6. Bruce Would Never Do THAT To Alfred
One of the most emotional scenes in the entire
Dark Knight trilogy has also gone down as one of the most infuriating for some. Believing Bruce to have died as Batman while saving Gotham from a nuclear bomb, Alfred Pennyworth pours his heart out and sheds his tears over the grave of his adoptive son. It is a scene that pulls at the heart strings of anyone with a pulse, except for those who believe it was incredibly cruel for Bruce to ever allow Alfred to think he was dead in the first place. Bruce Wayne was indeed alive when Alfred broke down. He had faked his death so that he could cement the legend of Batman while also freeing himself to move on and have a chance at leading a normal life. It was an ingenious plan for Bruce and setup a great payoff for the audience, but the expense to Alfred was perhaps too great. In fairness, the film does not indicate exactly when Bruce decided to fake his death. Had he decided before he got to Gotham, perhaps he could have sent word to Alfred along the way. It is doubtful this is the case, though, as there never would have been the perfect opportunity to pull off such a fake if the bomb had been delivered to the nuclear reactor on time as Batman had intended. As Batman flies the bomb out over the bay, there is a moment when it appears he is accepting his fate. That fate, however, was not death and it is possible this was the moment of clarity in which Bruce Wayne realized this was the perfect moment to make his permanent exit from Gotham. Whether it happened at this moment, or some other point during the chase to stop the bomb, Bruce really may not have had the time to warn Alfred. It can be argued that Bruce could have let Alfred know he was alive between the bomb going off and the funeral, but this sin is nowhere near as great as some have made it out to be. Whether or not Bruce could have delivered a proper warning is debatable, but regardless, he was able to make good on the dream Alfred had of seeing Bruce in Florence. The look on Alfred's face certainly suggests he felt the payoff was well worth the temporary emotional pain.