How does The Dark Knight Rises fit in the trilogy?

How does The Dark Knight Rises fit in the trilogy?

 “It’s not who we are underneath, but what we do that defines us.” -Rachel Dawes

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy is an achievement in Motion Picture history that will be often imitated but miserably by anyone else. Although he has been inspired by other film-makers, by literature, and art—he stayed true to himself throughout. He made difficult choices on effects versus acting, and story over spectacle. Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of amazing visuals. For every explosion and car chase, there is no reduction in story. Nolan is an innovator, not only in his skill but in his brazen approach to film-making his own way by bucking the trends and staying true to what he believes in—even in the realm of the Summer Blockbuster. That is power and influence that can’t be bought because there’s always a higher bidder. I personally love what he did with the Dark Knight trilogy because it isn’t just a Batman film, it’s as profound as the emotions that course through our blood when we feel the need to act and do or don’t. It’s the story of a young boy that had it all, and lost what matters. Bruce Wayne was the prince of Gotham. His father was a saint, and dreamed of saving his city at all costs. The Gods of Gotham’s affinity for irony didn’t have a happy ending for the Wayne family. Out of the depths of melancholy and guilt- vengeance was born, and a young Bruce Wayne turned to the way of the gun. Fortunately for Gotham, fate interceded and the demons of Gotham consumed the murderer of Wayne’s family. Lost and helpless Bruce Wayne went into exile leaving his city behind. This is the beginning of Chris Nolan’s trilogy. An ordinary citizen changed forever by a society that his family so deeply wanted to help. It’s not about the “hero” per se it’s about the man.

What I loved so much about Batman Begins is that it is unabashedly in title a Batman film, but layered deeply in the romanticism for family and the love of a son for his father. It allowed all of us to geek-out and really “believe” in the possibility of Batman. The secret division of Wayne Enterprises and its arsenal of state-of-the-art machinery and weaponry gave us a believable scenario in which the Dark Knight could be a thing of reality. The villains of the movie were all possible, and altogether as frightening as any villain projected up on the silver-screen that we’ve seen over the years. I loved it, and was hooked. Christopher Nolan had “indie-cred” from his movie Memento before he took on Batman what’s been so impressive about his reputation in the non-mainstream crowd has remained despite his embrace of one of the most loved franchises ever. In fact, his loyalties have grown by the millions. What was really the big question mark after ‘Begins, was if he would move forward with his reboot—or allow for someone more Hollywood to take on the next chapter. He couldn’t walk away from telling the story of how the Batman, with all his resources and anger would react when you introduced a little “anarchy”. He was inspired by the great Michael Mann film Heat, and brought us the Dark Knight.

“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” Harvey Dent said, early in The Dark Knight. The quote was a conspicuous use of foreshadowing that Dent wasn’t capable of being the man that Rachel, and later Wayne had hoped he was. He was the hero that would replace the need for the Batman. The quote also foreshadowed the end of the Dark Knight. I truly believe that the sequel goes down as the best of the three. It definitely surpassed its inspiration. The beginning of the film, the bank robbery could be shown in film classes for perpetuity. The Joker redefined “villain” forever. The Joker was played by the late Heath Ledger, and his depiction will stand the test of time as one of film’s all-time great performances. His emotional commitment to the character weighed so heavy on the young actor that he had said that he had trouble sleeping afterwards and had bouts with depression. When asked why there was no mention of the Joker, the arch-nemesis of Batman in the comics, in the final film—Nolan said he wouldn’t do it out of respect for his friend Heath and the now legendary performance. Heath Ledger owned that role, and he will forever be known as the definitive Joker. The movie ended with a great quote, and set up the predicament that would haunt Bruce for the eight-years that lapsed since the climatic death of his great love Rachel Dawes. “He’s the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we’ll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he’s not our hero. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight,” Jim Gordon.

When Bruce first set out to fight injustice, he didn’t quite foresee the outcome that became the end of the Dark Knight. Joker had won, he had created anarchy. He had ruined the “White Knight” Harvey Dent, the righteous defender of justice, and the man that put away hundreds of criminals and overlords of the Falconi crime syndicate. Dent was presented with great tragedy, and a choice. He like Bruce, was filled with rage and had to choose his path. Batman, like Bruce, had to go into exile this time to facilitate a lie to protect the truth of the villain that Dent had become—Two Face. By hiding the truth, he was able to deny victory to the Joker.

In his final film, The Dark Knight Rises, Nolan introduces us to a Bruce Wayne that has shut himself away from the world. His company Wayne Enterprises invested millions in a clean-energy initiative that he has been unable to stabilize and turn a profit. The Batman was last seen by, now Commissioner, Gordon the night Harvey Dent was supposedly murdered in cold blood by the Caped Crusader. Gotham has been relatively peaceful since Jokers all out assault for the soul of the city. We are introduced to new characters, each with a shade of mystery about them. Soon Batman is beckoned to come back, and the now something like forty-years-old Bruce Wayne is out of shape and has the scars of the battles he endured in the previous films. Alfred has to remind him, “You’re not Batman anymore.” The set-up for this film is as compelling and as true-to-life as in ‘Begins. Bane, played by Nolan favorite Tom Hardy, is a physically imposing enemy. Unlike in Joker’s reign of terror, Gotham is more of the adversary in ‘Rises. Bane uses Gotham’s disparity, and turns the people against the police and Government. The city is turned inside out, and the people of Gotham with the exception of a few believers, have adopted the sense of dread and nihilism of its villains. When he enacts his plan to shut off access to the rest of the world, and give them the “instrument” to seize their “liberation”. The Batman has to come back. What does he have left to give? He’s given everything to the city his wealth, his identity, his health, Rachel. I highly recommend watching the film to find out where Bruce’s journey ends as the Batman.

The Dark Knight Rises to me was great. I do believe of the three it was probably the most convoluted, and weighed down with excess back story. I also feel that ‘Rises is a little confusing with the time-lines and the details that don’t allow a clear sense of what happened at times. I won’t let that bother me. I hope it doesn’t bother you. In the end, the film is probably the most gratifying of the three. I absolutely love the choice that Nolan made at the end. Unlike so many of the cliché endings that imbue the endings of most Summer Blockbusters, ‘Rises ends with a bit of hope for the characters that we have grown so attached to, and the deep affection that Nolan clearly has for them.

“People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy, and I can’t do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man, I’m flesh and blood; I can be ignored, I can be destroyed. But as a symbol… as a symbol I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting.” - Bruce Wayne