The Dark Knight Rises is a very optimistic title, which does not fit in at all with the story that Christopher Nolan has crafted. Batman’s origin and story oozes dark emotions: depression, regret, revenge, etc. TDKR uses all of this darkness to magnify the scale to envelop the entire of Gotham City. Only Shakespeare stories reach this level of despair. By refocusing the story around Batman and Gotham City’s residents, TDKR gives its climactic confrontation an added level of desolation. It provides a worthy conclusion to a trilogy that joins the Lord of the Rings and Toy Story as the greatest trilogies of the new millennium.
It has been 8 years since the Joker’s capture and Harvey Dent’s “sacrifice.” The principals left from that ordeal have yet to move on. Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) struggles when to reveal the truth about Harvey Dent, although he has found a young confidant and ally in John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a younger version of Gordon. Poor Batman (Christian Bale) cannot bear to leave Wayne Manor due to his guilt and depression from the events in the Dark Knight. Two people revive him from his self-imposed exile: Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), an enigmatic Robin Hood type thief who steals a necklace from Bruce, and Bane (Tom Hardy), a masked mercenary who shares a similar past as Bruce Wayne. Using a reactor developed by Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), the new CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Bane takes the city hostage, throwing Gotham City into a state of unrest and anarchy.
Jonathan and Christopher Nolan have multiple challenges while writing this script. Knowing this is the end of their part of the Batman mythology, they wanted to make sure they weaved their entire story together; in fact, as homework, it might be a good idea to rewatch Batman Begins as well as the Dark Knight. They have to work in the new villains as well as provide backstories and arcs for their other new characters. They have to provide proper context and motivation for all of their characters’ actions and most importantly, figure out what to with the climax. For the most part, the Nolan’s do a good job with all of these points. Even though the story can get bogged in the first hour because of character establishment, the writing is very solid, even including time for some well-placed twists.
It is only coincidence that the economic collapse and the Occupy Wall Street movements occurred while TDKR was being written, but it clearly helped motivate the script. It was a smart move on the Nolans’ part, because it places Bruce Wayne with Batman: they are both reviled by the populace, both by existing outside of society (Bruce because he is rich). Therefore, because of the systems in place in Gotham City, Bane can appear to those hurt by the system as a conquering hero, the antithesis of Batman. By causing upheaval in the system, Bane convolutes what is right and what is wrong: he gives the lesser citizens equal ground with the rich and powerful. It is the worst case scenario of what occupy protesters would like to see happen to society’s prevailing institutions. The story also teaches good people, like John Blake and Batman, to stand above the institutions they serve and look inside themselves to realize why they fight in the first place.
Did I mention there is also a flying machine called the Bat and a football stadium collapse? There is still plenty of action in the story to maintain a wow factor during the heady conversations. The opening sequence of Bane’s airborne escape could rival any sequence in a James Bond film, and the flying vehicle provides the added dimension of height to some of the fighting. There are also a couple hand to hand combat sequences between Bane and Batman which are smaller in scope but greater in repercussions for the characters involved. Even Catwoman gets some time to kick ass. Credit goes to Wally Pfister (Nolan’s trusted cinematographer) for creating these scenes as well as the view of Gotham City under siege. Using the concept of “something rotten under the surface,” Pfister creates some sinister locations with little to no hope. I truly felt as if I was in a forlorn place forgotten by the world. Hans Zimmer’s score provided the necessary gravitas for Gotham City’s peril.
Not since probably the Departed has there been such an impressive cast. With no Joker to upstage him, Christian Bale has been placed front and center in TDKR. Bale does a great job displaying world weariness with a strong moral core at his center. To play opposite him, Nolan has selected Tom Hardy as Bane. Bane is not as charismatic as the Joker, nor is he intended to be. Bane is the stripped down version of a villain, he is a cunning planner with strong motivations and incredible brute strength. Batman has not met a physical match for himself yet, and Bane is every bit up to the task. The facemask can cause some of the dialogue to be muddled, but it adds to the almost robot-like characteristics of his character, and Hardy makes the most of it with his eye movements and imposing look. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a great determined straight man: it is very easy to root for him and what he believes in. Anne Hathaway provides some mystery to the story as well as some needed levity to Selina Kyle. She strikes just the right note. Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, and Michael Caine put aside their Oscars (nomination in the case of Oldman) to aid the story best they can; particularly Caine, who provides the heart for Batman when he didn’t see it in himself.
Which brings us to the climax. I won’t reveal anything, but the final 45 minutes is a truly amazing spectacle. It keeps the viewers restless, with multiple character arcs converging and diverging accordingly. Unfortunately, I feel as if the studio got a little hands on to the ending. That being said, by the credits, each character’s story feels like it has been fully told.
In the beginning, Commissioner Gordon felt as if something rotten was lurking beneath the surface of Gotham City. While I went into The Dark Knight Rises with similar fears, I found there was nothing very rotten at all. With this strong conclusion, the Dark Knight Trilogy has come to an end. Christopher Nolan has crafted a trilogy that will forever represent the pinnacle of superhero trilogies. Whoever tries to reboot the franchise better check the boot size, because it might be too big for them to fail, I mean, fill.