The Dark Knight of the Moon - An Experiment in Synchronicity

Happy Independence Day, everyone.

Now, I'm a guy of simple tastes. I enjoy The Dark Knight (no surprise), but some readers may be surprised that I'm also a big fan of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Naturally I've heard the rumors about the "Dark Side of the Rainbow," an effect experienced when watching The Wizard of Oz in tandem with Pink Floyd's album.

I think you see where this is going. One night, I elected to see if there truly was a Dark Knight of the Moon. Many of my friends have asked whether the experiment was a success - I've never divulged the truth of what went on that night... until now. Was Christopher Nolan influenced by the Pink Floyd album? Is it all a coincidence? Is snychronicity (the unconscious phenomenon of pairing sound with sight) legitimate?

You choose...

This is the set-up I used, since syncing your A/V will be important with getting the same results I did. Essentially, I set up my laptop right next to my DVD player. With Dark Side of the Moon on repeat and The Dark Knight on pause at 0:00:00, I hit play on both at the same time. Unfortunately, I didn't record timestamps, but I took copious notes, which I here replicate. Quotation marks on the left indicate song lyrics.

And here... we... go.

Speak to Me/Breathe (the bank robbery)

• The first cash register sound, distant in the background, comes over the blue foggy Bat.
• Helicopter sounds accompany the first, aerial shot of the film.
• Just as the drum snare hits, one of the clowns fires his gun across the roof.
• The jump out of the window matches the swoon of the guitar.
• In tune with a drum beat, one of the clowns opens the alarm panel.
• "Don't be afraid" - one of the goons is shot.
• "Leave" - as another goon runs downstairs.
• "Run" as a clown is shot by the bank manager.

On the Run (the robbery, cont'd)

• Joker looks over his shoulder as we change tracks.
• The bank robbery, as goons start turning on each other, becomes more macabre when scored to "On the Run."
• "Gone tomorrow" - Joker runs to the front of the bus.

Time (Scarecrow scene - Harvey in court)

• Scarecrow exits his van and throws up his hands just as the clocks begin to chime.
• The shooting Batman advances with the first note of the song.
• A new twang enters as the Tumbler arrives.
• In sync with the beat, the word "loiter" appears and flashes on the panel inside the Tumbler.
• Batman sinks into the van as another note twangs.
• "Digging away" - Batman contemplates jumping over the edge.
• Batman falls onto the van as a lyric ends.
• "Show you the way" - the Batmobile closes as Batman tries to show the pretenders the error of their ways.
• "One day you find" - Gordon sees Batman in the vault.
• Guitar slides down as Alfred enters the new Batcave.
• "Older" - Alfred grimaces at Bruce's mention of a "big dog"
• "Closer to death" - Bruce laughs, as he often does, in the face of death and limitation.
• "Quiet desperation" - Bruce looks longingly at Rachel on the monitor.
• "I like to be here when I can" - Harvey enters the courtroom.
• "iron bell" - Harvey flips his quarter.
• "to their knees" - All rise in the courtroom.

The Great Gig in the Sky (Harvey in court, cont'd - board meeting)

• This track begins exactly as Harvey steps up to question Rossi.
• The guitar twangs as Harvey shows the affadavit to Rossi.
• Harvey punches Rossi in time with another twang.
• "Not afraid of dying" - Harvey holds the gun.
• Wailing begins as Rachel takes Harvey's hand.
• The music mellows as Gordon admits, "...I'd be working alone."
• The piano slows (about 3:30 into the track) over a sleeping Bruce Wayne.

Money (double date - Joker's date with the mob)

• The cash register cha-chings as Rachel leans forward in a restaurant filled with and owned by the wealthy. (I got chills at this moment.)
• "Do-goody bull--" - Harvey says he'll be Gotham's protector "If I'm up to it."
• Saxes come in as the mobsters walk through the metal detector.
• The guitar scales down and stops as Joker enters the kitchen.
• The guitar makes a p-wop sound as Joker executes his magic trick - "It's gone!"
• "Money" - Joker throws up his hands.
• "Root of all evil" - Joker calmly adjusts his hair.

Us and Them (Joker's date, cont'd - grabbing Lau)

• The organ begins as Joker shows his card and exits.
• "Us" - as Bruce and Lucius exit the elevator.
• "After all" - Bruce looks up and Lucius smiles.
• The song has an echo effect, just like the room Bruce and Lucius are in.
• "Not what we would choose" - Bruce says he "wouldn't want to make things too easy"
• "Gen'ral" - Harvey and Rachel see the newspaper clipping at the theater.
• "Black" - we see Bruce's boat, which is partially black.
• "Up" - Gambol looks up to see who's coming into his pool hall.
• The piano comes in over Joker's "Why so serious?" monologue.
• "Sharp shock" - "Let's put a smile on that face!"
• A sax wails mournfully as Gambol falls.
• The music crescendoes as the scene changes to Hong Kong.
• "Down" - Lucius puts his mobile down in the building.
• "It can't be helped" - Lucius says "Of course" when he hands over his mobile.
• "Deny" - Lau stands up and protests his innocence.
• "Out of the way" - Lucius walks past the guard who tries to detain him.

Any Colour You Like (grabbing Lau, cont'd)

• ...not as much with this track.
• The track switches as Lucius hands his cell device to Bruce.
• The guitar moves up and down as the camera swings up and down around buildings.
• The monitors flicker in sync with a guitar twang.

Brain Damage (grabbing Lau, cont'd - the mob in court)

• Batman flies out of the window in sync with the second line of the song.
• "in the hall" - something happens here, but I can't read my notes.
• "And if" - "Enjoy your time in County."
• A laugh on the song comes in as Rachel smiles and says "That's great."
• "Lock the door" - Gordon decides to keep Lau in the MCU.
• "No one seems..." - Maroni frowns.
• "Dark side of the moon" - Maroni throws his napkin onto the table.
• There's a laugh on the CD as Judge Surillo throws the Joker card away.

Eclipse (mayor's office, cont'd)

• "All that you feel" - Mayor kicks out the cops.
• "Everyone you meet" - The fake Batman hits the window
• The album fades to silence over Joker's prisoner video.

There's always some question of whether synchronicity stops with the first run-through of the album, but I decided to keep going with the album on loop to a) see if it worked, and b) finish the movie. Hey, I'm a fan.

Speak to Me/Breathe (the fundraiser)

• The first cash register clinks as Harvey and Rachel enter the affluent fundraiser.
• Breath starts as Harvey asks about "psychotic ex-boyfriends."
• The guitar twangs as Bruce and his three girls enter the party.
• It twangs again as Bruce says "I believe in Harvey Dent" and spreads his hands.
• "Breathe in the air" - applause for Harvey.
• "Don't be afraid to care" - Rachel joins Bruce on the balcony.
• "Run" - Harvey comes to the balcony.

On the Run (Joker strikes)

• The track switches as Gordon enters Loeb's office.
• The music swirls as the Joker cards fall to the ground from the explosion.
• "Ha ha!" - Gordon realizes how The Joker plans to kill Loeb and shouts "No!"

Time (Joker crashes the party - Reese's blackmail)

• Clocks chime as Joker asks "Is it the scars?"
• The clanging clocks and eerie rototom match the tone of Joker's next autobiographical speech.
• A twang as Joker pats Rachel's cheek.
• A perfect note matches Joker dropping Rachel from the window.
• "Digging away" - Batman deploys his cape, in vain.
• "Dull day" - the lethargic cabbie sips at his coffee.
• "Waiting ... show you the way" - Gordon and Stephens are waiting for Harvey to show them the way to a successful prosecution.
• "Behind you" - Harvey tosses Lau a flak vest.
• The guitar solo matches up almost perfectly with Alfred's story about Burma.
• "Come up behind you" - a swirl around the rooftop on which Batman's perched.
• "Closer to death" - Patrick Harvey and Richard Dent are found dead.
• "Quiet" - Gordon evicts Ramirez from the crime scene.
• "Home" - Gordon finds the obituary for the mayor.
• The music fades as Reese begins to speak to Lucius

The Great Gig in the Sky (Reese's blackmail - Loeb's funeral)

• "I'm not afraid to die" - Reese unveils his blackmail scheme.
• The wailing begins as Reese returns his evidence and says "J... keep that."
• The wailing fades as Bruce exits the cave on his bike.
• The tempo of the track slows over the funeral scenes...
• ...but the wailing returns when we see the tied-up cops - just as the Joker theme creeps back in, too.

Money (Loeb's funeral, cont'd - interrogating Schiff)

• The cash register clinks as Schiff is shot and falls down.
• The guitar comes in as Stephens feels for a pulse on Gordon.
• "Money" - a close-up of Schiff's "Rachel Dawes" badge.
• "hit the gas" - Harvey revs the ambulance's engine.
• "bullsh-t" - Maroni sasses his girlfriend.
• The sax enters as Batman beats the thugs in the club.
• The guitar tempo changes as Harvey hangs up on Rachel.
• The guitar falls as Batman picks up the now-fallen Maroni.
• "Money" - cut to Batman, who catches Harvey's lucky coin.

Us and Them (interrogating Schiff, cont'd - the Slaughter truck)

• The organ comes in as Bruce mourns the "blood on my hands."
• A mournful sax wails as Bruce and Alfred close the cave.
• "Me and you" - Harvey speaks, and Rachel is watching him.
• "Black" - show the cops...
• "and blue" - Harvey speaking.
• "Who is who?" - much to Bruce's surprise, Harvey reveals he is the Batman.
• "Up" - Rachel looks up to Alfred.
• "Down" - Alfred nods down.
• "Hey" - Harvey kisses Rachel.
• The drum slams, and Joker fires a shotgun.
• "Down" - the convoy is ordered to "divert down."
• "Fighting" - Joker's truck crashes into the SWAT van.
• "Out of the way" - Joker opens the side door on his truck.

Any Colour You Like (convoy attack)

• Again, a difficult track to find results with.
• The guitar twangs as the Tumbler jumps in the air.

Brain Damage (convoy attack, cont'd)

• The track switches as we cut to the kids play-shooting at cars.
• "on the grass" - The helicopter falls
• "on the grass" (again) - the van hits the fallen helicopter
• "on the path" - Batman drives through the subway station.
• "Head explodes" - the truck flips over.
• "Dark foreboding..." - Batman turns his Batpod around.
• A laugh, as the Joker stumbles to his feet.
• "Thunder in your ear" - Batman's cowl zaps Joker's goon.
• "See you" - Harvey sees Gordon for the first time.
• Another laugh as Harvey gets into Wuertz's car.

Eclipse (Joker in jail)

• The track switches as the mayor comes to the MCU.
• "Everyone you meet" - Gordon sees his wife again.
• The track fades to silence as Gordon realizes that Harvey is missing.

Here the album cycled around for a third time, starting over during the Joker interrogation scene. At this point, the synchronized moments came fewer and farther between, proving not as satisfying as the first half of the film.

Speak to Me/Breathe (Joker's interrogation)

• Batman slams Joker's head and hits his fist in sync with the album's beats.
• Joker cackles in sync with a guitar twang.
• "Breathe" - "...freak..."
• "While you fly" - Joker talks about the way Batman "threw yourself" after Rachel.

On the Run (Joker's interrogation, cont'd - 250 52nd Street)

• The track switches as Batman blocks the door to the interrogation room.
• "On the Run" spirals during the chaotic chase scene.
• The guitar slams as the oil drum falls and spills.

Time (250 52nd Street - Harvey Two-Face)

• The clocks chime as Joker rolls his eyes and smacks his lips (downright spooky).
• "The moments that make up a dull day" - Rachel blows up.
• "Digging around" - Harvey rolls on the ground, aflame.
• "English way" - Alfred admits the British "burned the forest down."
• "thought... to say" - Alfred's story ends abruptly with a cut.
• "When I can" - the coin is scarred.

The Great Gig in the Sky (Harvey Two-Face, cont'd - burning money)

• The mournful elegaic tone of the track matches Gordon's mood with the hospitalized Harvey.
• The track wails exactly as Harvey reveals his now-scarred face for the first time.
• The track softly wails over the burning money.

Money (saving Reese - Nurse Joker)

• The cash register cha-chings as the Lamborghini appears, but this wasn't as good as the other cash register moments.
• "Make a stash" - the cop exits the hospital to find a bus for Harvey.
• "Money" - the Lamborghini again.
• The drum sounds in time with Nurse Joker's silenced gunshot.
• "So they say" - Joker points to Harvey.
• "Crusin' for a bruisin'" - The Lamborghini is wrecked.

Us and Them (Nurse Joker, cont'd - Maroni's luck)

• The organ sounds as Nurse Joker toddles out of the hospital.
• The sax wails as the hospital explodes.
• "Not what we would choose to do" - Lucius sees the machine.
• "round and round" - Harvey's coin spins and falls.
• "Down" - Maroni enters his limo.

Any Colour You Like (the ferries)

• Guitar twang as the boxes for the detonators are opened.

Brain Damage (finding Ramirez)

• Track switches as Barbara Gordon picks up the phone.
• "Thunder in your ear" - Gordon's wife shouts that "He has the kids!"

Eclipse (in the Pruitt Building)

• "All that you see" - Batman uses his sonar to see it all.

Fourth and final repeat cycle.

Speak to Me/Breathe (the ferries, cont'd)

• Batman confronts Joker as a heart beats on the album.
• We switch to "Breathe" as the criminal lumbers over to the warden on the bad ferry.
• A guitar twang as we zoom in on a clock.
• "Cry" - Joker dramatically announces, "Here... we... go."

On the Run (Joker's upside down)

• This scene is positively eerie between the frenetic soundtrack and the disoriented Joker.

Time (Harvey and Gordon's family)

• The clocks chime as Harvey menaces "just the person you love most."
• "Show you the way" - Harvey flips the coin for himself so that the coin will show him his way.
• "But it's sinking" - everything starts to fall apart when Gordon realizes what Batman is asking of him.

The Great Gig in the Sky (a dark knight)

• The track switches as Batman runs off.
• The wailing starts just as the credits announce "Directed by Christopher Nolan."