Nolan's Immortalisation of Batman

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2012)

If there was an award for the most anticipated film of all time, 'The Dark Knight Rises' would be a clear victor. And what would validate that accolade is the fact that it is another Nolan brainchild which lives up to the hype even if it has to walk in the illustrious footsteps of its now legendary predecessor. The only 'fault', If you can call it that, of 'Rises' was the absence of a performance of the magnitude of Heath Ledger's 'Joker'. That helped 'The Dark Knight' transcend itself. But topping that would be wishful. It begins gradually, curiously taking its time (barring another exhilarating opening though) before substantiating more and more leading towards what is a spectacular finale, a finale which does what no other Batman film has ever done, immortalises the Dark Knight.
Once more, Jonathan Nolan shows an intricate prowess towards his story writing, one which expands the spectrum beyond Batman to a multitude of thematic focuses and people. He utilises Batman oddly sparingly but to the point where every minute of his screen time was compelling. The key difference between 'The Dark Knight' and 'Rises' was the focus, the former being more character oriented, the latter more plot driven. Nolan finds ways to surprise, thrill and keep you on the edge of your seat with the elements of his narrative. Moreover, he writes keeping in mind that this is to be the end of a saga. Make no mistake, this is a mammoth production.
Nolan's conceptualisation of the Batman world is an evolution beyond any superhero realm to graduate to the big screen. His methods and vision for the presentation of this film eclipse contemporary action cinema and the production design, stunts and camera work truly leave you incredulous. Most importantly, he makes Batman's neo-apocalyptic world so realistic.
Tom Hardy described his character aptly with the word 'brutal'. Bane is an intimidating opponent who serves to challenge Batman physically rather than torturing him with his derangement like the Joker. Albeit more analogous to his comic book self, Bane's calculated, scheming approach to creating anarchy did not have the exciting unpredictability and mania of the Joker which constantly leaves you guessing. Whilst the Joker held a city to ransom with manipulation, threat and deceit, Bane declares his own martial law in the most aggressive and direct of manners. Ultimately however, both are distinct characters and our preference of characters should not distract from how well they are enacted. All the same, Hardy creates a magnificent physical presence; menacing, bone-chilling and seemingly unstoppable and all that minus facial expression owing to his mask. This speaks volumes about his ability.
Anne Hathaway's lean, athletic figure created for great aesthetic pleasure and she captured the essence of the femme fatale almost as well as her predecessor. Sly and enigmatic, Selina Kyle is not exactly the feline that people would be expecting but nonetheless, she certainly has claws and a domineering attitude to match.
The chameleon Christian Bale returns to Bruce Wayne presenting him initially as sickly, almost pitiful making his maverick-like motives behind re-adopting the Batman suit after 8 long years in solitude slightly unclear. Nevertheless, like most things in the Nolan world, it all leads towards the film's principal theme, the difference between Bruce convincing himself of his immunity towards what he believes to be the disease that is thanatophobia and acceptance of the fact that he is but a human being with a final purpose and a life beyond. This quest to avert death is something that according to Batman lore is supposed to haunt both Bruce Wayne and Batman eternally and his final acceptance, in this film, of both his vulnerability and the fact that he has given Gotham 'everything', as per the words of Selina Kyle, is what makes this such a fitting conclusion, not just to Nolan's series but to the Batman legend itself.
Christopher Nolan has truly brought the Batman legend full circle and to a worthy conclusion. He stays true to plausibility and pragmatism as in the rest of the series. There is no mention of Lazarus pits, Bane's traditional chemical lifeline, 'Venom', or anything else remotely supernatural. And that, in short, is why he is revered so. 'Rises' is visually incredible and continues to push the limits of Batman, the things that define him, what he is capable of and what he can inspire. It is this reason why Nolan's revival of the Batman epic will be etched in film history as undoubtedly one of the great sagas of all time.