Actor Aaron Eckhart says the superhero film The Dark Knight not only has a great story, but is a reflection of our times.

He plays District Attorney Harvey Dent who becomes the villain Two-Face in the 2008 film helmed by Christopher Nolan.

"Some scripts are whatever... you get through them and (think) 'hey, fine'. But 'The Dark Knight' was a novel and it was thick. It was like reading literature," said Eckhart, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"And there's something about Gotham City too. You have a city that's oppressed and being run by a criminal gang. People can't go out during the day, everybody's scared for their safety, and the people that are paid to protect them are corrupted. They're part of a gang and nobody can trust anybody. Sound like anything that's familiar?"

He also praised Nolan for bringing the DC Comics characters to life on the big screen and the late Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance as the Joker for helping to contribute to the action movie's success.

"Not only is it a great story and a great movie, but this is what cinema and art are all about. It's a reflection of our times. Chris (Christian Bale) knocked it out of the park and that's why that movie is so important. And then, obviously, the performance of Heath. What a special, special movie. I was happy to be a part of it," said Eckhart.

The blockbuster had Christian Bale starring as the lead character Bruce Wayne and his superhero alter ego Batman.