Second Look: "The Dark Knight Rises"

On a second viewing, The Dark Knight Rises remains a flawed film, but a much better one with knowledge of the complete story. Many of the issues I had the first time around are more palatable this time. There are still some things that are illogical, particularly things like Gordon sending 3000 police officers into the tunnels. Others, like Blake deducing Wayne's alter ego, or Bane planting his headquarters under Fox's R&D warehouse, are more acceptable. Blake understood Wayne, shared a similar past, knew the benefit of hiding under a smile, and he saw that in Wayne. Add that to the fact that Batman was likely rich to afford all his gadgets, and it's believable, but still a stretch, to see that he discovered his identity. And, he had no reason to reveal it, as he believed Batman was innocent the entire time. As for Bane, perhaps Talia was able to garner inside information, despite Fox having the whole warehouse off the books. It's a moot point in the overall story, as is Wayne's return from the prison without any resources.


The key criticism I had with TDKR the first time was based in its characters. Alfred wouldn't have left Bruce. Selina and Bruce got together without much development. And Bruce was Batman, not a man wanting to live a full life. Some of these are a bit more understandable, particularly Bruce's journey.

Bruce Wayne was a man scarred by his parent's death, and he wanted to rectify that. Anger was not the right path, but he learned to channel this anger into justice, using an image of fear that was linked to his own past. But Bruce did see a life beyond Batman, when Gotham would no longer need its dark knight. Bruce saw that in Harvey Dent, and he sacrificed Batman's reputation to uphold that belief. The only life Bruce saw beyond Batman was Rachel, and when she died, and Batman retired, he was left a hermit. Alfred saw this as no excuse, and yearned for Bruce to go out and live his life. When Bruce learns that a dangerous mercenary exists, and is linked with the League of Shadows, he dons the cape and cowl again, only to find his body broken. A man who did not fear death, who perhaps in a way, welcomed it in his quest to save his city. But now, he watches his city die, on multiple levels. A bomb threatens to level the city, and Bane's revelation about the truth of Harvey Dent plunges the city into despair. Only by sacrificing himself, being the hero Gotham needs, could he save the city. First, he had to realize the value of his life through realizing the fear of death, and once he accomplished this, he was able to save his city. Bruce felt, from the start, that Batman wasn't just a man, but a idea, a legend. And in Blake, he saw a kindred spirit, someone to carry on his mantle. So, having sacrificed himself, he was finally able to lead a life outside of the cowl and cave.


I still don't quite buy that he's suddenly willing to live with Selina. Maybe he wasn't as attached to Talia as I thought the first time around. And I see where he could relate to Selina, as she's a vigilante, someone outside of the law as well. But that's a stretch. At least Bruce's overall journey makes more sense. As for Alfred, I still don't buy that he leaves Bruce alone, but my cousin brought up a valid point, that Alfred may have tried to return, but couldn't as the city was blocked off.


Overall, TDKR is the weakest of the Batman trilogy, and one of Nolan's lower films, but that really speaks to the quality of his work overall. Because TDKR is a well-paced, well-acted film, that, despite its flaws, tries to focus most of its efforts on the story of Bruce Wayne, whether you agree with his overall journey or not. It's not as cohesive as Batman Begins, or as shocking as The Dark Knight, but it finds its own place within the trilogy, and is something Nolan should be commended for.