In what has been the most anticipated release this summer, Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” completed one of the most critically and financially successful trilogies to ever grace the silver screen.
The story, like all superhero films, is simple. The hero faces a seemingly unbeatable villain, but after struggle and defeat, he is able to overcome his foe and save countless innocent lives. For “Dark Knight Rises,” this movie-by-numbers formula is filled in by Christian Bale returning as the caped crusader and a hulking Tom Hardy (“Inception,” “Bronson”) as Bane, the indestructible and inaudible wall of muscle hell-bent on Batman and Gotham’s destruction. But underneath this grand picture, Nolan, like in all of his films, paints a web of subplots, character development and intrigue that is unmatched by most contemporary directors.
In his final “Dark Knight” installment, a trilogy that has seen the character Batman develop into a more post-modern, humanized version than he ever has before (with maybe the exception of Tim Burton’s masterpiece “Batman Returns”), Bruce Wayne is no longer the gallivanting billionaire playboy, and his nighttime persona is also different. The film takes place eight years after the conclusion of “The Dark Knight,” and Batman is now vilified and no longer useful in a post-Harvey Dent world; in fact, he has not been seen since his escape on the faithful night of Harvey Dent’s demise. As for Wayne, he has become a shadow of his former self, a recluse who never leaves his home in a Howard Hughes-esque way. Both personas are broken, but the course of the film took both even further down.
A major theme of Nolan’s Batman has been the dichotomy of good and evil. Though most easily (and quite effectively) expressed in the physical manifestation of Harvey Dent’s Two Face, “The Dark Knight Rises” is rife with allusions to this concept of being composed of polar opposites. Batman is both the savior of the city and its enemy. He hunts criminals, but is hunted himself. He is a human, but also a superhero.
The acting in “The Dark Knight Rises” is one of its strong points. Bale is able to portray Batman like no other actor before him could, and it is in his obvious pain and anger (and creepy facial hair) that a humanized Batman is possible. Hardy’s role as Bane is good, though in no way as enrapturing as Heath Ledger’s Joker. Unlike previous Batman villains, however, Hardy doesn’t rely on his lines to convey his character, but more on his expressions and his physicality. As for the supporting characters, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine return as Lucius Fox, Commissioner Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth, respectively, and all three do an admirable job with what little roles they were given. Joseph Gordon-Levitt played a straight-laced cop well. But it was Marion Collitard who shined on screen the most, however, upstaging even Bale with her mysterious portrayal of Wayne’s love interest. The only real downside that could be considered acting-wise for the movie was Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle, which overall was passable, but at times flat and lifeless.
Also of note was the cinematography of “The Dark Knight Rises.” Nolan and cinematographer Wally Pfister do an excellent job at creating what is one of the most grandiose films ever shot. The pure immensity of the set-pieces and some of the scenes blow away even the most ardent critics.
The only real downfall for “The Dark Knight Rises” is that it is a victim of its own success. Its predecessors set a high bar and then pushed it even further up, so that even an almost perfect movie would be considered slightly disappointing. Many critics point to a too convoluted plot, a slow pacing, length (the film is over two and a half hours long) and an overtly anti-government plot as detractions. While all these things are present, it does little to damper the spirits of movie-goers who can appreciate the film as its own work, and not in relation to its predecessors.
“The Dark Knight Rises” will be the most hotly contested movie of the summer. Some will praise the film and its visuals, while others will condemn its weight and length. That, however, does little to take away from what this film and this series have accomplished.
“The Dark Knight Rises” is a fitting end to Nolan’s Batman. Like its title character, it is simple and complex, good and bad (at points). But also, and more importantly, the “Dark Knight Rises” is the most stunning, well directed and visually enrapturing movie of the year.
