The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Far too often, the ‘final chapter’ in a Hollywood trilogy tries too hard to be bigger, better and busier than its predecessors and ultimately ends up as a cluttered affair. The reminder of the lure of the original and the anticipated promise of the second often means the third seemingly struggles to stand on its own two feet. Spiderman 3 is an all too recent example of a directors desire to fit in as many iconic characters as possible into the finale in a desperate attempt to outclass the previous showing and yet through Nolan’s bat universe we dared to dream that finally we had a director who wasn’t capable of making such mistakes. Nolan had already succeeded in bringing the darkest, most realistic portrayal of Gotham and its anti-hero to the silver screen; likewise he had already managed to re-write cinema’s perceptions of an iconic villain in The Joker (played to perfection by the late Heath Ledger) and smash the Billion Dollar Box Office in the process, so with the third and final outing of his trilogy imminent, many began to wonder just how could he top these already astronomical achievements? What too many of us seemed to have forgotten then was that this wasn’t any ordinary director, this was Christopher Nolan, a man whose entire career so far had done nothing less than change our perceptions of cinema, and with his final foray in to Gotham, that record wasn’t about to change yet. 

Prior to the film’s release, the focal point for many was the inclusion of Bane as the Batman’s nemesis. The Joker had far exceeded any loyal fans wildest anticipation in The Dark Knight and the tragic circumstances which followed for Heath Ledger only heightened the sense of awe in watching his performance. Nolan to his credit chose not to attempt another show stealing feat of acting ability with the inclusion of Bane (depicted by the ever impressive Tom Hardy), simply put, he had instead chosen to darken the tone and provide a rival who exposed the very real vulnerabilities of our hero. Bane’s involvement helped bring the story arc full circle, challenging Bruce Wayne’s Batman to understand the role he was to play in the future of his city, whilst forcing him to come to terms with his own past and the inevitable restriction of life, ageing. Tom Hardy’s muscle bound villain may not have had the irresistible presence that Ledges Joker brought, but he manages to serve purpose in making this final chapter focus on the two most important elements of this trilogy; Bruce Wayne and the City of Gotham as a whole. Bane’s gruff tone, though inaudible at points, remained true to the comics and exemplified the dystopian uprising his army of thugs had bestowed upon peace time Gotham.  The physical battles with Batman were the first of their kind in the trilogy, no previous villain physically had been so able to match Wayne’s alter ego and this perhaps provided Batman with his most demanding of challenges, one which reminds both the audience and our protagonist that regardless of his wealth and technology, his biggest weakness lay within his own mortality.

If the inclusion of Bane served to test Batman’s physical and mental strength, than the presence of not one but two strong female characters was designed to challenge Bruce Wayne’s. Miranda Tate lacked the feminine desire of previous screen ‘Wayne girls’ but her innocent, almost angelic design worked well in hiding the eventual plot twist from the audience, her sheer presence in the film helping the narrative find its way back to the first films foundation in Ra’s Al Ghul and the League of Shadows, the institution which underlines much of the trilogy’s progression as a whole. While Tate may have been the key to helping the trilogy return to its roots, the inclusion of Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle was a master stroke by Nolan. In Hathaway’s Kyle he had finally found a woman capable of matching Bruce Wayne’s complex and contradictive mindset, a woman independent enough to not need his concern, but fragile enough to warrant it anyway. Anne Hathaway to her credit moulded the role to her own styling and much like Ledger managed with his re-envisioning of Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance, so too has Hathaway managed to revamp Michelle Pfeiffer’s ‘Catwoman’ and make her more plausible in Nolan’s gritty, realistic Gotham.

The portrayal of Gotham City in Nolan’s Bat universe has, since the first outing opted away from the fantasy depictions of previous films and instead closely intertwined with a city based in reality, New York. That has never been more obvious than it is in The Dark Knight Rises; the film’s opening sequences highlighting how the crime infestation and mafia rule of yesteryear are all but gone, the mayor’s office successfully stamping down on organised crime and the streets finally safe for the ordinary public. A city it seems in harmony finally, only to be devastated by an unexpected act of terror, one which leaves its police force powerless to intervene. Sound familiar? Well it should, Nolan’s reference to the 9/11 attacks on New York acts as a way of pushing the city towards its reckoning (In the words of Bane), leaving redemption in the hands of its people.  By deliberately linking this terror to a real life situation, Nolan is willing the audience into a state of recognition, something incapable in previous ‘Gotham’s’. His final battle scene which see’s the Gotham police united in their defiance exemplifies the courage of New York’s finest during their darkest hour some 11 years ago.  Gotham, like any real city, isn’t ever capable of being a perfect utopia, yet in overcoming the very possibility of its own destruction; Nolan is suggesting Gotham acts as a microcosm to society as a whole. Suggesting perhaps how only through adversity can we truly learn to grow and progress. Hope is a word so often mentioned throughout the trilogy and never more than in this final instalment; and yet it identifies the key emotion for all. A way of uniting social classes (which in Gotham evidently exist) and racial backgrounds in a singular ‘hope’ that through defeating adversity and evil, a better future can rise.

Despite all of Nolan’s achievements in the Bat universe throughout the trilogy, none are more significant and important than the development of Bruce Wayne. Christian Bale’s Wayne has singlehandedly added more depth to the character than all other film incarnations combined. The Dark Knight Rises begins with Bruce Wayne confined to the restored Wayne Manor in a homage to the late reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Since peace fell on Gotham and Batman (taking the blame for Harvey Dents Murder) had been forced into retirement, Wayne’s inability to settle into a ‘normal’ life has left him frustrated and isolated, unable to force himself into the fake civilities of the higher class echelons his persona required him to accommodate.  Ironically, it is only with the criminal activities of both Selina Kyle and Bane that he is able to find purpose again and revisit his alter ego. The ability to hide behind the mask, a common analogy throughout the trilogy, once again helping Wayne find what he believes is his purpose. Nolan’s hero has suffered much hardship through the previous two films and this was to be no exception, but in stripping Wayne of his assets, making him effectively just another ordinary Gotham citizen, the director was signifying much more. His ever loyal servant Alfred (played brilliantly by Michael Caine, delivering an emotional performance) questions his motives and indeed his ability to continue his crusade as his body inevitably declines, eventually being dismissed as he refuses to stand by and watch Wayne’s reckless disregard for his own life. This ultimately leads to Bane providing Batman’s first real physical threat in a time when his physical ability is all that’s left to his disposal, forcing Bruce Wayne to identify his demons, to understand what he was truly hoping to accomplish in his plight as Gotham’s anti-hero and find a way of adapting his approach in order to defeat evil and restore the city. By finally ‘rising’ (the title reference literally occurring as he escapes the hellish jail) Wayne’s Batman was able to unite with Gotham’s authority and sacrifice himself in order to ensure peace was restored and the police power re-instated.

As I write, plans are already in place for a new trilogy featuring a new director and cast, how is that possible so soon after you ask? Nolan once again provides the answers in the closing stages of the film. Detective Gordon (Gary Oldman) famously asking Batman who he was, only for Wayne to reply ‘Batman is a symbol, he can be any man’. A line which not only resonates with the ideology that one man can make a difference, but which perfectly sets the future of the franchise in motion. When Gotham believes Batman dead, it matters not who the face behind the mask is, only what he stood for, finally he is revered as a hero, a man whose self sacrifice aimed to inspire and unite a city and its people in a period of despair (I shall leave biblical references here as a matter of opinion). This also allows Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake to lead the transition for the future via a cheeky reference to his first name ‘Robin’ (a trademark teaser from the original where the Joker card in the final scene set the stage for the second instalment) as he is solely left responsible with the location of the bat cave. The Hollywood ending for Bruce Wayne may seem a studio necessity, however it also acts as a just reward for a character who has so dedicated and sacrificed for a city which for so long has failed to understand him. Wherever the next cinematic chapter of Batman takes us, one thing is certain, thanks to Nolan’s incredible trilogy, of which I arguably rate the third his crowning achievement, the future of this screen icon is all but assured for generations to come.

The Dark Knight Rises Rating: 5 Jakes.

By Jake Roche