After what seems like an eternity of waiting, during which we have been treated to some relatively decent but not overly fantastic superhero movie fare, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises – the culmination of his dark and gritty tripartite Dark Knight saga- has finally exploded onto our cinema screens.
By way of introduction I want to say that Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films are, in my humble opinion, the best series of superhero films ever made. Batman, whilst not technically a ‘super’-hero in that he does not possess latent super powers, holds a special place in the hearts of many comic book aficionados as their favourite crime-fighting protagonist. The true beauty of Nolan’s films is that not only are they replete with explosions, gadgets and fantastic one-liners, but that they hold up a looking glass to our own world. And in doing so Nolan’s films illustrate that the broken and recession ravaged Gotham City is but a reflection of our own murky and often unpleasant society, exposing the flaws and the decay within. Indeed, this intense crime saga trilogy has been characterised by a deep thematic richness the likes of which we have not seen in any series of superhero movies ever before.
It’s impossible to conduct a true thematic analysis without providing a substance of context and for that reason this article is bursting with spoilers. So if you don’t want to know what happens then I suggest you bookmark this page until after you have seen this awesome movie, and in the meantime read Shaun Munro’s spoiler-free review here.
As per many trilogies, The Dark Knight Rises comes full circle with many of the thoughts and notions that it explores, most notably in its treatment of ideas, returning to the underlying themes from Nolan’s Batman Begins: fear, pain, chaos, redemption, and justice. If you thought you were going to the cinema solely to see a movie showing Batman and Bane tear strips from each other you couldn’t be more wrong… The Dark Knight Rises may not be the only movie this year that weaves its story around a vision of impending apocalyptic tragedy but, as we will discuss here, it boasts an intelligence and epic grandeur that sets it apart from all of its box-office rivals.
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19 Comments
Fantastic thematic analysis from a great movie.
I have to say its articles like this, in conjunction with the great reviews from Shaun, that set this website apart from its competition when it was ‘Obsessed With Film’.
I understand you can’t perform a meaningful thematic analysis for 90% of movies but, when they can be done, as for TDKR and Prometheus- then you are the man for the job.
Always helps me pick up things I missed the first time round (eg- Dickens etc) and more thought provoking than some of the other less cerebral articles other sites have.
I also picked up on your nod to Orwell’s 1984 with the use of “swarming disregarded masses”!
@ AlienInJapan,
Thanks for commenting. I deleted your dual posts as requested. I am v glad you enjoyed this in conjunction with Shaun’s review.
Agreed- all films don’t warrant a detailed thematic analysis but when they do I will be writing them.
Also thanks for your email. I think that doing some thematic analyses of classic films (you mentioned Alien & Blade Runner) is a cracking idea that a few people have mentioned to me, and I will take it up with my editor when things die down a bit. Lots on at the mo.
Well done on getting the Orwell reference… I do drop in the occasional contextual ‘nod’ to try and be a clever ass from time to time!
but these themes come out jumbled in the movie, just one example, as you point out Bane says “take control of your city”, but those words are spoken by the villain bent on destroying, well, the city.
Nobody knows if TDKR is conservative or progressive, and maybe there’s some benefit in asking a question, but I just don’t think it’s a political movie. Not any more than INCEPTION was.
@KMK,
Agreed. I don’t think there is any specific political agenda to the movie as some people are insinuating, but rather Nolan is knocking the pieties of all parties and especially the notion of a system built on lies.
Bane hopes that the city will begin to destroy itself when it ‘takes control’. He can appear to be a ‘liberator’ of sorts whilst still achieving his aims.
V good stuff.
I thought the central – or one of the central – themes of this movie was hope, which as Bane says can increase despair. The fact that Gotham has had years without organised crime gives them hope, making the despair that Bane brings all the more potent; this is paralleled with the hope among some of Gotham’s citizens that Batman will return and save them.
@ Caligula, @ Adam,
Thanks for commenting.
Adam – I would agree that hope is a theme running throughout the entire Dark Knight trilogy, especially in Episode 2. One line that springs to mind is from Batman to Harvey:
“You’re the symbol of hope I could never be. Your stand against organized crime is the first legitimate ray of light in Gotham in decades…”
Someone I spoke to mentioned the theme of Hypocrisy.
Bane and Talia are HUGE hypocrites. The politicians are hypocrites. The police chief is a hypocrite. Daggett is a hypocrite.
Key Lines:
The Stock Market people say: There’s no money here.
Bane says: Then why are you here?
Thought I submited a comment earlier but it seems to not be there.
Good article.
@ Gary,
Glad you enjoyed it. And agreed… hypocrisy, corruption and lies is definitely something that Nolan has harked back to repeatedly in this trilogy.
Hi Benji
Your analysis was one of the best I’ve read and I’ll be looking out for more of your work as you’re a very talented writer my friend.
Your review superbly details the main themes and highlights the great contrasts that are represented in this movie. However, I think there’s one theme that brings all the main characters together- love. Love is the driving force behind the actions of all the main characters- Bane’s love for Miranda, Miranda’s love for her father, Alfred’s love for Bruce and Bruce’s love for Rachel. It could even be argued that Selina’s love for Bruce was partially responsible for her loyalty at the end. Good or bad, all of these characters share the same motivation for doing what they do.
On a separate note I have read some of your previous work and that see you have a keen interest in music. I wondered what you thought of the score to this film? I thought it was good but nothing compared to the last film in the series which I felt was groundbreaking in the tension it created. However, I thought the omission of music from the first fight scene between Batman and Bale was ingenious as it added tonnes of grit and realism and I also liked the slightly out of tune choir boy singing at the football game right before everything kicked off as I felt it represented the city’s vulnerability excellently.
Keep up the good work!
@ Rich,
Thanks for commenting and I’m glad you enjoyed the article.
Love’s a great shout; it has characterised all 3 of Nolan’s films from a motivational perspective. Of particular interest here though is the fact that for the first time it’s the main inspiration for the villain.
I really enjoyed the score . I love Zimmer and still think he was robbed of his Oscar for the Gladiator score in 2000! But I’m with you in that, at least after one viewing only, I still prefer the score for The Dark Knight (Zimmer/ Newton Howard).
When I put my review of TDKR up on my blog I’ll be talking more about the score.
And I completely agree about the first Bane/ Batman fight scene.The absence of music really highlighted Bane’s menacing and ominous tones.
“Let’s not stand on ceremony here… Mr. Wayne!”
Great stuff! I really enjoyed reading it!
Zimmer was definitely robbed for Gladiator!
Another brilliant article.I love reading them
@ Alien,
Yes, agreed!
@ Alien, Dylan, Pussycat…
Thanks for commenting, and I am glad you enjoyed the article.
Thanks Benji-
Another beautifully crafted and insightful article!
I luckily stumbled onto this site by following links to your superb
“Prometheus Trilogy”, articles which I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to any of your future writings- you have a unique gift and a keen intellect.
I agree that Nolan’s Batman Trilogy stands apart from other films in this genre, with his exploration and interweaving of compelling mythological motifs. Ultimately, what I enjoyed the most is his quest for the meaning and nature of Good & Evil, their interplay on the stage of Life, and how this relates to the other themes of pain, love, vengeance, redemption etc.
By way of analogy, since you reference the New Testament in your Prometheus articles, why is it that mankind left Paradise/Eden with two things: knowledge of the fruit of Good/Evil, and free-will, ie. the power
to choose. And how will this then lead to ultimate redemption via a rebirth out of our animal nature into Christ-consciousness (the virgin birth)- the sacrifice of Christ on the cross once again symbolizing the
fruit on the Tree. So, the interaction of these two forces is essential to our evolution on this plane of existence.
What made the Joker such a compelling character in the 2nd movie was that he represented the embodiment of “pure” Evil, with no other ulterior motives such as fame, fortune, power etc.- Thus, Batman and the Joker need
each other, for there is no need for Good, without Evil… the “Hero’s Journey”, and another brilliant re-invention of this duality: Christ/Anti-Christ, Neo/Agent Smith, matter/anti-matter.
Now with Bane, we have another complex character, but the dynamic interaction has changed- is he just the evil villain, or does he also represent a competing vision for the evolutionary path of society and mankind- tearing down the hypocrisy, lies and corruption on which the
System is based, and restoring the interplay of original primal forces,
and a new balance- there can be no Creation without Destruction.
It is Bane afterall who appears to have long ago accepted and embraced the
existential angst of life on the material plane, while Batman still struggles with his darker impulses. Batman finds transcendence in
“letting go”, and by rediscovering the innocence of love, regains his heroic nature, the Hero that “can be anyone”.
Finally, is Bane truly trying to “break Batman psychologically” in the
prison, or trying to share his “vision” by forcing Batman to witness the
destruction of the lies and hypocrisy at the heart of the system he has committed to defending. I think once again, the interacting complexities of the hero and anti-hero are key to defining their respective natures in a brilliantly nuanced way.
And in the end, both characters find redemption through love & sacrifice,
pain & acceptance, the never ending interplay of dark & light.
Anyhow, just some dis-organized ramblings… but I would be curious to get
your (or anyone’s) take on these thoughts.
Wave Rider! Thanks for detailed comments. I’m happy that you found this insightful and am flattered by the kind words.
I enjoyed reading about your insights too, especially the part about duality.
I’m really looking forward to the blu-ray…
Thoughtful commentary, especially enjoyed the Dickens comparison.
I would submit a major theme of TDKR to be: Rising. The titular reference is more than skin-deep. While the film is called TDK Rises; it is a stark and I would infer intentional contrast to the comic series on which it is based: Knight FALL.
Vertical references populate the picture. Bane arises from the sewers, most poignantly when he defeats Batman directly beneath the Batcave.
Batman’s newest transportation (The Bat) is conspicuously endowed with vertical flight, a distinct feature that is especially rare in modern aircraft as well as Batman’s previous aerial vehicles (i.e. Tim Burton’s Batwing).
The story arc with Bruce Wayne in Bane’s foreign prison may be the most apparent use of this theme. The audience is introduced to the prisoner’s chant well in advance of learning it’s multi-layered meaning: Arise.
And perhaps to read in a final layer, as John Blake enters the Batcave in the closing sequence of the film, the fade to black is executed with the platform on which he stands rising above the viewer’s eyes, and ending with the title of the film.
Whereas TDKR holds a strong theme of Rising, I would describe BB as thematically based around Fear, which has been well-documented elsewhere (opening sequence with young Bruce, fear at the opera, the blue flower, opening the box of bats, Bruce’s choice of symbol, the Scarecrow, instilling fear in enemies, etc).
With regards to TDK, to me this is most clearly about light & dark. White Knight (Dent) v. Dark Knight (Batman), the choice of Two-Face as a villain as well as the prolonged development of Two-Face’s pre-villain character (which is essentially unprecedented for Batman villains). Other references – Nolan’s suspenseful withholding of Dent’s nickname of Two-Face at Internal Affairs (“You know what they called me at internal affairs..”), Dent’s comment that “the night is darkest before the dawn” Joker’s setup of doctors v. criminals, and his setup of ferries as inmates v. innocents. Again the closing sequence, with Batman narrating his role as the Dark Knight, gives deeper meanings to his long-time eponym.