Defending Bella Reál in The Batman

The Batman is a film about one of our most beloved comic book characters fighting crime and trying to unravel the mystery of The Riddler in his killings of corrupt officials. That is one way to summarize the film, and it sounds rather plain on the surface, nothing remotely controversial. No thanks to the modern age of hyper-partisanship, critics have decided to read politically into the film. Although not at the forefront of it, one who gets an unfair shake-up is the character of Bella Reál, played by Jayme Lawson. Hence, let's defend Gotham City's new mayor.

The Right

Conservatives rely on two cliches' when it comes to their criticisms, one of them becoming more of a lack of original, valid critiques. The first is just the essence of the film entertaining politics, and the latter accusation - the film is woke. At times it seems conservatives prefer Hollywood, which they deem liberal, to remain a-political. Granted, they will allow for leeway on historical films covering something such as the American Founding, where there is no escape from politics. Can you imagine a Watergate film devoid of all and any partisan issues? Of course not, and even they are reasonable enough to accept this. Yet, when a film includes a mayor, no guarantee but prepare for something political, and The Batman is not the first to do this with Bella Reál.

In the 1989 Batman film, we have Mayor Borg. Our leader here is the quintessential dopey, lackluster politician with no spine. Gotham is upon its bicentennial, which means a festival. Throughout the film, he is on District Attorney Harvey Dent's back to clean up crime. At first, Mayor Borg needs Boss Carl Grissom behind bars & then it's The Joker. According to Mayor Borg, he cannot get his parade for the city because people will be too scared to come out until this crime wave is gone. The Joker is an exception, but I ask you - when is organized crime like the mob dangerous to festivals and parades? No one in The Godfather gives off the feeling they would attack the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade.

By no means should we assume Mayor Borg does not care for the safety and well-being of Gotham's citizens. When in the realm of politics, he cares a lot about his balloons and hot dogs, for if he cannot put these dangerous men away, then he has to cancel the festival. If he has to cancel the festival, he appears weak and ineffective as Gotham's mayor. Grant you, it is only a parade, not anyone's social security, but this is the reality of politics. People are more concerned with mundane and superficial details. At the same time, they despise any compromises and or sacrifices.

Next is Tanner 88's Michael Murphy as Gotham City's Mayor in Batman Returns. Nothing all too negative lies about Michael Murphy's character. Instead, the character exists as an honest man who is a thorn in Max Shreck's plan for a power plant. The mayor sees no practical need for this power plant, for the city has a power surplus. We see Lee Wallace's Mayor Borg from the beginning to as late as the beginning of the final act in Batman. Once The Penguin appears before the public in Batman Returns, Michael Murphy checks out.

Yet, it is the mayor's denial of Max Shreck's power plant that I argue gives the film a political bent. Not only that but a lean towards the left. Hear me out when I say the film is not some leftist political manifesto, but it can be read as one if you want...somewhat. According to some on the left, power lies within corporations, not the people or the government. During the attack on the Christmas Tree Lighting, one of The Penguin's men makes his demand - "We want the big guy! The guy who runs the show!" Without hesitation, the mayor steps forward, asking what the gang wants. He gets a backhand for his assumption as the man states, 'Not you! Shreck!' The mayor's rejection of Shreck's request sets the plot in motion. After The Penguin enters the public fray, Shreck gets the ludicrous idea to run The Penguin for mayor in a recall election against the incumbent. Although never directly stated, it's not hard to figure it out - Max Shreck will control the mayor and get his coveted power plant.

The film ends up purveying the general notion of amoral industrialists and capitalists controlling our elected officials to get rich. Yes, 1992 was a different time, but I cannot help but feel if this film released ten to twenty years later, the right would cry a foul. An argument would spring up of the film, making capitalists look bad and probably deride Tim Burton as a socialist.

Skip to Batman Forever, and things are becoming woke if you want to call it that. The comedian George Wallace is Joel Schumacher's mayor. Many viewers gloss over this or do not remember. We see him in one scene - where Two-Face attacks the circus. He asks what the villain wants, and we find out he is the mayor only by Two-Face's response. Blink or tune out for a second, and you miss it. George Wallace's mayor has two lines of dialogue with no other scenes. Instead of being a politician or political figure, he is more of a hapless background civilian. However, this was before George Wallace was a big name. Another note - this is five years after the election of New York City's first African-American mayor - David Denkins. Do enough research, and you will find numerous black males elected to public office before Batman Forever.

Néstor Gastón Carbonell plays Mayor Anthony Garcia in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. As with George Wallace, Carbonell was not a huge name before this film unless you were a big fan of Lost. Although American, Carbonell was born to Cuban parents. Nothing can be said about this mayor politically all that much. We see him first discussing prosecuting Gotham's criminals in The Dark Knight. Afterward, we see him indulging the basic pleasantries of speeches, marches, and lying to the press about the GCPD's raid on the sewers as a 'training exercise.'

Although of Hispanic heritage, he gets a pass for his light complexion. What makes these last two mayors work is still the fact they are male. The notion of a black female elected official is still too new to people, even though you can go back to U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm in 1968. Women of color, in general, are still a minority in public office. Now people are appealing to this great white replacement theory. They fear as if they are becoming the minority, loosing all and any political, social, and economic power.

Selina Kyle's comment on the "white privileged assholes" sets the standard for critics' critique of 'wokeness' in the film. What is subtext becomes text through her line. You have characters such as Selina, who is not your a-typical villain but more grey. Adding to this are heroes such as the new mayor and James Gordon, played by African-American actors. At the same time, villains such as The Riddler, Falcone, The Penguin, and the corrupt officials are all played by white men. The sensitive types take this harshly and declare racism. Yet, they forget the director and writer is white, and our leading hero, Batman - the reason we all came to see the film is white. Dare say it but is Bella Reál a hero? Yes, she talks a good talk while appearing clean and honest. Keep in mind that actions speak louder than words. With the script and her arc in the film, she has little to do or accomplish. Both a mayoral candidate and mayoral elect have no real power to achieve anything. Who is to say she will remain honest? Almost every politician who wins an election wins because they can talk a good game. For all we know, she may bend over to crime lords and special interests to maintain her position. This doubt comes not from her race or gender, mind you. Politics is not a profession noted for trust. Hence one cannot help but remain a skeptic. Bella Reál is no active hero by the usual standard. At best, she is an active participant among the civilians.

Race is, unfortunately, a political issue for many. In our patriarchal society, it can be side-stepped with non-white men who do not step on any toes or stray too much from the status quo. Combine race and gender then you create trouble for those who view both as political, even if the said woman of color does not raise her voice. Casting a black woman does not have to be a political statement. Unfortunately, it is in our hyper-partisan, white patriarchal society, especially when the right binds to identity politics. A black woman automatically equates to change to conservative fearmongers. If those critics on the right had the house-slave Candace Owens for the role instead of Jayme Lawson, they would raise no fuss.

It is no news that we have seen numerous traditionally white characters played by actors of color. James Gordon is one of them, and certainly not the last. Yet, Bella Reál is an original character made for the film. Keep in mind that Bella is a name of Latin origin, so people should not be expecting a white actress per se. In The Art of The Batman book, you can see the production art of this role being Latina. Meanwhile, critics of 'race-swapping' in roles cry afoul when accused of racism. Instead, they argue they are not racist; but against this idea of some form of Hollywood affirmative action, they invent in their minds. Actors need to earn these roles and be the right person for the job, not just some centerpiece for diversity. Yet, Jayme Lawson read and auditioned for the role, hence, earning it.

An African-American woman as mayor is nothing that radically political. Nothing about this casting is part of some 'woke' agenda. At the time of the film's release, there is ten-plus African-American women mayors. Two of them hail from major cities such as St. Louis and Chicago. In addition, it is hardly new, as the first African-American woman elected to mayor was in 1973. The first elected to a major city was in 1987.

Now, does Bella Reál engage in any real partisan issues? As a black woman, the right cannot help but assume she is a liberal and a Democrat. In all of her dialogue, she mentions nothing of any real ideological substance. She simply challenges the incumbent, implying change is needed simply because his way(s) are not working. A conservative can do this to a liberal incumbent as well. Interestingly enough, it is this lack of substance that will upset the left.

The Left

The Left can be more honest in their politics than the Right to film. People on the Left invite politics into movies and read politically into them when nothing is present. Remember when the Left criticized The Dark Knight Rises as a fascist film? Now the Right claims to want their entertainment to be a-political. Yet, they will raise no qualms when the medium bends to the Right. Many liberal critics love to use a Marxist critique of the Batman property. They read him as this oppressive capitalist who could use his means to essentially fund every citizen in Gotham with a job, tuition, healthcare, housing, and everything else under the sun. Adding to their thought, villains such as The Joker represent the exploited proletariat. Believe it or not, some comics exist where Bruce Wayne does do some of these things. Meanwhile, many of his rogues hardly represent working-class values. Nothing about the Joker raises class consciousness. He would kill anyone, rich or poor, as long as it's funny. Furthermore, many of the rogues do not even want help.

Matt Reeves' film attacks corruption in politics and includes a black female mayor. Sadly, this is not enough for them or is just a ruse. There is the notion of Bella Reál being the token black character. Yet, we have Lt. Gordon and Selina Kyle. Now some may argue that Zoe Kravitz is bi-racial and not black. However, a token 'black female character' is a stretch. Furthermore, they do not exploit her blackness in ways such as staying out of the conversation, smiling, and saying things like, "Damn," "Shit," and "That is whack." If anything, she is the grassroots candidate who happens to be black.

There are also complaints about her being female and needing rescue from a man. We play more into gender politics than race here, but we live in a post-JFK world. With a threat on her life, she makes the foolish mistake of going out in the open to make a statement. However, this is against Lt. Gordon's wishes. Upon being shot, Lt. Gordon slides into save the day a.k.a. his job! Instead of her, that could have been Mayor Hamilton Hill or President Obama, expect the same reaction from Lt. Gordon. Try getting up after taking a gunshot unless you are Superman! With the flooding and being waist-deep in water, Batman rescues her. Again, in this situation, what is one supposed to do? She is with white males, hanging on for dear life. Batman is hardly the great white savior here. Again, we live in a post-JFK world. The days of President Lincoln simply walking down to the War Department building is long gone. Black, white, man, woman, trans even, the elected official will have security around even if they plan to walk down a block to Taco Bell.

One criticism is Bella Reál's campaign slogan/ad: Vote For Reál Change. Yes, on the surface, this looks and sounds silly. Using one's name in a campaign slogan or ad is nothing remotely new. President Grant was up for re-election in 1872, and his party coined, "Grant Us Another Term." In the 1924 U.S. Presidential election, President Coolidge is running for re-election, and Republicans tell the nation, "Keep Cool With Coolidge." Goofy, silly, and bordering dad jokes? Sure, but they stick with you. Other candidates rely on catchphrases like 'Make America Great Again,' 'Yes We Can,' or 'Read My Lips, No New Taxes.' Opinion be damned, they are memorable and these past three were the phrases of the winner. Each generation can still recall and recite old commercial jingles. Although it sounds odd, politics requires a certain degree of knowing how to advertise and market yourself. This can come into conflict with what candidates say during their campaign.

The Renewal Program is broken. This city has been renewing for twenty years, look where it's gotten us. Crime has skyrocketed, murder and drug-use are at historic highs. We have a masked vigilante running the streets. - Bella Reál

Let's take her speech and note what she says and what she does not say. Naturally, the Left wants her to come out swinging like Bernie Sanders with the umpteenth mention of Medicare for All, a living wage, unions, and the list goes on and in repeat like a broken record. First, who is to say Gotham City does not already have these things? Maybe they do, but if not, they will take a backseat to the problems of any Gotham City within the Batman mythos - crime and corruption. Outside of the old television show of the sixties, even general audiences are privy to the issues of Gotham. Similar to how some domestic concerns are on the back burner after December 7th, 1941 with President Franklin Roosevelt.

At the time and looking back, people scoff at Obama's promises for 'hope and change.' Hope for what? What will change? Obama was never clear. Voters attach whatever they desire to this campaign promise. It was both broad and vague, making it open to interpretation. Compare this to George H.W. Bush's direct, specific campaign promise of 'no new taxes.' He said this, speech after speech, to a great victory in 1988. Unfortunately, he inherits a deficit and goes back on this promise. Understand, Bush was not some liberal who loves high taxes or is just a liar. He had to govern, not posture. Governing requires having to choose; having to make tough decisions. Unfortunately, given how specific he was in his '88 campaign, he did not win the '92 election.

Some make the comparison of Reál with Obama, given both being black and a similar campaign theme. What is Reál Change? Is she going to change how we address poverty? Will she change up the Gotham City Police Department? Again, she does not make discreet promises, for if she does not fulfill that promise, she can and will be challenged. Second, she cannot be openly honest with the people, given voters prefer fantasy over the truth. Case in point, take Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate for president, in 1984. On his nomation and afterwards, he kept telling the American people that taxes had to go up to balance the budget. He promises voters he will raise taxes but sells it as being open and honest about this policy. Whereas he sells his opponent, President Reagan as knowing taxes will go up, will do it, but will not admit to it. In the end, Reagan said he would not raise taxes, Mondale lost, and Reagan proceeded to raise taxes. Hence, you cannot give voters the truth, for they do not want to hear it.

Lastly, her final speech gets a lot of hate.

We will rebuild, but not just our city. We must rebuild people's faith in our institutions, our elected officials, in each other. Together, we will learn to believe in Gotham again.

Many complain her speech is full of cliches and platitudes. Yet, what were they expecting - The Gettysburg Address or just another tirade grocery list of left-wing policies like Medicare for All and so forth? After this flood, people will benefit from universal health care, a right to a job, public housing, and more. Yet, these radical critics forget what Bella Reál is inheriting. In addition, the critics were not paying attention to the film's thesis.

We see the murder of the Commissioner, the District Attorney, the Mayor, and numerous civil servants and officials of Gotham City. The people learn of the corruption of crime boss Falcone with the city, as they turn the Renewal Fund into a slush fund for corrupt officials and gangsters. I recall a Vietnam veteran commenting on The Pentagon Papers, saying his generation was the last to believe that their government would ever lie to them. With The Pentagon Papers and Watergate, every generation since then cannot help but be skeptical at best or untrustworthy at worst of their government.

Bella Reál has a similar problem. The incumbent had mob connections and cheated on his wife. The cops were also in league with Falcone. Hence doling out unemployment checks will not solve anything long-term or for the morale of Gotham citizens. Is this not also a corrupt bargain in that she can simply buy off the people's trust? She can accomplish this by discontinuing this Renewal slush fund. In addition, she can cut all ties to the mob within the city and appoint honest people to positions of her adminstration. Keep in mind that trust is not something you win overnight. Until she can build faith and trust in Gotham, why should the people believe anything she says for them? If anything, this shows the materialism of her critics - 'Who cares if the new Mayor is a crook! At least she gives us a free house and a pension check.'

The Batman's underlying thesis is vengeance, in what it does to people and how it rights no wrongs. We are introduced to Batman when asked who he is, as he states, 'I'm vengeance.' Afterward, other characters refer to him only as vengeance, not Batman. We learn of The Riddler's ultimate goal of flooding the city, for he feels everyone needs to pay for his suffering as a young orphaned boy. Selina Kyle wants to kill Falcone because he murdered her mother. She plans to shoot him as she states, 'he has to pay!' Yet, Batman argues, 'but you don't have to pay with him. You've paid enough.'

One of The Riddler's followers nearly kills Selina until Batman intervenes. We see Batman beat the man to an inch of his life, having to be restrained by Lt. Gordon. The man is unmasked, and we see he is the man earlier talking about how there is no safety net for the poor. When asked who he is, he responds, 'I'm vengeance.' Right here, Batman sees the negative effect he has had on people. In the end, Batman laments, 'Vengeance won't change the past, mine or anyone else's. I have to become more. People need hope. To know someone's out there for them.' Unfortunately, hope is not enough for some. They could get their new New Deal but still demand vengeance or violent revolution for their own cathartic reasons. Sadly, it's not about justice for Bella's leftist critics, but just about making themselves feel good.

Many on the Left read into this film with such ideological animosity, almost wanting Bella Reál to launch some October Revolution, killing the rich and securing all the means of production. Furthermore, they forget this is a movie about a decades-old comic book superhero. Politics aside, most audiences did not come to see The Batman in hopes of learning if Matt Reeves endorses progressive policies and wants to put a socialist into office. They came here to see Batman do what Batman does best! If they still want to criticize Bella Reál for what little she does or says, recall she has little screen time in the film. We could give her more screen time, but this is The Batman, not the Bella Reál film. If they need some feel-good, take-political-action movie, they can check out 1933's Gabriel Over The White House or Kevin Kline in Dave.

After Barrack Obama won the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, The Onion satirically wrote how a black man got the worst job in America, proving that a black man cannot catch a break. The same applies to Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál in The Batman, all jokes aside. We see the Right takes offense to the sheer existence of a black woman as mayor. Meanwhile, the Left will welcome her only if she tows their party line and becomes their mouthpiece. Sadly, generations later and the African-American woman is not truly emancipated or independent. In the future, I recommend people check their hyper partisan identity politics at the door of their theatre.

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