180° Degree Rule

180° Degree Rule - Dark Knight

The 180° degree rule is a standard guideline in film making. It states that two characters should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary line connecting the two characters, this means you have broken the 180° degree rule. Here is a video explaining the 180° degree rule:

In the Batman film "The Dark Knight", the director Christopher Nolan chose to break the 180° rule in the interrogation scene between The Joker and Batman. This rule was broken to show the similarities between the characters of Batman and the Joker as Batman believes he is very different to The Joker. In addition, in the conversation Batman says "i have one rule" and The Joker replies "thats the rule you have to break". These phrases relate to the breaking off the 180° degree rule making it fit into the scene cleverly.