Sunday, July 22, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises: An Epic Conclusion to an Amazing Film Series




I’m not sure where this would fall on the list but I suppose it would be at the third spot, which would cause all others behind it to move down a notch. Last night, I saw the most incredible film that I have ever seen. I thought that I would enjoy The Dark Knight Rises, but I never imagined that a film could be quite as satisfying, entertaining, enlightening, and complete. Considering the track record that films have by the time the third act gets made, and how it usually is a bit of a letdown, I was amazed at the result.


Taken as a whole, I have come to the conclusion that the Christopher Nolan Batman films must be viewed in their entirety in order to fully embrace all that they have to offer. It began back in 2005 with the revamp of the series in Batman Begins. Here, Nolan reintroduced the character to the mass audience and developed the concept of Batman operating in a real world, realistic setting. Prior to that, the world of the films was fantastical at its best (Batman-1989) and over the top campy at its worst (Batman & Robin). While the Tim Burton take on the character in 1989 was the best effort at that point, and in my opinion, it was still somewhat apart from reality. The world Burton created couldn’t actually exist, and it was so immersed with the dark, gothic overtones that you have to wonder what would possess anyone to actually want to live there.


Nolan, by contrast, sets his Gotham City in a realistic way. He knows what common features all cities have that brings people to them and makes them wish to make their lives there, and he makes sure that he incorporates those themes into his world. The world that Nolan created is no less corrupt or free of violence than any other take on the character, but it is believable in the sense that what you watch could be happening in any city in this country.


Watching the Nolan Batman Trilogy is like watching a classic opera unfold before your eyes. The first act (Batman Begins) sets up the series by introducing the characters, explaining their motivations, and showcasing the world in which they live. The second act (The Dark Knight) puts these characters through a meat grinder and pushes the limits as to what they can achieve. The Dark Knight took the world that Nolan created and pushed it to its breaking point, and like all good opera’s, act three (The Dark Knight Rises) breaks the world in two in an effort to bring closure to the piece as a whole.


In the Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne is brought to the breaking point, mentally, as he is faced with a madman that cannot be rationalized, reasoned with, or scared into submission. The loss of his one true love, Rachel Dawes, and the one ally he had in this crusade, Harvey Dent, tested Wayne mentally to the point of breaking. In the end, Batman becomes the enemy, rather than a symbol of hope.


In Rises, he faces this test once again, but now in the character of Bane, he is tested physically as well as mentally, and is broken. What remains is then, is a chance for redemption. Wayne must redeem himself in order to save his city from the chaos that it falls into by Bane’s hands, and by doing so, redeem not only himself, but restore Batman to the symbol of hope that can inspire his city to better itself.


In spite of all the evil that is around him, Wayne believes that his city is worth saving, that the people, as a whole are good, if they would be only shown the way, and he is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to show his city the greatness that lies within itself.


It really isn’t surprising that the films work so well. Under the careful directon of Chris Nolan and his crew, performances by some of the most talented performers working today shine through. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Christian Bale, Thomas Hardy, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and many many more make up the world with which we watch. All promise and all deliver, tenfold.


Taken, as an individual movie, The Dark Knight Rises is quite satisfying. It grips the viewer, holds their interest throughout, and makes an epic conclusion. (A conclusion, by the way, that I believe rivals the one in the Avengers for the most epic in movie history). The Nolan film series, taken as a whole, is simply, the best film series, bar none, in movie history. All the films promised, and delivered, and by the time it was over, left the viewer completely satisfied. You cannot ask for more than that. 

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