Spoilers for this film as well as Batman Begins and The Dark
Knight could crop up, so be warned.
The first time I saw it, I got pretty choked up, but managed
to hold it back, the second time I saw it was close and I could feel the tears
coming but somehow they were kept back. The third time, if there is (there most
likely will be) I can either see myself not being as affected or quietly
weeping in the darkness, no doubt worrying the person next to me. This may
sound like an exaggeration for a “comic book” film, but when you are as
invested in the main characters, ones that you have spent three films
following, then this kind of reaction to the last ten minutes of the film is
understandable, at least to me.
Once again spoilers will follow. Also for those who haven’t
seen the previous two films in the series (Batman
Begins and The Dark Knight), they
are essential viewing as a number of plot points, etc, are dependent on what
occurred these two films.
The basic plot of The
Dark Knight Rises picks up eight years after the lie, Batman has been gone for that time and Bruce Wayne has spent
the last three years holed up in Wayne Manor, ala Howard Hughes. Gotham has eradicated
organized crime as a result of the ‘Dent Act’, but the two men responsible for
the city’s peace, Gordon and Wayne are straining under the pressure of what it
cost them. Unknown to both of them, a revolutionary army led by the terrifying
Bane is heading to Gotham, ready take advantage of a out of shape police force
and an arrogant city.
As with these previous two films, The Dark Knight Rises would be nowhere without the central
performance of Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne/Batman, one of the key aspects that
has set this series apart. In what is being considered his best performance of
the trilogy Bale takes the character of Bruce, who has always been the primary
focus of the films, from his lowest point (twice), through numerous emotional
revelations and weighty scenes, back up to his highest, giving us an arc in
this film that parallels the combined one he goes through in the previous two
films. Physically, Bale brings more to the character, as it is needed for the
story, than we have seen before, especially early on as Bruce is still nursing
what I assume is the affects of the events at the event of The Dark Knight. To be fair, so would you after that ordeal.
Supporting himself with a cane and putting on a show for the world, despite
barely leaving Wayne Manor where he has painted himself as the recluse.
Similar to the other performances he has given, some of his
best moments are silent moments where he conveys the pain and loss that has
dictated his whole life through his eyes and facial expressions, never over or
underplayed, it is a performance that perfectly portrays both sides of the
Bruce Wayne character. Will he receive the Academy nomination that some people
have touted him for? It’s unlikely because of the film he is in and the way
there are perceived, but this is a character that I personally have been pulled
into and have invested in, both in terms of time and emotions, because of
Bale’s three performances.
Visuals
Following in the footsteps of Heath Ledgers Joker was never
going to be an easy task. Even picking a character from the rogues gallery who
can match The Joker on a pure idea/concept level is difficult enough, without
having to find an actor who can give a performance that was as engrossing as
Ledger. Luckily Nolan and Goyer chose a character that couldn’t be more
different from the Joker, in Bane. A massive physical presence, who is more
than capable of matching Batman in a fistfight. Portrayed as somewhere between
a modern revolutionary and a cult leader. Hardy brings a completely new take on
the character to anything we have seen in any version of the character we have
seen. Gone is the luchador mask and venom (a drug in the comics that cause Bane
to physically increase in size and strength) replaced by terrifying mechanical
mask that administers a pain medication constantly. Equally charismatic and
frightening, Hardy shows the character as a man capable of convincing people to
devote themselves totally to him, willing to give their lives in an instant at
one of his commands, then switching to a cold killer who will go through
anybody who stands in his way. He certainly isn’t as fun as the Joker to watch,
but he isn’t supposed to, you are supposed to be scared of this character, to
hate him, yet at certain times be enthralled by his personality. His is one
thing that seems to have gained some sort of negativity. At times it can be
difficult to hear, but this seems to be as much about the films sound mix as
the cinema (I have seen it in two different cinema’s, one got it right and I
could hear everything, the other didn’t and some lines were muffled), his accent
is interesting, no doubt a mix of the mask and the characters history and the
places he has been to. But ultimately the voice and how you feel about it and
hear it, is a very subjective like or dislike.
She is never referred to as Catwoman, just Selina Kyle, but
you would have been living in a cage to not know that this is Catwoman. One of
Batman’s most important and long running characters, it was great to see her
brought to life in an accurate portrayal, no dead cat zombie lady in this one.
Many didn’t feel that great when Anne Hathaway was announced. How stupid they
must feel, or at least should feel now. Like her character in the film, she
does steal scenes in this; one bar sequence is so perfectly Selina Kyle that it
blows any would be complainers away, not to forget her entertaining
introduction at Wayne Manor with Bruce and Alfred. Like both Bale and Hardy,
Hathaway brings a great physicality to the role, more than capable of holding
her own against a few thugs, she also uses her body to convey her different
personalities whenever she doesn’t say anything, once again, her first two
scenes demonstrate this perfectly. Finally, yes she does look like Catwoman and
Selina Kyle and there are “ears” as part of the cat suit.
Following in the footsteps of the previous two films, The Dark Knight Rises moves at quite a
pace once it gets going, which results in them being able to get a lot of story
into the films mammoth running length of 164 minutes, most of which would be
hard to cut down or eliminate. As a result for the most part the story is
engaging and considerably tight, this is probably the most loose and free
flowing of the trilogy, the end game is set up relatively early on and
obstacles put in front of the protagonists. There is one factual error involving
the kind of stocks/options purchased by one character at a point in the story,
which during the film doesn’t take you out of the moment due to what comes
before and after it, but after the credits roll it does stick out at you. But
the fact that they have tried to incorporate something like this in a “comic
book” film should be praised, even if it is a little off and if this is the
only issue I can really find in the film that I can say that I am completely
happy with that.
Talking about the plot and building on saying that it is the
most free of the trilogy is meant to be taken positively, as it allows them ask
questions and introduce ideas into the narrative, much in the same way as The Dark Knight and Inception, allowing each audience member to takeaway different
things from the film and being allowed to leave with their own answers,
conclusion and meaning from the story and characters.
As with Bale, Gary Oldman’s Jim Gordon is one of the
cornerstones’ of this series, his role is slightly diminished compared to the
one in The Dark Knight, but not by a
large amount, once again he proves to be one of Gotham’s heroes. Here, Oldman
plays Gordon as man who has paid the price for the lie that he and Batman built together to save Gotham, now eight
years on, without his family with a desire to resign and admit the truth to
everyone. As with the previous two films, Oldman brings the character in a
complete way, giving us a man who you can see is physically crumbling and who
can’t stand what the people of Gotham think of his “friend” as he puts it. It’s
hard to give more detailed praise of the performance of the character other
than it is completely believable and that when you see him on screen it, is Jim
Gordon you see, not Gary Oldman.
John Blake, what a mystery he was prior to the film, having
probably even more speculation about his character and who he really was. Who he becomes is something
that I won’t completely talk about; I will save it for another blog. When
Gordon-Levitt was first announced, the way his character was announced made it
seem like he would have a secondary role in the film, acting as Gordon’s
assistant. But as the film plays out, we see his character grow in stature,
especially after things in Gotham go wrong, Blake establishes himself as a
vital figure not just to the resistance, but also to everyone in the city. In a
role that could have been played awkwardly and arrogantly by a lesser actor and
honestly after seeing Gordon-Levitt play the role, I cannot imagine anyone else
in the part, one scene early on with Bruce Wayne, featuring a monologue of his,
could have come across as more of a plot point than a genuine character moment
that starts his and Bruce’s relationship and shows to us just what this police
office is capable of. Some people may guess where his character arc will end,
even without any knowledge of the Batman mythology. Without doing it, Nolan
gave us his interpretation of a critical character to Batman, the only thing I
would have changed is his name, but I will say no more.
One of the main issues some people seem to have with The Dark Knight Rises is the sound,
certain lines of dialogue seem to drowned out at time by the score, but it
seems to vary from cinema to cinema and how their sound system is set up. There
were a few moments in The Dark Knight that
this issue, but were subjective to the cinema, yet they were resolved for the
DVD release. My biggest piece of advice would just be to give the film your
complete attention and you should have no problem.
To sum up then, is The
Dark Knight Rises as good as it’s predecessors? Especially The Dark Knight, well that depends on
your own personally preferences and how much you are willing to invest in the
film and its characters emotionally. It may not be as fun as The Dark Knight or as a tight as Batman Begins, it is more sprawling and
asks bigger questions and with any ending, it will draw more attention and
opinions good or bad, as is the problem when someone brings a conclusion to a
character who has never had his story end before. I for one enjoyed it immensely;
it is a great ending to Bruce Wayne’s story and Nolan’s trilogy. Go and see it,
ideally watch all three films close together to really get the whole story,
then make up your own minds, just don’t go in hoping for your ending, theirs’
is most likely better.
