Original artwork, not a still
It's not about money. It's about sending a message.
— The Dark Knight · 2008
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The Joker burns a mob fortune to prove he cannot be motivated like an ordinary criminal, and it is the clearest proof in the film that the mob has hired the wrong man. Fans quote it as the line that separates a thief from an anarchist, and the burning pile, remains one of the film's most recognisable images.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Dark KnightShow the scene
In The Dark Knight (2008), the Joker has taken a pile of the mob's money from Lau, the accountant Batman dragged back from Hong Kong. When the Chechen, who works with the mob, asks what he plans to do with it, the Joker lists dynamite, gunpowder and gasoline, which are cheap. He lights his half of the pile with the Chechen's cigar. He then tells the mob's men they work for him now, and has the Chechen dragged away with a threat to feed him to his own dogs. This is the line he says over the flames.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: The Dark Knight (film)Quotes, Joker, the Chechen and the burning moneyReference checked
- Wikipedia: The Dark KnightPlotReference checked
Context reviewed
