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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