The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final chapter in the Christopher Nolan-directed trilogy, has risen by succeeding in delivering an exhilarating mix of fast-paced action that does service to the DC Comics, yet falters when Christopher Nolan tries to tie all the loose knots from the first two Batman films under his direction.  As gifted as a director and writer Nolan is, it seems that the mix of branching off into philosophical/political commentary within the confines of a straightforward superhero film has made this film, like his previous two, fall through the cracks. Having said that, The Dark Knight Rises stands out as the best film in the trilogy.                                                                                                                                                                   
Eight years after the death of Harvey “Two-Face” Dent, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) lives as a billionaire recluse in similar respects to Howard Hughes after being the patsy involved in Dent’s death. Wayne goes back into the role of Batman after the muzzled behemoth, Bane (Tom Hardy), plans to destroy Gotham City and its inhabitants after collaborating with the burglar beauty, Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman (Anne Hathaway).  Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) battles the internal pain he suffered in the previous film, while mentoring Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young police officer who is part of a dying breed of honest members of law enforcement.                                                    

Not to give too much away, the film blends together the current events of discontent, such as the financial crisis of 2008 and the Occupy Wall St. movement, with overarching perspectives over society being plunged into a dystopian nightmare that mirrors that of the prophetic words of Karl Marx and Anthony Burgess. At the center of the philosophical hedge maze is Nietzsche’s rhetoric made manifest, (i.e. “staring into the abyss”, “Humanity is a tightrope tied between animal and superhuman”) through the prison system that echoes a similar visual interpretation from Midnight Express. As deep and prophetic as it sounds, Nolan’s philosophical smorgasbord is overshadowed by the instant gratification of explosions, one-liners, and fight sequences that seem like shot to shot remakes of Scorsese’s Gangs of New York and Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin, without the gore and propaganda of the latter film.                                                                                                                                                   

The silver linings in the distorted clouds are the performances delivered by a superb cast. Christian Bale goes through the gauntlet of physical and emotional pain as the embittered Bruce Wayne. Tom Hardy may not size up to the flamboyance of Heath Ledger when he played the Joker, but his performance as Bane is dark, yet campy, as his voice sounds like a muzzled Sean Connery. Anne Hathaway is zesty and riveting as Catwoman, as she stands conflicted in her philosophical principles of the capitalist class system. Fresh from playing exiled spy in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Gary Oldman goes back into the role of Commissioner Gordon with sheer energy combined with the subtlety of his Oscar-nominated role as George Smiley. Rounding off the cast is a sharp-tonged Marion Cotillard, an always reliable Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine giving an emotionally stirring performance as Batman’s right-hand man, Alfred.                                                                   


Despite the conflicted loose ends to plot points and Nolan trying to throw everything but the kitchen sink, The Dark Knight Rises is a satisfying end to Nolan’s three-part symphony to Bob Kane’s comic book series; it may feel compacted by having everything shoved into a two hour and forty minute time frame, yet it still holds out as an entertaining blockbuster coated around a philosophical bubble.        

3 out of 4 Stars