7 Reasons Why Bane Wasn't All That Bad

We've all had 2 months to sit around and digest what Christopher Nolan delivered with his bookending entry into his massively-acclaimed Batman saga; The Dark Knight Rises. We've all thought about the various political meanings and the symbolism behind the climactic scenes; we've debated whether Bruce Wayne is, in fact, dead, and we've brought up countless plot holes, but what about the villainy of the piece? Watching the film again recently, it becomes apparent that while, of course, Bane is the antagonist of the film, he is a far more misunderstood, tragic foe than any of the villains that have come before him. Perhaps this was the most surprising element of all in Nolan's film; it has far greater emotional depth than the previous films, and this even transpires through to its villain. Agree or disagree, here's 7 reasons why Bane wasn't really all that bad.

1. He Exposed the Truth

One of the few things that Bane can be applauded for - despite the way he went around it - was shattering Gordon and Batman's illusion of peace and order. Though the Dent Act of course put many criminals in prison and moreover, denied them parole, it was built upon a lie, for of course, Batman did not commit the murders at the climax of The Dark Knight, and it was Dent/Two-Face who in fact did. This isn't to say the Dent Act is inherently a bad idea, but when it's built upon false pretences - not to mention an inherent hypocrisy, named after a violent criminal, even if spurred on by tragedy - it creates a false veil of justice that needs to be repealed. Bane, capitalising on this to another end, at least does what the authorities didn't do, and tells them how it is, reading Gordon's resignation letter aloud, which of course is broadcast all over the news. It's so salient that we even see John Blake tacitly agreeing with Bane, or in the very least, decrying Gordon's deception.
Contributor
Contributor

Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.