Christopher Nolan’s
Batman trilogy is unlike any others in the genre of “super hero.” The films are
darker, grittier, and more foreboding than most films in that genre, but
perhaps the thing that sets them most apart is the fact that they are
intelligent. Fiercely intelligent, and deep. The conclusion to the trilogy, “The
Dark Knight Rises,” is by far the most promising in the series.
It’s a great “super hero” film, boasting of ninja fight
scenes, some pretty awesome advanced technology, (cause who doesn’t love a good
bat-mobile chase scene? … or three?) and a squeeze-your-dates-hand-in-the-popcorn-bucket
level scary villain. (Played by the unequaled Tom Hardy, but more about him
later.)
But more than that, it’s a film with a message. When asked
why he wanted to make a third film, creator Christopher Nolan said “for lack of
a better term, [to] go there.”
He went on to explain that in both of the installments that
came before, the sanity of Gatham city was always threatened, but averted. In
the third film, Nolan “goes there,” In all out pandemonium on the streets.
Imagine if the Wall Street Protests escalated to French
Revolution level, and you have The Dark Knight Rises. The villain, Bane, is an
intelligent revolutionary ( with an incredibly well written back story,) who
seeks the downfall of Gotham for the betterment of
mankind as a whole. (A member f the league of shadows, if you recall from the
first movie.) But the way that he goes about that downfall is what is
interesting to me. Bane seems only to wish to give power to the people, but he
knows true democracy is only two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for
dinner. And so un-harnessed democracy is his WMD
of choice.
He tells the people of Gotham “We take Gotham from the corrupt, the
rich, the oppressors of generations who kept you down with myths of
opportunity, and we give it back to you, the people. Gotham is yours. None shall
interfere, do as you please... The powerful will be ripped from their decadent
nests and cast out into the cold world that we know and endure. Courts will be
convened, spoils will be enjoyed. Blood will be shed. The police will survive
as they learn to survive true justice.” Bane releases felons from prison and
convenes “people’s courts.” He tells the people he seeks true justice and
equality, when in reality he only seeks their demise, and chaos is the most
viable means of bringing it about.
The film’s message is incredibly
conservative and capitalistic for a Hollywood block buster. The character cat-woman, a burglar of the highest
degree (played surprisingly well, by Anne Hathaway,) tells Bruce Wayne, (the
original billionaire, genius, playboy philanthropist.) "There's a
storm coming, Mr. Wayne, and when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you
thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us."
Socialism at it’s most poetic, right? But the realization of
socialism is far from poetic. Later in the film, when “the people rule,” Gotham
is far from the utopia of equality expected. When she stands in the filthy looted
ruins of a once-wealthy home, cat-woman whispers to herself “this was some-one’s
home.” One of the looters replies “ Yeah, well now it is everyone’s home.”
When wealth is redistributed, no one comes out
on top but Bane.
The Dark Knight Rises, has become one of my favorite movies.
It has everything. A Christ like hero, a great villain, an intelligent and well
written script, heart racing action sequences, a talented cast of actors, a
twistful plot (yes, I did just make up that word) and a great message. It’s
just an epic movie. But I believe it is the little things that make a movie
great, as well as the big things. And a lot of super hero movies sacrifice the
small moments of greatness on the altar of popcorn flicks. But the Dark Knight
Rises doesn’t. You wouldn’t expect to get emotional when a policeman dons his
dress blues, or when a butler decides to tell the truth, or when a detective
chalks a symbol on the side of a building, but you will. And, much as anything
else, those things are what make this a great movie.
