The Dark Knight Rises

Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Matthew Modine

Dir. Christopher Nolan
Scr. Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan (based on characters by Bob Kane)

It is quite a sight to see – a filmmaker with complete creative control. There aren’t many who get it and, those that do, much too often squander it. At 164 minutes and the absence of the Bat suit for the first 40-ish of those, how did Nolan not have producers breathing down his neck and telling him to get on with it? I’m not complaining. In fact, it’s a beautiful thing. And the result is a very different superhero movie. In fact, TDKR is perhaps better described as a drama with some rather impressive bouts of action thrown in. And it works for Batman in a way it wouldn’t for many others. This is not a perfect film and I can’t help but wonder whether it can really stand alone, but, jeez, it made me buzz. It also made me cry and gasp and, a couple of times, chuckle. I couldn’t help but be thrilled.

At the close of The Dark Knight, Batman (Bale) took the blame for murder, hung up his cape and, as we discover, somewhat let himself go – eight years on Wayne is a limping, gaunt recluse, holed up in his mansion with only his faithful butler Alfred (Caine) for company. Everything changes with the arrival of Bane (Hardy), a masked and ruthless villain hell bent on “freeing” Gotham City from its shackles. Mayhem ensues, as you’d expect.

There is a lot going on in this film. And Nolan doesn’t often let the audience take a breather and put the pieces together. ‘Keep up’, he seems to be saying, ‘you’ll be rewarded in the end.’ There has been some discussion about Bane’s vocals and more than a few are complaining about how hard he is to understand. It’s a reminder of how much we rely on watching an actor’s mouth to pick up what our ears might miss. So, that might be part of it. But I also think it’s Nolan saying ‘come on, just tune in and concentrate.’

Much has also been said about the twists and turns in the film and, of course, the ending. Without spoiling anything for anyone, I would just say there are no simple solutions for Nolan. Expectations are high and, even when they’re not, conclusions are never easy. But Nolan has certainly tried to provide closure. It just won’t please everyone, that’s for sure.

I cannot gush enough about how great this film looks and feels. There’s no one as grim and tortured as Batman and, boy, Nolan once again nails the all-pervading sense of darkness. Whatever you want to say about its story and lofty themes, there is little doubt of how brilliantly this film is physically crafted.

Superhero films sometimes suffer from a severe lack of acting nuance. Don’t get me wrong – cartoonish can work. But in TDKR we also see how fine acting can add real drama and emotion. This is certainly Bale’s best outing as Batman. Oldman, Freeman, Caine – I simply can’t criticise. Gordon-Levitt is extremely good and less ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ than he can sometimes be. For me, Hathaway is a surprise. In fact, I would say she is a highlight. Cotillard is stunning and lovely, as always. Hardy has a tough job, with only his bulk and his eyes to work with, and he does a very fine job.

This is by no means a masterpiece and, I hope, not Nolan’s final opus. I continue to argue with myself over whether Dark Knight is a better film. In the end, taken as a trilogy, Nolan has done a phenomenal job. There is no doubt Batman will be rebooted, but I pity the filmmaker who decides they are up to the task. I highly recommend this film.

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Bane: You do not fear death. You welcome it. Your punishment must be more severe.