to become Batman. This pattern repeats when

the hesitant rekindling of their connection is extinguished by Bruce discovering the Angel of

Death’s identity and motives, Andrea once again leaving Gotham on account of her father,

and Bruce affirming his role as Batman.

In suffering the loss of at least one parent due to violence, Andrea and Bruce devote

themselves to addressing injustice. This is their abyss, but they look into it from opposite

16 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. 17 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. 18 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Heskin 6

sides. For Andrea, this involves her being haunted by the sins of her father while the virtuous

legacies of Bruce’s parents in bitter contrast to their tragedy prompt his vow to protect

Gotham in the guise of Batman. Andrea does likewise as the Phantasm or, as she refers to

herself, the Angel of Death. In a sense, both are haunted by their parents, and both respond

with a devotion to see justice done.

Along with being the impetus for this devotion, their parents are inextricably linked to

the personas themselves. For Andrea, this is prevalent to the point that the Angel is initially thought to be Carl Beaumont, and the actor who portrays him, Stacy Keach, even lends his vocal talents to the Angel. This point of origin is alluded to in several instances during the film. During a dinner date, the City Counselor Arthur Reeves inquires whether she is still close with her father, and Andrea responds that they are “closer than ever.”19 In a

conversation between Batman and Andrea, the former asks if she’s “still following [her]

dad’s orders,” and Andrea retorts back that from her perspective, “the only one in this room

controlled by his parents is you.”20 Only in hindsight does the significance of these lines become evident.

Despite Andrea’s nominally angelic persona and Batman’s association with a creature of “darkness, chaos, and evil,” it is Batman who refuses to kill others in the eradication of injustice.21 From this conscious choice, Batman remains distinguishable from his “codeless

antagonists” while Andrea adopts the role of divine arbiter and executioner.22 It becomes

clear that Batman’s continuing to make this choice is the care he must take “lest he thereby

become a monster.”23 The importance of that line and its fragility are made apparent in how

quickly public perception turns on him when he is blamed for the murders and pursued by the

19 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. 20 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. 21 Janetta Rebold Benton, Holy Terrors: Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings (New York: Abbeville Press, 1997), pg. 105. 22 Roger B. Rollin, “Beowulf and Batman: The Epic Hero and Pop Culture,” College English, 31 (1970), pg. 438, 440. 23 Nietzsche, pg. 67. Heskin 7

police. Additionally, this blurred distinction is highlighted when Batman asks Andrea, “But

Andy, what will vengeance solve?”24 Andrea turns the question back on him by claiming that “If anyone knows the answer to that Bruce, it’s you.” Accompanied by an instance of subjective camera from Andrea’s point of view, Batman almost seems to break the fourth wall and call for the viewers to reflect on the question as well as its asker.

In contrast to Batman’s restraint, Andrea’s quest for vengeance is explicitly lethal, and her persona adopts a decidedly divine or supernatural aura, which is augmented by a recurrent use of music imitative of sacred choral pieces. Andrea intends that it be made clear to the perpetrators of her father’s murder that their deaths are a just punishment. “Your

Angel of Death awaits” is the line uttered with the most frequency with another telling line being “Time to pay for your sins.”25 The Angel moves with unnatural speed, seems to glide over the ground, and is often obscured by a shroud of mist, which all contribute to this

otherworldly demeanor. Even when Andrea unmasks herself near the film’s end and divine

retribution is revealed as mortal vengeance, the spectral demeanor is not lost. As the Joker’s explosives at the World Fair begin to detonate and result in a hellish inferno, an intense choral piece commences as the Joker and Andrea become engulfed in mist and disappear.

Whether Andrea completes this last act of vengeance is left with a degree of uncertainty. Regardless, in adopting the divine persona and pursuing this line of justice, she has forever distanced herself from any chance of mortal happiness or connection, and she remains beyond the reach of Bruce, masked or otherwise. During the denouement, Alfred acts as the voice of wisdom:

I don’t think she wanted to be saved, sir. Vengeance blackens the soul, Bruce. I always feared you would become that which you fought against. You walk the edge of that abyss every night, but you haven’t fallen in, and I thank heaven for that. But Andrea fell into that pit years ago, and no one, not even you, could have pulled her back.26

24 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. 25 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. 26 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Heskin 8

A high angle long shot of Bruce literally sitting near the edge of the abyss in the Batcave

visually accents the dialogue, and, as well as being some consolation to Bruce, Alfred

confirms Andrea’s agency in the proceedings. In contradiction to Andrea’s persona as divine

arbiter, she chooses not to assign her actions with moral justification by “not saying it’s right

or even saying” but resolving to execute them anyway.27 Her isolation is affirmed following

the scene in the cave as she sails away from Gotham. Wearing a veil that suggests mourning,

she stands alone in the darkness of the deck while a celebration carries on inside. A

wandering, conversational partygoer asks if she wants to be alone, and Andrea’s answer of

“I am,” a phrase layered with religious significance, discloses a sad resignation.28

It would be all too easy to despair in thinking that the capacity to preserve oneself in the face of the unblinking abyss is as substantial as the phantasm alluded to in the title since the word can refer to an illusion of the mind. After all, Andrea did not begin the film as an antagonist, and she proves that the abyss is populated not solely by the overtly villainous like the Joker. Her ties to her father, the tragedy of his death, and her pursuit to rectify this injustice are all characteristics Bruce shares. Emerging from these commonalities, their divergence becomes all the more significant. There exists a conscious choice between recognizing the gaze of the abyss and opting to embrace it entirely, and the extent of Andrea and Bruce’s similarities makes clear the weight of that choice. Despite the somber ending, a note of solace is granted in Batman and his constancy in walking the abyss every night for ten years’ worth of nights with the promise of many more to come. Batman continues to fight

Gotham’s monsters in the guise of one without ever becoming one, and his power as a character and a moral paradigm lies in the inherent hope that however inevitable an encounter with the abyss may be, the result most assuredly is not.

27 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. 28 Timm and Radomski, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm; Exod. 3:14; “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM [sic]: and he said, Thou shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” Heskin 9

Bibliography

Benton, Janetta Rebold. Holy Terrors: Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings (New York: Abbeville Press, 1997).

Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths (New York: Pantheon Books, 1980).

Garrett, Greg. “The Beast,” in Holy Superheroes!: Exploring Faith & Spirituality in Comic Books (Colorado Springs, CO: Piñon Press, 2005).

“‘Into the Abyss’ director Werner Herzog in Studio Q,” YouTube video, 9:50, posted by “Q with Jian Ghomeshi,” November 14, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlbQF2ht2ic.

Johnston, Robert K. Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue, Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006).

Liu, Sam and Lauren Montgomery. Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Blu-Ray. Directed by Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2010.

Madden, Kathryn Wood. “Images of the Abyss,” Journal of Religion and Health 42 (2003), pg. 117-131.

Nabokov, Vladimir. Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited (New York: Random House, Inc., 1989).

Nichols, Michael. “I think you and I are destined to do this forever: a reading of the Batman/Joker comic and film tradition through the combat myth,” Journal of Religion and Popular Culture 23 (2011), pg. 236-250.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil (New York: Barnes & Noble, 2007).

Nolan, Christopher. The Dark Knight. Blu-Ray. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2008.

Reichstein, Andreas. “Batman—An American Mr. Hyde?” Amerikastudien 43 (1998), pg. 329-350.

Robertson, C. K. “The True Übermensch: Batman as Humanistic Myth,” in The Gospel According to Superheroes: Religion and Popular Culture. Edited by B. J. Oropeza. (New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2005).

Rollin, Roger B. “Beowulf and Batman: The Epic Hero and Pop Culture,” College English, 31 (1970), pg. 431-449.

Timm, Bruce W. and Eric Radomski. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. DVD. Directed by Bruce W. Timm and Eric Radomski. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 1993.