Always liked how the two people that have alter egos happened to be the only ones not wearing costumes at the costume party. So subtle but so effective.
Indeed. Out of the four main characters who appear in this scene (Bruce, Max, Selina, and eventually Penguin), Max Schreck, the supposedly "Respected monster," is the only one wearing a mask.
yeah I thought that brought real emotion to the scene. it was so masterful I wondered at that moment was she really acting or thinking about something else going on in her own life.
I loved the timing of the composition. As Bruce's head crosses the screen, she changes. It's poignant because we can see that Bruce Wayne sees himself in Selina Kyle when she says "I don't know who I am anymore." Bruce Wayne has lived so long for revenge and justice as Batman that he feels similarly lost.
I loved that part when they find out who they are and Bruce wipes Selina's tears and pulls her towards him. That scene was beautiful and very powerful. You can actually feel the love between these two.
Yeah, its my favorite part of the scene, and that's a far-reaching statement. That level of vulnerability from such a stony seeming person is absolutely stunning. I love that tenderness.
@@josephmullin5845 earlier in the movie when Batman meets Catwoman he tells her "you know mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it" to which she replies "a kiss can be even deadlier" so this time they reverse the sayings and both realize where they heard the quote from
And we can make a direct Apples to Apples comparison to the Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle dance in The Dark Knight Rises. Tim Burton's scene is vastly superior in costume style, memorable dialogue, music, and acting. Christopher Nolan's scene seems drained of energy by comparison.
Me too. I saw this in the cinema when I was 12 years old and it gave me goosebumps. It still does now. The song playing in the background is perfect. These 2 characters so deserved another movie together. Damn Warner Bros for pushing Tim Burton away from Batman 3.
@@TonyQuinn i believe they did. It was definitely established that both Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle knew each other's secret identity at the end. When batman took of his face mask and talked to catwoman.
@@TonyQuinn They figured it out after both repeated lines about mistletoe that the other had said in a scene earlier in the movie while they were both in their costumes.
This scene was a real struggle for Bruce and Selina, where they were still attracted to each other. Furthermore, they couldn’t decide if they should start fighting each other or start a romantic relationship.
I agree..Michelle Pfeiffer is easily the best Catwoman. The older 60s versions are just too cheesy and cringy, Halle Berry was hot as hell as Catwoman but she was terrible in almost every other way as was that movie, Anne Hathaway was decent/good overall but Michelle Pfeiffer was much better as Catwoman. Michelle Pfeiffer is easily the best Catwoman..it's really not close.
Except Halle was NOT Catwoman, it wasn't even a "catwoman" movie but in name only as it was originally an original idea and the script was never called Catwoman but something else until the dipshit dumbass executives of WB wanted to cash-in on the upcoming Batman movie so they called it "Catwoman". Hey Aaron, what do you think of Hathaway and do you think Adrienne Barbeau had a great voice as her in the animated series?
Johnlindsey289 Yes, I thought Adrienne Barbeau was AWESOME as Catwoman's voice in the Animated Series..but then again, I love pretty much everything about the 90s AS. As for Anne Hathaway..I liked her as Catwoman..I thought she did decent/good..but something is still missing with her Catwoman..she kinda had a Batgirl feel to her as well. I didn't like that she killed Bane..not so much because SHE killed him but I just thought it was a cheap/anti climatic death for Bane..who was awesome..shocking/surprising but still too easy/cheap and anti climactic for such a great villain. Overall she was good but Michelle Pfeiffer is just..well..great as Catwoman. So hard to top. Some people say that Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman wasn't much of a fighter but she beat on Batman pretty good, owned the guy in the back alley and literally did tic tac toe on his face and then knocked him out, and she also killed Max Shreck. She was an all around awesome Catwoman.
Michelle’s performance was incredible. You can’t help but feel Selina’s struggle and conflict between herself. Her anger at being mistreated and shunted aside all her life and her struggle to contain and/or unleash the animalistic side within her and the need to take control of her own life. Best. Cat woman. EVER.
Bruce understood by film's end. She'd been so mistreated: by Shreck, the Penguin, Bruce (as Batman) -- the "appendage" guy on the answering machine. There's a powerful message in the film that isn't overly woke or heavy-handed. "Good will toward men... and women."
@@leviathanmg Oh please there's nothing woke about it, she's a woman who discovered her inner dominant side, in the original script she's pretty much written up as a Dominatrix, if anything that is the definition of anti-woke...
Robin9309: The Fan of Steel Well Joker did shoot his parents with a similar gun in the previous film, so she might’ve triggered some ptsd in him when he saw her pull it out🤷♂️
"I don't know anymore... Bruce." I love how when Bruce's head covers her face she switches so seamlessly from pained and tortured to laughing and unhinged.
Agreed. 100%. The Catwoman in Dark Knight Rises I found to be dull, stoical, insipid, childish, arrogant & cold by comparison. She literally breaks down into tears here. In DKR she barely raises an eye brown.
Yeah. I liked Pattinson and Kravitz’s chemistry together, but within context of The Batman’s story, it did feel a little forced, at least their kiss did. There was subtle angst and emotion shared, but nothing too evocative. This is still the best Bat/Cat dynamic on-screen.
@@loganhurley4764 The problem for me is that none of the modern batmen and catwomen are weird enough. This is the only film where they were genuinely a bit odd, they had distinct personalities and quirks. She's a bit manic, but also changeable and furiously angry sometimes. And he's cool, calm, but a little maladjusted. He sleeps upside down, and looks like he's not quite there a lot of the time, like his mind's on other things. It's subtle but it suggests depths, like he's always holding something back. Which he is. Whereas all the modern versions are just archetypes. They're just symbols representing 'Justice' or 'Vengeance'. Bale's Batman is brilliant as a comic book character, as a superhero, but there's no real personality there, he's just a charming jock wih lots of money. Affleck's is even less interesting, just a lot of wry smiling and some bad quips. No personality. And Pattinson is just a growly, humourless nothing. Another Batman who is just a symbol rather than a believable person. Same goes for the Catwomen: they're just there to be sexy and double-crossing, they're archetypes, symbols representing 'the seductive thief'. There's nothing resembling a personality. That's why, for all the ways the Burton films feel clunky and silly compared to modern Batman films, they got some things very right, in a way that their successors didn't. If you have characters that feel like real people, rather than just props for the action, then that's half the job done.
@@jermainehaslam5634 Kravitz and pattin who? 😂I feel nothing in The Batman movie no chemistry I just see 2 kids with no passion,they are very bad no emotion, no intensity nothing,they are not 2nd cause they create nothing only bad moments with bad acting,in Burton movies we feel true acting true chemistry, passion,intensity that the difference
Mmm...I would say Keaton's Wayne was more reserved and introspective. But yeah I see where you're coming from. It's like he could be influential without saying much. That's why I like him as Bruce Wayne/Batman
@@daustin8888 I liked 1992 way better but both films have their place. I felt the first film was about who Batman was. Second film moved on from that theme. Joker > Penguin as a villain, but Catwoman/Selina Kyle > Vicky Vale as a love interest.
Keaton's batman is more human and vulnerable without trying so hard to be vulnerable like bale(if that make sense). He is exactly what bruce wayne should be without all the muscles.
RM M exactly. Keaton plays the vulnerable, introverted but also psychologically disturbed to pull off wearing the outfit and crime fighting. Affleck was a brilliant world-weary, paranoid & ultimately lost bruce wayne until his PTSD pulled him back and reminded him why he was Batman in the first place. Bales, to me, wasn’t really anything but that’s the point - it was supposed to be a stale, ‘realistic’ version whereby Bruce Wayne is batman to ‘clean up the streets’ and ‘do a job’ before kinda moving on. It’s a contradiction though and didn’t really work imo because without having that physiologically disturbed element to the character it’s then not believable he’d dress up as a bat and do what he does.
The perfection of Selina appearing directly behind the _death mask_ signaling that there was (like she said) no happy ending attached to her; the 100% aesthetic lighting shadowing their faces to make it look like they're wearing their alter ego masks _right_ before they have the talk about masks *and* learn each other's secret identities... 👌 This film was a MOOD
This is quite possibly the most powerful and resonant scene in any superhero film to date. Pfeiffer is absolutely stunning in the way she switches between provocateur, tease and lover showing us Selina's anger, vulnerability and mental instability by turn, and the turmoil she faces containing her alter ego, Catwoman. Keaton also deserves considerable recognition for giving her the space to dominate their exchanges while still exuding a quiet strength. They were both quite brilliant and watching this scene again only serves to reconfirm that.
I agree, thou i do think the scene where Tobey's Spider-man saves the train in SM2, and the passengers save him and promise not to tell is tied for it. BOTH best superhero scenes of all time imo. "Oh my god, does this mean we have to start fighting?" ... pure brilliance.
Come on analysis. When she says that she doesn’t know who she is anymore….that line…that specific line sparked my villian origin story. That’s me all the time….basking in lunacy and loving every minute…I think
@@bilbobaggins9451I don't really like the plot or story of the movie. It is a mess. But I like everything else about the movie besides some eccentricities.
This is one of those super rare movie moments where male and female audiences can both enjoy a super romantic scene. It's so well written, shot, composed and acted. It's pretty damn amazing. Tim Burton's finest moment for sure.
It was so sweet how he wiped her tear and pulled her close to him, as if he understood her even more now as catwoman. it was like he was looking into a mirror when he looked into her eyes. It all made sense. Seeing her vulnerability was so personally familiar to him. He took her face her face and consoled her as if he was consoling himself.
I love how much acting range Michael Keaton has. He can go from playing a goofy, eccentric billionaire, to smooth playboy to psychotic Batman in one role.
The transition from Bruce whispering sweet-nothings in Selina's ear to Batman staring down Catwoman, alongside the realisation he's rumbled, is nothing short of phenomenal. Amazing actor.
This was a badass scene between two people who were attracted to each other. The music, the way they were dressed, what they said to each other, the laugh. That scene was excellent acting. The kiss. That was perfect.
this woman, was pure genius in her role....shoulda won an academy award or something....seriously. catwoman is michelle...michelle IS catwoman...there is NO other....
Johnlindsey289 Hathaway was average. She is not larger than life like Michelle is. Adrienne Barbeau was an amazing voice actress for Catwoman. No one else comes close, not Faith from Buffy, not Gina Gershon, Azula from Avatar, etc. But Michelle Pfeiffer is still the best.
Lol yup. There's so many movies I watch now that I saw as a little kid that I realize what it really meant. It's like watching the movie for the first time.
I love how none of Selina's weird shit actually turns Bruce off. He honestly seems more concerned about Selina getting caught with a gun than her actually killing Shreck himself. He continues kissing her even after she makes it clear that she desired to kill Shreck.
@Insidious Juice No there not. They are both perfectly aware of what they were doing. A real crasy person has no inside of his own actions. Bruce knows that he isn't able to fight crime without the suit, gadgets and powerfull car loaded with weapons. Maybe he looks like a crasy person in that batsuit, but the suit has to project him from getting hurt, it's just effectiveness.
Because Batman does want to kill people. He's admitted this in the comics. It's a natural human response to injustice. He would probably love to kill Max. But he's going one step further to try and solve the problem, to get Max in jail, to punish him, and trying to save Selina, not Max.
@@MrMisanthrope84 Yes, for instance he says it to Jason Todd about the Joker, how he wishes he could just end him and stop him from killing more people, but its a curve he can never turn back from.
This ballroom scene was amazing -- Pfeiffer's eyes fluttering toward the ceiling, glittering with madness, with Siouxsie's darkly Pharaonic music playing in background -- ranks up there alongside the Ra's al Ghul training sequence as the best scenes in Batman cinematic history. Batman Returns is an underrated masterpiece.
It says a lot that Nolan paid homage to this scene in Dark Knight Rises. Nolan's universe is completely different to this one but it is a testament to how good this scene is that Nolan gave his little tribute to it.
Its when Bruce comes out for the first time in years to the public he goes to a party where Selena happens to be there. They do the same thing as this scene they discuss stuff while dancing.
The reason Nolan’s scene isn’t as impactful as this one is because in Nolan’s universe, even though they had feelings at that point, they already knew who each other were. Here, it was a big, heartbreaking reveal. Here, Bruce & Selena were already in love, while Batman & Catwoman were enticed by each other. Both were trying so hard to keep their secret from each other because both wanted a normal life and saw an escape through each other. They are both struck with immediate heartbreak by the realization that even though they know they love each other, deep down they know they can’t be together.
@@abramsullivan7764 Its funny you should mention that. Because James Rolfe of Angry video game nerd fame, recently made a video arguing whether or not Batman Returns counts as a Christmas movie.
I remember watching this movie in theatres when I was an elementary school kid, what a classic! All the main characters portrayed by fine actors, truly authentic and memorable.
I once got a hug and a photo from Catwoman in full Michelle Pfieffer costume at the WB movie world parade. God damn she was hot. Most fun I’ve ever had with my clothes on.
This is one of the greatest scenes of ANY Tim Burton film. Just to start off, it's a mask party. A mask party!! And Bruce and Selina are the ONLY two not wearing masks, because they technically ARE wearing masks. It symbolizes that their masked alter egos are their true selves. That is a stroke of geniuse on Burton's part. Then, the music is just great. But, the absolute icing on the cake is Michelle Pfeifer's performance. Selina is so beautiful on the outside, and totally broken on the inside. And you can see it in the way that she laughs and cries at the same time. Michelle Pfeifer stole the show in every scene she was in. Her performance was out of this world incredible!
the only two without masks is batman & catwoman..... their true face is the mask & their persona wearing the mask as batman & catwoman is their real face
You know, mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it. But a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it. It took me years to understand it-their love is poisonous.
Ahh Batman Returns. An immensely rewatchable movie. It's not a classic Batman movie, more of a dark, adult, black comedy, fairy tale. But for performances, mood and atmosphere it is irresistible. And it shows once again how the Batman character can work in many formats. One of Burtons best movies. Visually stunning with a subtlety of direction many of his later works could have done with.
2 great actors, seeing each other across a crowded room, perfect music in the background. The only ones not wearing a costume, sharing a moment then speaking each other's line from the previous encounter as Batman and Catwoman. Loved it.
Arguably the best scene in the movie, one of those type of scenes where u don't realize how good it is as a child, its only when you're an adult that you fully understand this scene and the power of it....her crying and laughing, them finding out who each other are, the convo itself is just amazing, great acting by both and Michelle look fine as hell in this scene lol
Same. I used to always watch this movie on VHS and even though it was kind of scary with the Penguin as a kid, you knew Batman would always kick ass. Now that I am older, I love this movie even more.@@andyjm7122
Unfortunately, many women don't understand that, or believe it. Eventually, after a man has seen what a woman has, he starts looking at other women. For some men, if a woman shows all herself to other guys, and/or has sex with them, there is nothing left special for her husband, if she ever marries. Continuing from there, some guys conclude why get married to her, if there is nothing special regarding her that she has reserved for me alone? I repeat though, some guys, not necessarily all guys are bothered that deeply by such a situation.
I remember at the time there was some Oscar buzz for this movie, but in the end they nominated her instead for *Love Field,* an indie Civil Rights drama that bombed at the box office but nevertheless was considered the more prestigious project.
the funny thing is, Bruce wayne is wearing a costume. the costume is that of a normal being who runs wayne enterprises, the costume of 'Bruce Wayne' . The real person underneath, is Batman.
Kenneth Donnelly pretty much what he is saying is that the night his parents died bruce died with them thus batman was born....bruce even stated deep in his mind he dont call himself bruce...but rather batman.... This scene even shows you you what im talking about. Its a costume party and everyone looking at bruce like ok where the hell is your costume but they just dont realize he is in a costume.......bruce wayne hope you understand now
Ron Jones Lmao dudes you picked the wrong movie for that BS. At the end of Batman Returns, Bruce rips apart his Batman mask. Tired of pretending to be not Bruce Wayne. And those two refer to each other as Bruce and Selina. Because they KNOW what matters to them is being Bruce and Selina. Batman and Catwoman were never real
Kenneth Donnelly dude he ripped his mask off at the end to convince selina not to kill shrek....i thought i was talking to someone who was a real batman fan but i can see you dont know shit about batman or about split personality disorder...you must dont because if you did and you looked up anything about the dark knight it will tell you that bruce is the mask and batman is the real person.....but you're not a fan so its understandable why u dont know what we're talking about
Look how good the lighting is in this scene. They simply don't put this level of care and technique into films now, with the advent of digital wirh such high iso capabilities. Everything just looks mushy in those night/dark scenes.
Definitely the kind of acting where I ask “how did they do that??” Her laughing was done so perfectly for this scene. Definitely a rare actress and impossible for most to emulate. Streep level acting here. Even her contemporaries like Bullock and Roberts couldn’t do this.
October 30, 2017--- I really missed the year of 1989 Batman and 1992 Batman Returns...Michael Keaton is way beyond to awesome to play Bruce Wayne /Batman...great job Michael Keaton! Michelle Pfeiffer did a great job playing Cat woman...
Michelle pfeiffer is THE catwoman. Anne Hathaway was okay, I guess, but Michelle really portrayed the conflicted Selina Kyle and vengeful catwoman excellently.
"Actually semi hard. There's a big comfy California king in bedding. What do you say?" "We take off our costumes?" I wish this part of the dialogue had continued... I had no idea how sexual this movie was as a kid in 1992...
A triumph in film making. Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, and Michelle Pfeiffer deserve all the credit in the world for this scene. Unforgettable, and the Siouxsie and the Banshees "Face to Face" ties it all together.
Pfeiffer's Catwoman is the best acted and most interesting comic book female in the all of comic book movies. Seriously, who else comes close? Shows two things: she can act and it is a well written character with a great arc. She is on screen for about 1/2 hour and has a better story/arc/acting than black widow did a 74+ movies.
contrary to the wisdom of the age, writing for female characters is much worse than 20+ years ago. My wife and daughters complain about how women are written in most comic-book/fantasy/sci fi shows these days.
@@elrond3737 Yeah, women characters were written more realistic back then. Nowadays, they are almost always flawless Mary Sues who are as good as (or better than) men at everything.
As a child this was the most powerful scene in any movie I'd have ever seen and it awoke emotion in me that at that time were new and incredible. This scene remains one of the defining scenes of all of my cinematics experiences and maintains a place in one of the best scenes of any movie of all time. As subtle as it is, it's an absolute masterclass of acting, direction, cinematography and music.
I can’t shake how good this acting and movie is (nor do I want to). There has not been a superhero film where the two leads have as much chemistry, not where the lines hold such double meaning since Batman Returns. The emotions, tension, and passion is PALPABLE. Once in a while I come back to rewatch this scene and it always makes me want to watch the whole movie all over again. Keaton to me is still the best Batman (next to Conroy), and Pfeiffer - well, she’s just the best. The true Selina in my heart. ❤️
I love how at 3:30 when she says she doesn't know who she is anymore and is frightened and scared, and then when the camera moves behind Bruce and we see her again, she's insane. I never noticed that til now.
I remember this scene very vividly in the theater in 1992. As soon as I heard the song which would later be revealed to be "Face to Face", I immediately recognized the singer and my heart dropped as Siouxsie and the Banshees is one of my most favorite bands ever. I remember thinking how much I'm enjoying the movie and my approval rating went through the roof the second I heard Siouxsie's voice.
In the same way that Ingrid Berman's face just radiated in Casablanca fifty years previously, so too does Michelle Pfeiffer's here, one of the most beautiful women that ever came out of Hollywood.
Say what you will about this movie as a whole, but the Bruce/selina relationship in Batman returns leaves the dark knight rises for dead. More tragic too.
I don't know what "fans and critics" you follow but that is most certainly not the majority consensus especially among fans (Burton has famously said he's never read a comic book and it really shows).
I do not like Anne's cat woman because she is completely non-sensual and unsexy and Bale and Hathaway have little chemistry. Or, it could be that Christopher Nolan just is not good at writing or directing female leads in his films. Say what you want about Tim Burton, but it is clear from his films that he loves his female characters!! Anne always comes across as a pre-teen girl who has only just recently discovered sexuality, but does not fully understand it. So she goes around mimicking the behaviors of what she thinks being sensual and sexy is, when it is not! Her Selina Kyle character/performance was okay though.
"Or, it could be that Christopher Nolan just is not good at writing or directing female leads in his films." BINGO. All of the female characters in his films are forgettable and disposable. Look at his filmography and The Lost Lenore, AKA The Dead Love Interest trope pops up constantly: This trope is a love interest of a prominent character is dead (or some equivalent of dead or occasionally just genuinely believed to be dead) before the story begins or dies relatively early in the story their death has significant ongoing impact, consequences and relevance for the remainder of the story Leonard's wife in Memento. Dead wife. Julia in The Prestige. Dead wife. Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight. Dead girlfriend. Mallorie Cobb in Inception. Dead wife. Coop's wife in Interstellar. Dead wife. Spencer, go pick another hill to die on for Nolan. Dont willingly be stupid and oblivious .
Batman Returns may not be a flawless movie but you got to be out of your fucking mind to say that this specific scene between Bruce and Selina is not Flawless. This is one of the best scenes, not just in superhero films, but in movies and entertainment as a whole. The Set Up, The pacing, and the peformances between Keaton and Michelle was so perfect. This scene, In 3 minutes, expressed so many things, in the love both bruce and selina share to selina's slow decent to madness to Bruce trying his hardest to help selina before she decents into the darkness that Bruce work so hard to avoid and tim burton did all that in one scene that lasted 3 minutes. These Tim Burton Batman movies will always have a special place in my heart and will always be the best Batman Movies in my opinion.
I loved how Bruce and Selina both gave away their secret identities to each other without actually saying the names of their respective alter egos, that one line from Selina "does this mean we have to start fighting?" truly cemented the tension in this scene plus the change of mood from seductive music to orchestral sadness was just pure genius. Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer had amazing chemistry and really owned this whole movie from start to finish. 26 years later and Batman Returns is still my favourite Batman live action movie of all time.
I love everything about this scene. The irony that these two characters are the only ones not wearing masks at a masquerade ball. The sympathy they feel for each other’s dread of “wearing masks” neither knowing that the other is being quite literal. *The kiss* . The neck kisses from Bruce, the closeness between the two, the mad ability of Pfeiffer to cry while laughing and fully showcase Selina’s broken mind and spirit, the panic in Selina’s eyes when she realizes that he knows and why, the way Bruce holds her close against him to try to calm her down. How they both look fine as hell. *UGH*
I would need a flow chart to explain how profound this scene is. What an amazing sequence. How vulnerable they are with each other. Utterly overpowered by love. Quite enchanting.
Though I thought this sequel took the Burtonism too far, the chemistry between Keaton and Phieffer hands down is what made this follow up worthy. Keaton got a better handle of the character this time around.
This is one of the most amazing scenes in ANY Batman movie. The acting, the writing, the music, the set, the cinematography, it all screams Gothic Batman. And the way they both figure out who each other is so romantically dramatic, as well is what they were going to do after they figured it out: just talk. Batman Returns is not as bad as so many people say.
@@-Anonymous-. Same. As a kid, Selena falling out of a window, being brought to life by ally cats, then having a mental breakdown at her apartment was horrifying to me. As an adult, it still creeps me out.
Are you kidding? Most consider this one of the best Batman movies, an 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes a few points higher than 1989 and is getting a celebratory 30th anniversary this year. I'd say it's pretty loved.
0:21 Alfred's Expression *"You Son Of A B!+C#"* 3:55 *"Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it, but a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it"* It seems in every Batman movie someones always discovering his true identity.
I'm sorry Christopher Nolan, but your "ballroom" dance scene with Selina and Bruce pales in comparison to Tim Burton's version. Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway had 0 chemistry. Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer were electric, sexy and vulnerable.The dialog, the pacing and the set up was perfect. Plus, the scene is so tragic because we want them together but sadly they won't. This is how you make a tragic romance in a mainstream film.
I like how Burton treats this movie more like a freak show. He’s the only director to truly ‘get’ who Batman is: a sad and messed up freak with a split personality. He’s not that far removed from the villains.
