The Dark Knight is great because the Joker provides a perfect showcase to display how fragile human society really is. When he announces to the city that he'll blow up a hospital unless someone kills Coleman Reese, he creates a liminal space in which the morally right thing to do actually involves breaking the laws of society. By placing that threat in front of people, he also reveals the similarities between he and Batman. They both function in their roles by manipulating and taking advantage of fear -- just two sides to the same coin.
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