The Dark Knight Rises (2012, Christopher Nolan)

BATMAN, MY HERO

Ra's Al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale)

It’s been eight years since DA Harvey Dent was gone. The praises of his achievements and his legacy continue to inspire Gotham. Also eight years of peace with no sign of the Batman and no news from billionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale, Equilibrium) either. But when a new powerful enemy plans to destroy the city, it needs the dark knight more than ever.

Fear, Chaos, Pain are the three themes the director has chosen to cover the trilogy. Bruce Wayne learned to control his Fear in the first film, the Joker brought Chaos in the second and here, Pain is our key word. The Dark Knight Rises brings us back to the beginning, when a young and powerless Bruce Wayne watched his parents die. We have a weakened Bruce who mourns Rachel while somewhere, a conspiracy to strip him of his possessions starts to transpire. The information he’s got leads to the conclusion that there is something bigger behind the act. In the Dark Knight, the city of Gotham is put to the test and here, it is in danger.

From Left to Right: the Joker (Heath Ledger), Batman (Christian Bale) and Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart)

It takes about 45 minutes to have Bruce Wayne recovered and put Batman back in the game. Meanwhile, other potential heroes fill the blanks: Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a smart young lady who spends her nights stealing from rich men, John Blake (Joseph Gordon Levitt), a police officer who believes in justice, Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), the future chair of Wayne Enterprises and of course "Big" Bane (Tom Hardy, Warrior), the man to fear. Bane’s tenacity and lack of compassion make him threatening and scary. Batman faces an enemy of his level who, like him, was trained by the leader of the League of Shadows, Ra’s Al Ghul himself. As I said earlier, here we are, back to where it started. 

Bane (Tom Hardy)

The Dark Knight Rises is true to the first ones. Once again, the villain’s act is not motivated by money nor power but the will to destroy a "corrupt" city (fulfil Ra's Al Ghul's destiny). People will turn against one another and thus be partly responsible of their own demise. In the process, the film highlights our society’s strength and weakness: courage and sacrifice, fear, selfishness, the flaws of bureaucracy, etc.

As for the actors’ performances, except the less convincing Marion Cotillard, everyone deserves an A.

Be that as it may, we are certain about this: Christopher Nolan has left a good memory of Batman. I am sure Tim Burton would have done the same, had he been given the chance.     

The Dark Knight Rises Fan Poster (credits: http://baleheadsblog.com/2012/01/fantastic-30s-noir-style-fan-made.html)

Memorable quotes

"I see a beautiful city and brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities).

The US President: The people of our great city are resilient. They were proving this before and they will prove it again. We do not negociate with terrorists. But we do recognize realities. As this situation develops, one thing must be understood above all others: people of Gotham, we have not abandoned you.

Blake: What does he mean?

Gordon: That means we’re on your own


SEE ALSO: The Avengers (2012, Joss Whedon)