The Dark Knight Rises (2012): 9/10
It was four years and two days ago when I walked out of the
Carmike 20 with a tremendous headache, and an overwhelming sense of
satisfaction. The Dark Knight certainly was a story of epic proportions where
every little plot detail, every line of dialogue, and every frame contributed
to the film’s skill and intelligence. Within The Dark Knight was a kind of
magic that can be harnessed by a mad-genius director, but only once in a
generation. It was a magic I recognized those years ago, and still continue to
cherish whenever I feel the need to speed up 2 and ½ hours of my life. Reason for the headache? The
result of being jacked up on too many Sno-Caps, and being enthralled in a
constantly unfolding tale of anarchy.
Like myself, Christopher Nolan too was skeptical about
making a third installment in his Batman franchise. Nolan said he would make it
if he, his brother Jonathan Nolan, and writer David S. Goyer, could come up
with a story that would either match or top the craftsmanship of The Dark
Knight. While Nolan certainly has the ambition to top himself again, he at
least meets the high expectations of the audience anyway by transforming a 2
and ¾ hour spectacle into an astonishing piece of art. In true Nolan fashion,
the 2 and ¾ hour running time never sags.
This is due to Nolan’s idea of what a plot should be. Those
who are familiar with his works already know that Nolan is a fanatic for puzzles.
When he applies this to his movies, the plot constantly unfolds as a result,
therefore it is a real story where you immerse yourself and go with the flow of
the pacing. We as the audience are captivated because we know by the end of the
movie the plot will all make sense, but how will it unfold? Sometimes we’re not
sure if towards the end, the puzzle is even going to be solved at all. But when
it all comes together, we leave the theater feeling as though we were
enlightened, not robbed. And I really needed enlightening after having my faith
in superhero/action movies in general being shook by bloated situation
action/comedies like The Avengers, and the one that still makes me hate nearly
all action movies to this day: Transformers- Revenge of the Fallen.
For all of the wonder, inspiration, and adventure that is
within The Dark Knight Rises, Nolan’s tremendous ambition does weigh down
certain aspects of the film. For instance, in Nolan’s attempt to assemble a
puzzle movie, there are plot elements that are unclear to us in the beginning,
but fortunately he recovers by explaining it towards the end. Just like with
The Dark Knight, I know I had to watch it a couple more times to fully
understand the broad scope of what the movie wanted to cover. I’m sure the same
case applies to this film as well because even a mere half an hour after the
movie ended, I’m still trying to put pieces together for myself. This is
standard for a Nolan film. That still says a lot about his filmmaking prowess
that if we still leave the theater feeling satisfied and happy, but still feel
as though there are aspects of the movie left to be pondered. My main complaint
with most action movies these days is that they pander too much to the
superficial standards of the audience. Nolan wants us to have a great time
watching his movies, but we still have to pay attention and (gasp!) think about
what’s going on if can expect to not feel ripped-off.
Another aspect to the film that is not the best is Bane
himself. Of course, he is a big, brutal bastard of a character whose anarchic
nature ranks up there with the Joker, but unfortunately, his personality, as
well as his voice, only goes so far. In test screenings, one of the only
complaints the audience had for the film was that Bane was not very
intelligible. While I’m sure Nolan & Co. improved Bane’s speech a bit since
then, it’s still not perfect. Nevertheless, Bane helps retain the darkness that is prevalent and important to the series. However, between the mask and his accent, I’m sure his
character would be much more menacing if we could understand what he was saying
at all times, rather than vaguely most of the time.
We find that this film also has political elements to it,
both intentional and tragically unintentional. It was particularly awesome to
see rich people being beat the hell up and put on trial where they were given
either exile or death. There’s also the concept of wiping the slate clean on
all money trading investments, and the 99% so-to-speak rise in their own way
against those who have far more than enough. In regards to the shooting that
took place early on Friday, the gunman, James Holmes, who is a 24 year-old
Neuroscience Major, was assuming the identity of the Joker as a part of his
plan to shoot up that movie theater. As we all know, the Joker truly was a
character of meticulous calculation, dangerous menace, and chaotic evil. I
insist Ledger’s Oscar was not merely a pity award. His character and quotes are still
immediately recognizable and will be for years to come, but what does this
terrible incident say about the Joker’s notoriety and impression on already
mentally unstable people? What does it say about the Joker’s character in
general seeing as though this is also the role Heath Ledger essentially died
for? For a man who has an incredibly gifted brain to study Neuroscience, why
did the Joker’s influence get the better of him and make him think the
character of the Joker would condone his actions? In The Dark Knight, the Joker
never killed anyone unless it fit perfectly with his plan. Though it has only
been 24+ hours since the tragedy occurred, and we still have yet to learn more details
of Holmes’s true motives, it seems as though this is another case of a young
man who just wanted to senselessly shoot a crowd of people just for kicks. Don’t
be surprised to hear gun laws being discussed politically in the weeks to come
via, your friend, the media.
Which is partially why we don’t need another character like
the Joker in a movie like this. Bane’s villainous character, along with the
character’s of the others, will undoubtedly leave their mark on cinema history,
but it will be a modest one compared to the Joker’s. That’s essentially where
The Dark Knight Rises earns its accolade for a fitting continuation of a series
and a fulfilling ending. There’s no distracting over-the-top violence that
other action movies consistently and constantly use as a crutch. As deadpan
serious as this film can get, it still has room for lighter and funnier moments
that are intelligent compared to most action movies. There’s only the need to
demonstrate the triumph of the human spirit, overcome near-impossible
adversities, and make you empathize with the extraordinary qualities of these
characters that also appear in people we encounter in our day-to-day lives. I
shall leave you by saying the keyword to this whole film is: Rise.
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