WARNING: SPOILERS IF YOU HAVENâT SEEN THE FILM YET!
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman
Running time: 165 minutes
The Dark Knight Rises is the concluding film of Christopher Nolanâs Batman trilogy. Set eight years after The Dark Knight, the movie sees Batman returning to Gotham City when a new threat in the form of Bane and the League of Shadows appears.
Christian Bale returns to play Batman/Bruce Wayne, putting in a stunning performance, showing Wayneâs pain, vulnerability and, in the end, power and determination. You can tell that the years have taken its toll and fear for the characterâs safety. Batman appearing in the middle of the day for the final fight is significant and symbolic, showing how the character has truly come out of the shadows and has become a symbol for all of Gotham. The physically imposing Bane is played by Tom Hardy. Whilst the character never quite has the same impact as Heath Ledgerâs Joker, Hardy really makes Bane menacing. His brutal fighting style combined with his voice makes him the stuff of nightmares. Though you donât always understand what Bane is saying, Hardy conveys a lot with his eyes and the general message gets through. Iâm glad that Nolan went with a villain who was Batmanâs physical equal (if not stronger). The way the character was interpreted from the comics was also very smart, doing away with the silly looking wrestling outfit and tying him with the League of Shadows. The fight sequences were brutal and you believe that he could kill Batman. Bane breaking (well, damaging) the Dark Knightâs back is a nice reference to the Knightfall storyline from the comics. The characterâs death however was unsatisfying; the character was disposed of too quickly and I felt as though his story was cut short. Anne Hathawayâs Catwoman is incredible; she really brought something new to the role. Calculating and cunning, Hathawayâs Selina Kyle is every bit a match for Batman. The focus on her as a master thief and desire to break free from her past serves as a perfect foil to Bruce Wayne. The two of them being together at the end was a little sudden, as I didnât feel as though there was a strong romantic connection between the two, though it does make sense and is another reference to the comics. I only wish that Catwoman had more screen time to really flesh the character out. The character is never referred to as âCatwomanâ in the film which is understandable and makes sense within Nolanâs Batman-verse.
Wayne Enterprises board member Miranda Tate, a character introduced in this film, is played by Marion Cotillard. The character is set up as a pivotal one, being instrumental in taking down Bane. Sheâs however later revealed to be Talia al Ghul, the daughter of Raâs al Ghul. Cotillardâs performance as Tate was interesting, appearing strong and confident. Her reveal as Talia happens too late in the film for the character to really have an impact. Whilst her motivations are clear, Cotillard doesnât put in a strong performance as a villain and comes off as merely as crazy, rather than someone whoâs orchestrated an elaborate plan. Bane as her bodyguard was a very nice twist, and if Nolan was to have Bane be Raâs son it wouldâve been an interesting decision. John Blake, an idealistic police officer, is portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The character acts as a younger James Gordon, believing in Batman and the strength of Gotham City and its citizens. The reveal of Blakeâs real name being âRobinâ is a nice nod to the comics (he seems to be an amalgam of several Robins, having a past similar to Dick Grayson, and the detective skills and the deduction of Batman's identity from Tim Drake), and the ending with the character inheriting the Batcave leads one to believe that heâll take up the Batman mantle. Returning from the previous films are Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox and Gary Oldman as Commissioner James Gordon. Caineâs performance in the film is superb, with the scenes in which he expresses his worry for Bruce and his apology to Thomas and Martha Wayne being absolutely heart wrenching. Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy) makes a cameo appearance as a judge in Baneâs remodeling of Gotham. The reappearance of the character was welcome, though I didnât feel as if any of the dialogue was in character except for one line (âdeath by exile it isâ). If the character was a little more psychotic maybe it wouldâve worked better. It was nice that Liam Neeson appears once again as Raâs al Ghul. His scene with Bruce in Baneâs prison really shows how the trilogy has come full circle. Josh Pence plays a younger Raâs in flashbacks.
Nolan has created a wonderfully rich story for his concluding Batman film which explores several plot points from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight whilst introducing new ones. The first half hour or so suffers from these multiple storylines, as settings are set up and new ones introduced, making it feel very choppy. From then however, the film handles all the plot points well, building up to the stunning conclusion.
The nods to events and people in past films (Thomas Wayne showing Bruce his stethoscope, the picture of Rachel Dawes), and the result of them (the Dent Act), along with the general narrative strengthens the film and really makes it seem like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises are just parts of one large story.
The cinematography is absolutely beautiful; Wally Pfister really knows how to light scenes (but letâs face it, we already knew this before seeing TDKR). Itâs a shame that this will be his last film as Christopher Nolanâs cinematographer, but I wish him all the best for his directorial debut. Â
Nolanâs insistence on shooting as much practically as possible means we pretty much believe everything we see and are never distracted by a CG element that looks out of place. The shots with a computer generated version of the Bat work well, and you canât tell the digital and physical ones apart.
Hans Zimmerâs score works well with the footage (unlike the previous Nolan Batman films, James Newton Howard didnât contribute to the score this time around). The themes for Catwoman and Bane are captivating. Catwomanâs theme (Mind If I Cut In?) really emphasizes her mysterious past and murky intentions. The chants of âdey-shay dey-shay bah-sah-rah bah-sah-rahâ are powerful and memorable and stick in our head for a very long time. Iâm glad that fans were able to record their own version of the chant and send it in for possible inclusion, enabling Zimmer to make it seem like there were thousands of voices chanting.
An hour worth of footage was shot using IMAX cameras, so be sure to check out the film at an IMAX cinema if you can.
Whilst a great film, The Dark Knight Rises (and Nolanâs trilogy as a whole) isnât without its flaws. For a film thatâs meant to be part of a trilogy, it sometimes feels as though itâs a stand alone film (The Dark Knight also has this problem). Though the colour palette for each film is nice and distinctive, it also means that each film looks very different. Not only that, but Gotham looks very different geographically in each film. The use of different cities for filming aside, the Narrows seen in Batman Begins seems to have disappeared. Even if Batman doesnât visit them, surely we wouldâve at least been able to glimpse them in aerial shots of the city? Also, the train system from Begins is never to be seen again after a section of it is destroyed. I find it very hard to believe that a large city such as Gotham wouldnât rebuild/repair such an important public transportation system. The lack of any reference of the Joker is a little disappointing, especially since almost every other major past character is mentioned. I know that Nolan said he didnât want to disrespect the memory of Heath Ledger, but surely a simple mention of his atrocities wouldâve sufficed. It is but another reason that the film seems disconnected and distanced from The Dark Knight.
In the lead up to the film people would jokingly say that âBatman diesâ in order to spoil it for those who avoid spoilers. I however countered with âBatman wonât die, but, Bruce Wayne mightâ. And in a way I was right. Batman lives on after Bruce, with it being hinted that Blake takes up the role. Also, the world at large believes that Bruce Wayne is dead. Iâm really glad that I (sort of) predicted a major point in the film.
The Dark Knight Rises is a stunning conclusion and lives up to all the hype. Whilst it doesnât necessarily reach the same heights as The Dark Knight, it is memorable and will hold up to repeat viewings. Christopher Nolan has found a story that holds well on its own, yet unites all the films together into one gripping, suspenseful tale that will delight generations to come. I can only hope, and pray, for whoever is chosen to helm the eventual Batman reboot.
