At the end of The Dark Knight, Batman volunteers to paint himself as a villain in order that Harvey Dent's (Aaron Eckhart) legacy wouldn't be tarnished, and thousands of criminal convictions wouldn't have to be overturned as a result. Batman disappears off into the night on his Batpod as the police give chase, while Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) explains to his young son why Batman has to go on the run, "Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight." The visually stunning final shot has Batman speeding off into the night with a sudden smash cut to black, with Hans Zimmer's fantastic score playing us out. Even the movie's other many fantastic images, such as The Joker sticking his head out of a police car window like a dog, or our first sight of Two Face, can quite match up to this fantastic departing visage of Gotham's hero doing what must be done for the greater good. As great as The Dark Knight Rises is, it never painted Bats in a more majestic light than this.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
