Surprising Performances in Surprising Places: Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns

In the early part of the 90s visionary director Tim Burton tried his hand at adapting Batman to the big screen. He brought to life two films that, sadly, have been forgotten in the presence of Christopher Nolan's gritty reboots. Burton created two films brimming with gothic vision a whimsy that he seemed to really understand what a comic book adaptation is before the big superhero fad of the past 10 years, it's a shame that people dismiss his films so easily. This all to bring attention to Burton's second Batman film. Batman Returns is the continuing story of Bruce Wayne in his self proclaimed mission to save Gotham City from the wretches who inhabit it. This time, however, instead of one villain in The Joker we have two in Penguin and Catwoman. The film itself is a delightful and wonderful adaptation, but the real gem here is Catwoman, or should I say Selena Kyle, or better yet Michelle Pfeiffer. Catwoman as a character has always been one of the more innately complex villains in Batman's rogues gallery. Catwoman has never been a real enemy of Batman, just someone working in opposition to, a foil to him if you will, but in this incarnation her alter ego Selena Kyle is falling in love wth Bruce Wayne, thus the true drama of Batman Returns. While in many cases Catwoman, and more importantly Selena Kyle, could have been played as a sex object who seduces Batman it is Pfeiffer who gives true life and depth to Kyle. Pfeiffer plays Kyle and Catwoman as a conflicted woman slowly losing her grip on the person she wants to be. Pfeiffer has those wonderfully revealing eyes that capture every inch of emotion so that no one can miss it without her saying a word, and in those eyes she brings so much to the screen. In this film Pfeiffer becomes the definition of a scene stealer, there isn't one moment of her screen time that the viewer isn't infatuated with her over anyone else, including Batman. While Batman Returns is a good film, in many ways its wonderful, its still a superhero movie with all of its comic book-ness intact, there is no reason to expect a performance at the caliber that Pfeiffer delivers. There is one scene where Bruce and Selena are dancing and they both realize they are also batman and catwoman, Pfeiffer whispers to Bruce "Does this mean we have to fight now?" and in that one whisper she devastates the viewer with the sudden twist of her heart as she deals with this revelation. Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman is a surprising performance in a surprising place.