Signis

The Dark Knight Rises

(JPEG)

US, 2012 Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cottilard, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Directed by Christopher Nolan

When Christopher Nolan re-visioned the Batman franchise in 2005 with Batman Begins, the reviews were very favourable. The film offered the story of Bruce Wayne and the loss of his parents, his early training in combat as well as conscience. It also offered a bleak story of Gotham City and the law’s failure to control powers of crime and evil. A sequel was the order of the day.

It came in the form of The Dark Knight in 2008. In many ways, Bruce Wayne moved from centre stage, quieter, more reclusive and a Batman who was prepared to be despised by the people he had saved. And, it offered the confrontation between the larger and louder than life villain, The Joker, in a quite alarming (and Oscar-winning) performance by Heath Ledger. It also offered the corruption of law enforcer, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).

Needless to say, audiences wanted more. Christopher Nolan has obliged, writing with his brother, Jonathan, with what is tagged as the conclusion of his trilogy. Not that the end of this film does not leave the way for someone else to start another trilogy with both Batman and Robin.

This film does not have the sometimes overwhelming impact of The Dark Knight - no Joker. However, at two and three quarter hours, it is a more substantial film. And, though reluctant at first, Bruce Wayne and Batman are back at centre stage, with a much more complex and engaging performance from Christian Bale. Michael Caine is also back as Alfred - but there are some emotional complications as well as Alfred is conscious of his role in serving and saving Bruce and Bruce feels the call to go back into action for Gotham City.

Other members of the cast are back, especially Gary Oldman as the police chief and Morgan Freeman as the engineer and inventor, Lucius Fox.

But, there is also a new villain, Bane, a giant, physical, overbearing presence who is developing a thug army in the sewers of Gotham City. He is masked (like a Hannibal Lecter) and is played by Tom Hardy (in the vein of his performance in Bronson). He has several fights with Wayne/Batman which are very visceral.

However, there are two leading ladies who play very well as contrasting with each other right to the end of the film. Anne Hathaway is not named as Catwoman but that is her expertise, a jewellery thief who is in the pay of Bane. Marion Cotillard is the philanthropist who wants to develop the projects at Wayne industries.

There is a very good performance from Joseph Gordon Leavitt as a young rookie who has grown up in an orphanage (run by a sympathetic priest, no suggestions of any impropriety). He has some quite powerful scenes, simply talking, but cutting to the core, quite movingly, of the issues of order, law, heroics, and what society needs.

As with the previous films, they can be considered in the light of current politics, this time the global financial meltdown, illegal deals in bringing down companies, a challenge to Wall St (Occupy Wall Street) as well as a kind of French Revolutionary revolt. There are challenges to ideas of master criminals and ruthlessness, even in using nuclear weapons, to the role of the police (and the consequences of their absence), to double standards and cover-ups. Finally, the film focuses on Bruce Wayne’s dedication to helping people and modestly vanishing from public acclaim. And there is a twist at the end that most of us will not see coming.

As with the previous film, Nolan has filmed some sequences (many more this time) in Imax format, vistas of the city as well as many of the considerable action pieces. To be seen on an Imax screen if possible.

While characters and action are from DC Comics, Nolan’s films are not simply Graphic Novels on screen. He has set a high standard in writing, characterisation, themes for thought. Nor is he a slouch at action. He has brought his trilogy to a satisfying conclusion.

Peter Malone