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Out of the hysteria, The Dark Knight Rises
Monday 23rd July 2012 | Osh
On the 20th July 2012, millions descended in their droves to witness what was foretold to be the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Along with a buzzing sense of excitement and anticipation, many questions were hanging in the air. How would the story unfold? How was it all going to end? Would it live up to the hype that had been incessantly generated by viral marketing campaigns ever since production began for the British director's final stage in the caped crusader's dark journey? This last question might just be the most important of all. Immense expectation has been placed on The Dark Knight's metaphorical shoulders; it is the film everyone has been waiting for, most already dubbing it 'Film of the Year' before it had even hit our screens. With so much expectation, was it even possible for The Dark Knight Rises to live up to the hype and fulfil its legacy?
This was a concern expressed by Nolan himself who initially was reluctant to take the franchise any further than second film, The Dark Knight. Reportedly, he was extremely aware of the fact that in the case of many trilogies the last film can end up being the worst of the lot, with the story line running dry and pointlessness consuming any spark of what was once viewed as thrilling cinematic genius. But after developing a story he was truly happy with alongside David S. Goyer, Nolan set about creating a fitting screenplay with brother and regular co-writer Jonathan Nolan. Being the type of director never to compromise on integrity, and with a seemingly bottomless well of creative vision Nolan is not the man to do things by halves or disappoint his audience. So hearing this, we could trust that however The Dark Knight Rises was going to play out, he was in no danger of putting even the smallest of dents in his cinematic streak.
A quick spoiler-free run down of the plot sees Gotham eight years on from the death of Harvey Dent and the disappearance of Batman, who is still officially an enemy of the city. Over the course of the film, the enigmatic Bruce Wayne will be coaxed out of hibernation to go toe-to-toe with the physically domineering and seemingly inhuman Bane, as played by Tom Hardy. Reprising their roles as Batman, Alfred and Fox respectively are Christian Bale, Michael Cane and Morgan Freeman. Nolan also kept things in the family by recruiting Inception graduates Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as well as Hardy.
Tom Hardy succeeds in moulding a super villain to rival Heath Ledger's Joker in theatrical expertise, although the two are starkly different. Whereas the Joker drowned himself and everyone around him in hellish anarchy and chaos for no other motivation but feeding his passion to watch the world burn, Bane is in comparison more logical - if you can call it that. He has a brilliant mind and a purpose, which he intends to make sure is realised. This being no ordinary, rehashed, run-of-the-mill superhero movie, it wouldn't really do to have a basic evil mastermind at the forefront of all the devastation and destruction. This is a Nolan film after all. Hardy's Bane exudes a quiet but potent aura of terror, gas mask heightening the horror of his history, even before you are fully aware of all the facts, and the contrast between his sheer physical presence and raspy, evil Winnie the Pooh sounding voice gives him the quirk factor fitting of on-screen antihero legend.
Anne Hathaway's Selena Kyle/Catwoman is at once sexy and alluring. She rejects the role of cookie-cutter heroine sidekick in favour of a more faulted character. Kyle does not necessarily do the right thing all the time and rather than automatically falling in line with Batman to suppress Gotham's terrorist takeover together, more often than not she's leading him into more trouble. Kyle does however, prove herself a valued character and her lack of allegiance serves to ensure she is not pinned down to one-dimensional status.
Cotillard's Miranda Tate and Gordon-Levitt's Blake are two characters whom, in order not to give too much away, the less is said about the better considering the twists and turns their journey's take throughout the film. All you need to know is their characters' debuts are an essential focal point in the Batman storyline and the two deliver as if they were born to take on these roles. Finally, Batman veterans Bale, Freeman, Cane, Oldman and co deliver right to the end. They've come up with the film since the beginning and been instrumental in its success through making its main characters believable, entertaining and endearing. Together Nolan's Batman has probably seen some of the best casting in any version of the comic superhero ever.
So, returning to the burning question on whether The Dark Knight Rises actually, well rises, scaling the heights of the hype heaped upon it and bursting triumphantly through a ceiling of film legend? In all honestly, the mass media frenzy probably threatened to dampen the film's fire a little. It is one of the most anticipated films ever and it would be difficult for most to deliver, even a team of Nolan and crew's expertise.
Then again, maybe it doesn't even matter? Many would have turned up at their local cinemas fully expecting The Dark Knight Take 2: What They Did After Ledger Dies and Whether It's Any Good Without The Joker. Others, more sensibly, would have sat in the hope that Rises would inspire the same feeling of awe and wonder that The Dark Knight conjured before it. And to be honest in both cases, it can be safely said that this is exactly what they did. It's not a new feeling, but a renewed one. A stellar cast and pulsing, racy score provided once again by the legendary Hans Zimmer means that all the ingredients you need to make an explosive superhero film are packed in. Careful and sensitive to the credibility of his plot, Nolan neatly ties the first and last films together. In other words, the conclusion the world was waiting on has finally arrived and it doesn’t simply rise, it conquers.
Angie Moneke (@angiejudeLDN)
