New Documentary Figures Out Why We All Want to Be Batman

This week Batman got a belated 75th anniversary present: the release of Legends of the Knight, a crowdfunded documentary that celebrates not only the crime fighting alter ego of Bruce Wayne, but more importantly the real-world impact that the character has had on readers and fans since his debut in 1939's Detective Comics #27.
LegendsOfTheKnight
Brett Culp Films

This week Batman got a belated 75th anniversary present: the release of Legends of the Knight, a crowdfunded documentary that celebrates not only the crime fighting alter ego of Bruce Wayne, but more importantly the real-world impact that the character has had on readers and fans since his debut in 1939's Detective Comics #27.

"Batman is a unique blend of so many things," says director Brett Culp. "He's powerful, yet human. He's mysterious, yet relatable. He's heroic, yet broken. We love his action-packed adventures, but we have become fans because he is one of us."

That one-of-us aspirational aspect of the Bruce Wayne character is essential for Culp, whose "passion project" documentary, out this week, took some three years to complete and features interviews with Batman movie producer Michael Uslan and former Batman comic editor Dennis O'Neil. It also has appearances from fans and academics explaining the appeal of the millionaire hero.

"It's too late for me to be born on Krypton, and I probably won't ever be bitten by a radioactive spider," Culp says. "But, given the right motivation, I believe it's possible that I could be like Batman. Not to fight crime as a vigilante, but to do good and help other people. Batman is a constant reminder that I can be a hero in my own life, in my family, and in my community. Even without a mask and cape."

There's no escaping the fact that, no matter how much of an inspiration Batman may be, he's also a massively valuable piece of intellectual property for DC and its corporate owner, Warner Bros., however. As Culp admits, "we are living in an interesting time where our cultural stories are very intertwined with commerce." Nonetheless, he suggests, the character has survived the demands of the market surprisingly well. "I sense that the majority of the filmmakers, writers, and artists who have worked on the character have a strong desire to honor his fans and expand the legend in positive ways," he says.

Culp's own relationship with commerce includes the successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the documentary (the project made $54,820, almost double its original goal, in 2013). "I hoped people would want to join us, but I wasn't sure," he says.

The true success of the Kickstarter campaign went beyond financial interests, Culp says, because it helped him build buzz early on and attracted many of the faces who make appearances in the documentary to the project. Following the publicity surrounding the campaign—which included write-ups in USA Today and The Hollywood Reporter—"we were overwhelmed with potential stories, and so many of them were wonderful," Culp says. "It was really hard to choose which ones to include."

The result is a movie that's surprisingly uplifting for a documentary about a superhero known for dressing up as a dark avenger of the night and punching bad guys. That heartwarming effect goes beyond merely the movie itself; since Culp finished working on it, it's been shown in charity screenings across the country, raising money for organizations including Make-A-Wish, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, underscoring the director's intent that the film follow in Batman's fictional footsteps to make the world a better place.

"I have more affection for Batman today than I did at the start of production," Culp says. "I have seen again and again how Batman has been used as a symbol for wonderful, inspiring things, and that first-hand experience has affirmed my lifetime of affection for him. After working on this film, 'my Batman' is the 5-year-old kid who puts on a cape and runs into the backyard imagining themselves as a hero. For me, that is the most important Batman; it's the Batman that will help shape the future."

Legends of the Knight is currently available to download orpurchase on Blu-ray and DVD.