The Dark Knight Rises
Spoiler Alert: While I would love for nothing more than to try and stay spoiler-free on this film, in order to examine my feelings on the film fully, I’m afraid that I must delve into details. So, if you haven’t seen it, and don’t wish to read spoilers, run away, now, and don’t come back until after you’ve watched it.
Having said all that, let me just say that, despite my not-insignificant issues with the direction of the film’s story down the homestretch, Christopher Nolan’s finale to his “Dark Knight” trilogy is very much worthy of being associated with “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” Though it lacks the narrative propulsion of its predecessors most of the time (an effect of its 164-minute running time), “Rises” hits the ground running once it introduces the muscled and intellectually-challenging terrorist Bane and the sexy and purposed cat burglar, Catwoman. Thematically, it doesn’t quite have the focus of its predecessors, but it certainly “Rises” to the occasion in keeping with Nolan’s massive scope on the trilogy, and believe me, that goes a long way.
At the same time, I personally found “The Dark Knight Rises” the most frustrating and fascinating third film in a franchise since the much-maligned, but personally loved, “Spider-Man 3.” In all honesty, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Nolan mentioned that he admired Sam Raimi’s trilogy based on Marvel’s web-slinger, because with regards to how the respective directors approach each film in the trilogy, the two are very much kindred spirits. As with Raimi, Nolan’s first focus was the thematic connection he wanted to create between the character and the viewer, which– invariably –led him to the villains and scenarios that would best explore that fundamental idea. Sometimes (such as with “Spider-Man 2” and “The Dark Knight”), the two fit harmoniously; other times (such as in both third films), things were less black-and-white.
Without conforming to a particular storyline from the comics, but rather, finding elements from several, Nolan sets “Rises” eight years after the end of “The Dark Knight.” At the end of that film, Gotham’s celebrated District Attorney, Harvey Dent, had become Two-Face after a tragic kidnapping left him physically and emotionally scarred, and the love of his life– Assistant DA Rachel Dawes –dead. This led to a chain of events that included the deaths of five people, and almost the death of Commissioner Gordon’s son at Dent’s hands before Batman saved him, and sent Dent to his death. Rather than let the public know the truth about Dent, Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Batman tell a lie that leads to Batman being implicated in not only Dent’s death, but also those that were perpetrated by Dent. Eight years after that day, Gotham is a city of peace, having acted so successfully against crime in the wake of Dent’s demise that organized crime is an afterthought. And the Batman? He hasn’t been seen since that night, and in fact, his alter ego (Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale) has become a hermit, never leaving the rebuilt Wayne Manor. That might change when a mysterious terrorist named Bane (played by Tom Hardy) comes to town with a familiar plan for the city.
I mentioned earlier that I felt like thematically, “Rises” wasn’t quite as focused as the films that came before it, and while that is true for the socio-political motives of some of its characters (in particular, Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), who turns out to be the skilled burglar, Catwoman) in ways I’ll explain later, the notion of peace built on a lie being a cancer on not just a society, but the soul, is a powerful one that Nolan and co-writers Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer delve into brilliantly. As you’ll recall, there was another lie told at the end of “Dark Knight,” when Wayne’s loyal butler, Alfred (Michael Caine), let Bruce think that Rachel was going to choose him over Dent before her death, rather than add insult to injury, and share a letter she had written Wayne before she died at the hands of the Joker. For Gordon, the lie was necessary for the city, even if it made him as compromised as every other cop in Gotham; for Alfred, it was a way of trying to help the man he has raised like his own son cope with a tragedy that threatened to tear him down. When both lies are revealed as such in this film, it leaves profound scars on those around Gordon and Alfred, although finally, they are able to find some peace, even if it’s at the expense of the trust of others. This gives Bale, Oldman, Caine, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as a rookie cop who grew up in a city with Batman, and whom has always searched for the truth, some great scenes, and powerful material to work with as they navigate the city as Bane makes himself known.
Unfortunately, the other main thematic cogs in “Rises” story are not quite as potent, and it’s at this point where spoilers must be given. In “Batman Begins,” we were introduced to a Gotham City in economic decay. The rich are high on the hog, while the poor are in deep poverty. Eventually, we are told by Ra’s Al Ghul, the shadowy leader of the League of Shadows, that the economic disparity is a weapon used to bring Gotham to its knees, creating an opening for the League to destroy Gotham from the inside. In this film, economic troubles are a focus again. In fact, we get hints in our early scenes of seeing Selina Kyle– played with athleticism and high appeal by Hathaway –apply her trade that she is a bit like Robin Hood, robbing from the rich, giving to the poor; she even warns Bruce Wayne of a “storm coming,” that he and his friends won’t believe that they lived so large for so long, all the while forgetting the rest of Gotham below. Is “Rises” taking a page from the Occupy Wall Street crowd, condemning excessive greed, while so many live below the poverty line? You’d think so, but not really; the deep economic divide in Gotham isn’t as vital to the overall narrative as it has been made out to be in the previews, which is a shame, because it makes Kyle’s “mission statement,” as it were, to Wayne feel out-of-place, thereby blurring whatever intentions Nolan had with the character, making it difficult for Hathaway to let us into Kyle’s psyche, and making some of the choices the character makes feel out-of-character in the grand scheme of things.
Speaking of which, my two biggest problems with the film come from narrative choices that Nolan makes that go against the story he’s built up by the time the film ends. The first one comes from the villain front– did you know that there are, in fact, THREE in “The Dark Knight Rises?” Well, kind of (and actually four if you include a cameo by Cillian Murphy’s unmasked Scarcrow); Catwoman’s “villainy” is questionable at best in the way she is presented. Meanwhile, Bane’s is absolute; like the Joker, he is an agent of chaos, whose methods are terrifying, and point to a purpose of not just punishing Gotham, but also, bringing Batman to his lowest point, making him sit on the sidelines as he watches the city descend into darkness as Bane leads his cult of followers to take the city hostage with threat of nuclear destruction. It may be difficult to understand him through the mask at times, but as played by Hardy, Bane is one of the baddest asses in the history of “Batman” cinema…
…So why, may I ask, did Chris Nolan turn him into a functionary for a villain who, until over 2 1/4 hours in, we aren’t even aware of? The villain in question, the one pulling the strings, is none other than Talia al Ghul, the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul. The reason this takes us by surprise is that, until the reveal, we get no indication that anyone is working with Bane. However, she was right under our noses the entire time in the guise of Miranda Tate, played by the stunning Marion Cottilard. Tate is a wealthy investor who has given money to Wayne Enterprises over the years, and in her scenes with Bruce, we see the potential for him to have a life away from Batman. Personally, Tate is a more interesting character before she’s revealed to be Talia al Ghul, and while her story of revenge is a strong mirror to Bruce’s, Nolan completely stomps out any sense of danger see felt from Bane– who was a more than formidable foe on his own –by revealing that he wasn’t the main guy behind things. (Want to see how this type of thing is handled properly? Watch “The Avengers,” or Hell, “Batman Begins.” In both, we’re always aware of someone else pulling the strings, even if we don’t know who.)
And then, there’s the ending involving Bruce Wayne. This one is a bit easier to go into without spoilers, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating to experience how Nolan cheats the ending he is setting up. Throughout “The Dark Knight Rises,” we can see Bruce Wayne’s story building to one conclusion, and one conclusion only, and it’s the one that Alfred cannot watch Bruce come to. And we think we get that ending, as Batman, in his Batwing, flies over the water with a nuclear device about ready to explode. It does. The Batman gone, and presumably, Mr. Wayne along with him. In the end, Batman is the idea of self-sacrifice, without self-regard– a symbol of what people can aspire to. We see Mr. Wayne’s sparsely-attended funeral, and as Gotham moves into a new era, we see Alfred taking a vacation in Paris when he sees…you guessed it. Now, I’m sure some people might say, “That’s probably just wish fulfillment on Alfred’s part.” I don’t buy it, and by copping out, Nolan fumbled the ball just as he was at the goal line, which is all the more unfortunate because up until now, Nolan has never given in to a gratuitous “happy” ending. (Again, for a perfect example for this done right, watch “The Avengers” and the sacrifice Tony Stark risks at the end.)
I hate that so much of this review has been focused on what I thought didn’t work in the movie, because warts and all, it’s still a worthy finale to Nolan’s trilogy with the Caped Crusader. The acting is top-notch from everyone involed; the cinematography by Wally Pfister has depth and scope that few other superhero movies have had; the score by Hans Zimmer is brutal, emotional, and imaginative in the same visceral manner he and James Newton Howard scored the first two films; and the visual effects and sound design complete the package in a thrilling human drama about a man who finds his destiny in an unexpected way, but also uses a personal tragedy to lead himself on a journey that will ultimately lead to self-destruction. At least, that’s how it feels like it should have gone. I guess in the end, Nolan had another idea.
Post Script: Since my initial review, I have watched “The Dark Knight Rises” once more, on IMAX, and I must confess– it played a LOT better the second time around. I still think that Bane ends up being an anti-climax with the reveal of Talia al Ghul, but that particular twist felt a touch more organic this time around, since Bruce Wayne is the only one who calls “the child born in Hell” Bane. The ending shots with Wayne and Selina Kyle in Paris still don’t work for me; I’d like to believe that this is just a “wishful thinking” scenario playing out for Alfred, but it just doesn’t feel that way, and the movie would have been much better without this scene at all. The IMAX is stunning, as it was in “The Dark Knight,” and I applaud Nolan and Pfister for the courage they have to use it during some dramatic scenes, rather than just the big action sequences.
On the whole, viewing number 2 bumps this movie up to an A-. The Catwoman/Selina Kyle material still feels underdeveloped and uncertain, but as I said before, Hathaway is so great in the role I really don’t care. I think the thing I loved most about this is the way Bane basically turns Gotham into a war zone, comprable to Somalia in the ’90s, where he is a Warlord presiding over the chaos that has ensued with his control. This makes him a greater threat than any villain Nolan has brought forth previously, including the Joker. It’s a bold piece of storytelling, but really ups the stakes for the good guys in this movie. I am really gonna miss Nolan on these movies.
Read my other reviews of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy by clicking on the links below:
“Batman Begins”
“The Dark Knight”
