Cillian Murphy favors challenging roles, from war dramas to sci-fi thrillers, from the ruthless leader of the Birmingham gang to the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ in the upcoming Oppenheimer. His intense charisma was prominent since his first films, Disco Pigs and 28 days later, to name a few.
Murphy’s presence in Hollywood is perhaps one of a kind: while he looks elegant, there’s also a mystery and darkness, evident in the sharp edges of his face and, of course, the icy sharpness in his eyes. . The New York Times described Murphy as “a perfect villain” and that his “baby blues look cold enough to freeze water and his wolfish look suggests horrors of his own.” This persona, polished to perfection, is most prominent in The dark knight trilogywhere he plays none of Batman’s most dastardly villains and the only one to do so appear in all three films like a character that brings them all together.
Murphy’s Dr. Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow, is a turning point for any live-action supervillain to follow. From here we see a clear transition from the flamboyant and campy villains of the 1960s show and Schumacher’s Batman to the grim and gritty villains of the likes of Nolan’s Joker and Reeves’ Riddler. Scarecrow, for its part, is a deft amalgam of the two interpretations.
Murphy is menacing but grounded when Dr. Crane, a corrupt psychotherapist who smuggles drugs into Gotham City. He shows that he can also be wonderfully cartoonish, as his transformation into Scarecrow completes. One of the most exciting parts of act three is Scarecrow’s entrance with a sack on his head, riding a horse with fire shooting through his nostrils. So let’s see and appreciate Cillian Murphy’s best moments as Scarecrow.
Updated December 31, 2022: If you love Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow, you’ll be happy to know we’ve updated this article.
6/6 “Do you want to see my mask?”
Nolan’s version of Gotham City is a hyper-real world filled with charm and crime. Behind lavish dinner parties lies social inequality and blatant corruption, and the war between good and evil in Gotham devours everyone, rich and poor. In Batman begins, Nolan has yet to settle into his feature-over-form, Chicago-esque Gotham. The perpetual rain and the industrial smoke and dimly lit alleyways and classic docks littered with smugglers at night – straight out of the comic book.
Scattered in this dark city is a poison emitted by Scarecrow. The Mask of Dr. Crane is therefore a respirator to protect him from the fear toxin he releases on his victims. It also provides a strong optical illusion to torment unfortunate souls under the influence of the gas. It’s the first time we see a glimpse of the Scarecrow. Twisted environments, a distorted voice, and powerful hallucinations of maggots and other creepy creatures crawling out from under the mask all adhere to Nolan’s realism, but also nod to the source material. The end result is a truly disturbing picture.
5/6 “You need to light up!”
It’s worth noting that Murphy auditioned for the role of Batman himself. Although he didn’t get the part, certain aspects made him a worthy contender, and they create the most curious parallel between the Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow and Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) characters in The dark knight universe.
Both men hide behind the mask of their marital name and attractiveness. Batman is there to terrify the cowardly hearts of criminals to keep them away from crime. On the other hand, the Scarecrow identity is used as a symbol of fear to further its own nefarious goals. Wayne overcame his fear of becoming Batman. But on the other hand, Crane succumbs to his own poison and becomes Scarecrow.
Their first meeting emphasizes this juxtaposition. Yes, Crane is just a secondary opponent, but he’s not a silly lackey. He stands alone against the hooded crusader and even manages to gain the upper hand. Not to mention, setting Batman on fire with a witty gag is also just an incredibly cool scene.
4/6 “He is here.” “Who?” “THE BATTER!”
Inside until now Batman begins, the caped crusader grew into his persona. He found the symbol, built the suit, and even underwent successful surgery under his (utility) belt – but it’s this scene that introduces The Dark Knight in its full glory. Dr. Crane lures Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes) to the underground lair, where he has been dumping fear toxins into Gotham’s water system. He stuns the damsel and looms menacingly over her… suddenly the light flickers. Revenge has come.
As Collider says, “It’s such a quintessential Gotham City scene, ripped almost straight out of an episode of Batman: The Animated Series and rendered true to life.” The anticipation and madness that seeps into Cillian Murphy’s lines perfectly show us the transition from Dr. Crane to Scarecrow. His exaggerated portrayal is just the right level of goofy and menacing, a winning recipe for mixing camp with gravity.
3/6 “There is nothing to fear except fear itself!”
If the previously discussed “The Bat-Man” moment has been essential in Bruce’s road to heroine Batman beginsthen this one is definitely the pinnacle of Scarecrow’s arc.
Of being aware of the evil but refusing to participate (“I don’t want to know”), Dr. Crane switches to single-handedly attacking Dawes, who has been snooping around his business. A pinch of his fear gas – and the supervillain is forged and ready to wreak havoc on the streets of Gotham. Astonishing comic book style scene staging, befitting the harbinger of Ra’s al Ghul’s destruction: a scarecrow in a straitjacket, preaching “There is nothing to fear but fear itself!” of a fiery horse. He promises to help Gothamites, but maybe that just means he frees them from the shackles of sanity.
2/6 “Buyer beware.”
Buyer beware. I told you my terrain would take you places. I never said they’d be places you wanted to go.’ Cillian Murphy’s brief appearance as Scarecrow at the beginning of The dark knight is fun and delightful as it creates an inhabited Batman universe. The Chechen and his gang (and his Rottweilers) meet Scarecrow and his thugs in an empty parking garage. The Chechen complains about the drugs sold to him before the meeting is interrupted by Batmen (imposters and then the real thing).
Scarecrow shows that, despite losing his sanity, he has not lost his sharp tongue and pretentious formulations. In addition to setting the scene and catching up on events that take place before the movie, there’s the underlying importance of this scene. Viewers can sense that the world exists outside the main plot, and the members of Batman’s known enemies and rogue gallery prowl the grimy streets of Gotham City, living their lives, performing their dark deeds and making deals among themselves. Who knows, the Iceberg Casino might have been just around the corner, a mysterious redhead could have prepared an eco-terrorist spree, or a man-crocodile could be chilling in the harbour.
1/6 “Now the choice is yours: exile… or death?”
This underrated gem of The dark knight rises cannot go unnoticed. The film interrupts the broadcast of Batman’s agony and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) rediscovering her conscience for an unexpected dark satire. When Bane takes control of Gotham, he frees all of the incarcerated inmates from Blackgate Prison and Arkham Asylum. Scarecrow, who once did favors for the mafia, turns on the rich and powerful. This goes along with his character from the first movie. He was definitely on board with Ra’s al Ghul’s (Liam Neeson) plan to purge Gotham of evil and corruption. His acceptance of Bane’s rule feels like a natural progression.
This time, Scarecrow presides over a kangaroo court, showing his contempt for privileged and distinguished authorities. Again, he’s a somewhat dark reflection of Batman, someone who hates social inequality and stands for justice, albeit in his own twisted way. Scarecrow’s courtroom scene is mockingly exaggerated but also terrifying.