So much more than just a superhero movie

Rating: Null/10 (20 July 2012)

How do you outdo your own craft? Christopher Nolan pulls it off and then some in this rousing finale to his adaptation of the Batman trilogy. It was a long movie (some would say "epic," even), but other than the lack of A/C in the cinema I just came home from (which now seems so trivial and callous after the events in Aurora, CO - RIP to those killed), it was hardly noticeable how much time went by. Appropriate, since this should go down in the pantheon of movies as a timeless version of a popular character.
And here's the thing: it's more than just "a superhero movie." Much, much more. The emotional depth brought to each of the key characters was the thing that struck me the most about this movie. Yeah, I have to admit that the gadgets and vehicles were pretty sweet, but superficial things like that only go so far.
It is the way in which each of the main characters are shown in this movie that makes this so special: you see it in Batman/Bruce Wayne, in Bane, in Commissioner Gordon, in Alfred, in Selina Kyle/Catwoman, in John Blake, in Miranda Tate, and ultimately, in Gotham as the city itself is given life as the movie unfolds. These characters, ostensibly set up as leaders within their own world, ultimately reveal themselves to be broken.
The brokenness portrayed is emotional. It's physical. In some cases, it's both. THIS is the true heart of the movie, and as Nolan continues to explore the themes of our own humanity and what drives us to do whatever we end up doing for the things we hold most closely to our hearts, viewers are transported into what may or may not be an alternate reality.
This is not the most action-packed movie within the genre, but when it does get into action sequences, it is a definite treat. Perhaps that is what makes this come across as such a well-rounded movie.
Actors may dread becoming defined by individual characters they portray in a movie or series, though some have thrived afterward. With that being said, Christian Bale could do a lot worse than to be defined as an actor by his portrayal of Wayne/Batman. Tom Hardy brings Bane to life from the comic book and "in the flesh," comes across as tremendously intimidating not simply because of his size, but because of the sheer menace lurking within him. In "Dark Knight," the Joker spoke of how Batman's righteousness and his own darkness almost needed each other in a sustaining manner. This time around, the theme is taken further, to the point where Batman is able to (as the title implies) rise and in doing so, to truly liberate himself. The mask, as pointed out in the movie, is not simply there to hide behind.
Meanwhile, the other characters are hardly peripheral, and each one portrays varying states of the human condition. In Anne Hathaway's case, I had my questions about her casting choice, but she does a very good job in portraying someone who could very easily be both the worst of us in her selfishness and sense of entitlement and the best of us in what eventually plays out as her selflessness. Idealism is brought to the movie by Joseph Gordon-Leavitt's character John Blake. Along the course of the movie, his idealism mobilizes into action, and in doing so, he begins to mature before our eyes. Gary Oldman's Commissioner Gordon shows a wounded and tortured soul who finds healing as he too begins to look past himself and do what he must do for others.
And Gotham? Well, Gotham too shall rise........