The use of symbolism in films is to represent ideas or qualities. When you see a reappearing object in a film, you know that somehow there is a symbolic meaning attached to that object. As for the movie Batman Begins, a variety of symbols were used throughout the film.
To start off, one symbol that was very constant throughout the whole movie was the use of masks. Take for example Batman himself. Without the mask to compliment the rest of his costume, Bruce Wayne would just plainly be Bruce Wayne. The Mask is what makes Bruce Wayne transform truly and uniquely into Batman. As Bruce Wayne is dressed in costume, he can do just about anything and save anyone in danger within a matter of seconds! Otherwise, minus the costume, you are also eliminating the “super powers” Batman possesses. Taking into consideration that fact, also the villain (the antagonist) in the film, Dr. Jonathan Crane who played the scarecrow, also has a mask. As Batman uses his skills and all for good, the scarecrow is the complete opposite. For Dr. Jonathan Crane’s undercover mask, the scarecrow mask is used in the film to bring out the worries and the fears hidden within the other characters in this film. Therefore, the scarecrow mask was used to in the film to serve as an “evil” symbol as Batman holds the title as the ‘good guy’.
A second symbol I noticed return quite a few times in the movie was the stethoscope. In the beginning of the movie, we are shown when Bruce was a younger boy with his father and they both use the stethoscope to listen to each other’s hearts. For Bruce’s father, Mr. Thomas Wayne, that stethoscope was used to help people medically and to assist in medical issues. His father was simply there to aid in people’s lives if they were suffering or not. As time went on and after the heartbreaking death of both of his parents, the stethoscope had no meaning really, not until Bruce grew up older and decided to go and live again back in the mansion him and his parents all lived in. As time passes, he then uses the stethoscope for good as well and to continue the good deeds his father was doing. However, instead of giving any medical assistance to anyone, he further used his knowledge and strength to use this stethoscope as an influence and to follow him around him when he was rescuing others from dangerous situations. He was primarily the hero of Gotham city who went by the name ‘Batman’.
Last but not least, the third symbol that I thought stood out the most as well was the Wayne’s family mansion. As a young child, Bruce grew up in that house and that mansion has much memories of his past. Memories of his father, his mother and his childhood experiences as well. When Bruce therefore decides to go back and live in the mansion, the furniture and everything is just covered in pure white sheets. You can tell no one had been there for a while and things were still the way they were when he was a young boy. After deciding to live in the mansion, Bruce starts a new beginning for him and that mansion. Soon enough an addition of new memories would be added on as well. Later in the film, Bruce decides to hold his birthday party at his mansion. It was time to celebrate and probably celebrate a new start of a life for him. Desolately, his former mentor Henri Ducard was also at his party. Some issues and problems happened, leading Henri to burn the mansion down to pieces. After some time, near the ending of this film Bruce Wayne is found building a new home, similar to his first one, but this time with a stronger foundation and with an open mind to live a wealthy and caring life like his father did.
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