At this point, this is just minor spoilers. Still spoilers nonetheless. Adhere to the warning on top. If you cannot help like me, then continue reading at your own risk.
So, the other article covered the concept of the movie regarding people, loss of hope, and regaining that belief in a symbol that gives faith to the people. This post covers what is happening in the movie and what is going on with Bruce Wayne as the movie starts. These are minor details, but to the person who wants to be surprised. You have released the beyond the point of return. The quotes below are from LA Hero Complex discussing some of the production notes that happened early this week as well as scenes that are happening in the movie. Here is what LA Hero Complex has given us:
As Dark Knight Risesopens, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a sullen shadow of himself, and instead of his Batman mask he hides
“You should be as afraid as I am.”
behind a scraggly hermit’s beard. Eight years have passed since the murder of his true love, Rachel Dawes, and the fatal tumble of the deranged Harvey Dent. With the weight of those memories, the recluse must lean on a cane as he wanders a sealed-off wing of Wayne Manor. The world outside out claws away at that isolation, almost literally in the case of Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) the femme fatale traditionally called Catwoman.
Things get worse for Wayne and Gotham as a mysterious terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy) unleashes a campaign to sever the city from the outside world; like a brawny butcher swinging a cleaver, there’s no hesitation or empathy that slows his hand as goes about his wet work amid the body count. Anarchy spreads but the chaos is only a cover for the Bane’s true plans — those, like the villain himself, are difficult to unmask.
Some scenes of Wayne’s reclusive bitterness and the urban bedlam evoke the landmark Frank Miller 1986 limited series The Dark Knight Returns, which (along with “Watchmen”) propelled much of the comics world into deep, dark grit for the next decade. The reminder of that raises a question for the (apparently inexhaustible) sub-genre of superhero films: Which will echo in the mind of filmmakers more in the years to come, The Avengers of The Dark Knight Rises?
Bane vs Batman
Even with Cardington and its elbow room, the Nolan film logged a lot of airport time. The Dark Knight Rises was shot in India, London, Glasgow, Pittsburgh, New York, Newark and Los Angeles. Last year, shooting a scene from the $250-million-plus production at the Senate House on the University of London campus, Nolan was watching the action unfold as Bale finished an intense sequence with Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard and Hathaway. After the group had run through the scene multiple times, Nolan walked over to her with upbeat posture of baseball manager taking the temperature of a jittery pitcher.
His advice? Take down the supervillain intonations creeping into the dialogue, Hathaway recalled later on set, still clad in her character’s skin-tight, black battle togs. “There’s no mustache-twirling in Gotham City,” she said. “That’s why what Chris does is really special and celebrated and successful. This is not making fun of the material. It’s serious.” (Hathaway is apparently a good listener, too, her wry and savvy version of Selena has franchise producer Emma Thomas especially eager for the release; the filmmakers heard the fanboy skepticism that greeted the casting. “I can’t wait for people to see what she’s done, she’s brilliant.”)
On the topic of tone, Bale agreed with Hathaway, adding that while Nolan’s Batman movies “have the roller-coaster element and the visual spectacle” required of any superhero film, they veer away from “the silly stuff.” The silly stuff was the enemy that Batman couldn’t beat at one point. Last month was the 15th anniversary of “Batman & Robin,” which presented George Clooney in a Bat-suit with Bat-nipples, and a very different version of Bane — he was essentially a mute, lab-created pro wrestler. Typical line from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze ”No matter what anyone tells you, Bane, it really is the size of your gun that counts.”
So, now you know. You have ruined the movie for yourself. No worries, I have to. I love the amount of work that was done for this movie. I mean really Christopher Nolan has given us a real tooth cavity here. All these elements, scenes, and concepts are really just sweat, blood, and tears. Everything that is happening to Bruce with his loss of identity as both Bruce Wayne and Batman is just so sad. Gotham is in a state of false illusion and the politicians are just adding more to the lies. Bane comes with a straight up killing machine mission to rip out Gotham’s tiny soul. Catwoman is just a damaged woman looking for a clear view of what is real in this world besides the materialism of pearls, gems, and jews. This entire movie is just a solid Six Flags demon roller coaster of emotions, action, and heart. I envy the people who are going to screen it tomorrow. Oh! Did I let that slip? Those rotten dirty sons of *&6$)9@! Sorry, I really wanted to be there for the screening, the site is not popular enough to do so. Make us popular fans! Anyway…
Comment below or on DKN Facebook about what you think of LA Hero Complex’s piece on The Dark Knight Rises. What do you think you get out of this movie? Compare the other Batman movies to Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Do any of them compare? Please when doing this consider the time period and influence of Warner Bros.
