The New Batman Film: An Onlooker's Account of the Filming

I was walking down Randolph Street in downtown Chicago a few Friday's ago when I came upon State Street. Do you remember State Street? According to Frank Sinatra it was that great street. As I crossed State on the North side of the street I saw a small group of people standing behind a barricade and the unmistakable lights and cameras representative of a movie set (I experienced this before having witnessed scenes being shot for the Nicolas Cage film The Weatherman, the Will Ferrell film Stranger Than Fiction and the Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock film The Lakehouse).

Being a film buff and having about ten minutes to kill it didn't take more then a split second to turn off Randolph and head towards the barricade on the West side of State in front of the grand Chicago Theater. I was able to get up close to the barricade and asked the man next to me what was being filmed. The man was unsure. Another man leaning up against the barricade got the attention of a young woman who was working security, standing several feet away from the group on the other side of the barricade. The security woman approached and the man asked her what movie was being filmed.

"Rory's First Kiss" was her response.

Being a film buff who often searches film websites, I had previously read that Rory's Big Kiss was a code name for none other then "The Dark Knight," the new Batman movie with Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger (as the Joker), Gary Oldman and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

I informed the guy next to me of this and he seemed amused by my tale until he took a closer look and realized I wasn't kidding. The man up front shot me a look as if I had just sullied his family name without provocation. The security woman had inconspicuously walked away again.

We stood around and watched for a moment and were then instructed not to make noise as they were ready to shoot. A few moments later the word "Action" was called out and I caught glimpse of the light haired, scruffy faced man standing next to one of the three cameras sitting right on the street. His camera was the one closest to the sidewalk on the East side of the street just North of the Chicago Theater. I recognized him immediately by his face but his British accent gave him away as none other than director Christopher Nolan (Memento; Insomnia; Batman Begins; The Prestige).

Just then we saw a cab approach and stop right in front of the Chicago Theater. It only took a second for me to see the license plate on the front of the car had Gotham City on it. When the cab stopped out came Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Eckhart, best known for roles in such movies as In the Company of Men; Erin Brockovich and Thank You For Smoking, was well dressed with a tan rain coat on and umbrella in hand. Gyllenhaal, best known for her roles in Secretary, Stranger Than Fiction and World Trade Center, looked even more beautiful in real life despite a drab looking professional suit she had on. They both exited the cab and director Nolan hollered, "Cut."

I looked at my movie fan companions and pointed out the license plate and soon everyone realized that it was, indeed, the new Batman movie being filmed. The man by the barricade called the security woman over but she had gotten wind of our discovery and wouldn't budge from her spot nor even acknowledge us any further. It quickly became apparent we weren't supposed to know the movie that was being shot and ignoring us once we found out the truth seemed the best option to keep the crowd under control.

The cab backed up to the end of the block at Randolph awaiting instructions as the scene was being shot again possibly for protection or because Nolan was not satisfied with the previous take (Of course I can't say how many times the scene had already been shot prior to my arrival).

Nolan approached Eckhart and Gyllenhaal, who listened intently to what he was saying. After a few minutes Gyllenhaal walked over to the wall of the Chicago Theater to lean on while Nolan continued talking to Eckhart. Moments later Eckhart glanced our direction and suddenly took his umbrella and mimicked the famous Singin in the Rain dance Gene Kelly made famous, much to the delight of the crowd but also to an amused Nolan and Gyllenhaal, who was laughing hard at her co-star's antics. Once Eckhart finished Nolan held out his arms and looked to the crowd awaiting applause that would follow only moments later. Eckhart bowed and burst into laughter with Nolan and the giggly Gyllenhaal who walked over to them.

Eckhart and Gyllenhaal made their way down the street and entered the cab awaiting Nolan's call for 'Action.' In no time Nolan called out and the cab came down on cue repeating everything we had witnessed the first time.

By then it was time for me to leave to catch my train. As is the case with all the other movies I watched film it is quite likely what I watched will either be just a few seconds of actual screen time or maybe it won't make the final cut entirely.

The next day I was walking at lunch and saw a one block long convoy of parked trailers. As I walked by each one there was a handwritten sign in the window which said: Joker Henchman, which was then followed (presumably) by the actor playing the part whose trailer it was. It struck me as funny that the filmmakers are trying so hard to disguise the movie they are shooting and then have signs like that.

Either that or a young man named Rory has come to Gotham City and is in for one hell of a good time that is going to end with a kiss.