Let us start with context. The Dark Knight Rises came out today. I watched the midnight premier as one of the last movies I will watch before heading off to college. The Dark Knight came out in 2008. I watched it as I transitioned into a high school I hardly ever knew. Batman Begins came out in 2005. While I did not watch that during 2005, that was the year people of my grade would enter middle school where I live. That was also the year I changed to an intermediate school I had never known before. The Dark Knight trilogy followed me through school, and The Dark Knight Rises is the perfect send-off movie for a fledgling college freshman.
But allow me to get the criticisms out of the way first. I'm not saying the movie was perfect. It has a lot of plot holes. Where is the jail that Bane takes Batman? How come everyone doesn't notice the "coincidental" resurgence of both the Batman and Bruce Wayne? How is Batman suddenly able to move so well again from having a cane to being... well... Batman of old. Batman of The Dark Knight? The leg brace can't explain everything. How does Batman get back into Gotham after all the entry/exit routes were blocked, and he was stuck in some desert? How come Bane didn't find the flying bat mobile after 3 months and knowing it existed? How did everyone not know Bruce Wayne was Batman after their coincidental deaths on the same day? Where did all the people of Gotham who were duking it out go after Talia Al-Ghul came out? How does Bruce Wayne not get reported alive while eating at a cafe in Paris? And how do Selena Kyle and Bruce Wayne travel around so easily if Bruce is broke? How in hell does Bruce Wayne recuperate from a broken spine in 3 months flat and gets back to tip-top shape without any modern medical attention while still having the time to try and climb out of the jail 3 times? These questions, and their lack of answers from the movie, all leave open room for criticisms. I normally despise plot holes, especially such huge ones as these, but I'm too sentimental, so I'll move on to what I loved about TDKR: Themes.
TDKR showed the importance of a brand new start. Batman, Bruce Wayne, after years of dedication to being The Dark Knight and being worn down by his history, his feeling of fault for his dad's death, is finally able to get his new start. After defeating Bane, and giving all he can give to Gotham as he kills off Batman, we see him with Selena Kyle in Paris. Selena, too, was looking for the elusive "clean slate" as she searches throughout the movie for a way to erase her past. The two end up in Paris together happily enjoying a new life with new duties and responsibilities. Perhaps the greatest portrayal of this theme is with Blake who felt restricted with his life as a police officer. The chilling moment when he sees the army soldier fire at him and blow up the bridge makes him realize how useless it is to work within the system. "Congratulations! You followed orders!" It makes him want a new start where he can stay true to his principles and help people in ways that he wants. Doesn't that just tug at a college kid's heart strings? I'll soon be moving out of this house where I'm typing these posts and move into a new life, a fresh start with all its promises of happiness and fulfillment.
But characteristic to Nolan, there are some realities we have to face along the way. Getting to the new starts aren't easy. It is elusive; it requires dedication, and there will be disappointments along the way. We see the death of Blake's world view as Harvey Dent becomes a lie, and just following orders becomes nearly a death sentence for thousands of people. We see the failure of Selena Kyle's first attempt at getting a clean slate. We see the ruination of Batman as Bruce Wayne tries to just put away the suit and start anew. It takes hard work to get what we want. Along the way, we will fail and fall. "And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." And from the pieces of these broken dreams and realities, we see these characters rise up and move on toward a new reality. We see Bruce Wayne finally move past his parents, Rachel, and the Batman. We see Selena Kyle finally getting her new start, but it is only with the failures they kept in mind. Selena Kyle begins to trust Batman only after her first attempt failed, and Bruce Wayne manages to find true love only after realizing Rachel had chosen Harvey instead. Failure breeds success eh?
Taking these themes and applying them to me, I really learned to love TDKR because it's such a reassuring message as I prepare to tackle a new life at CMU. Huh, CMU... how ironic the setting. I hope I can learn from my failures like these characters have. I hope I can find the new start as refreshing as Batman, Robin, and Catwoman did in Rises. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams... I hope.
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