5. It Will Have Less Batman, But That's OK!
The popular theory is that Bruce Wayne is going to somehow "fall" mid-way through the film (into that big old hole, most likely) and have to fight his way back up in order to "rise" in the finale. This means we may well be in for an extended period of time with no Batman onscreen. This is a very risky proposition for a superhero flick, as it can kill tension right when things are getting exciting. Remember the middle of "Spider-Man 2"? Great film, and character development is important, but surely Peter Parker can help Aunt May move house at a time when Doc Ock
isn't building an artificial sun device at an unknown location? That said, I have no such fears for "The Dark Knight Rises". My confidence comes from "Batman Begins". The first 45 minutes of Begins are in my opinion some of the best storytelling Nolan's ever done. To tell an origin story that we, for the most part, already know quite well and making it both engaging and even tense (Bruce tentatively planning to murder Joe Chill at the courthouse) is no mean feat. It has some of the best acting moments: Our introduction to Jim Gordon as an angelic uniform cop who comforts young Bruce on the night of his parent's murder is inspired, and Gary Oldman sells it wonderfully in such a short space of time. The scene where Michael Caine's Alfred makes the transition from butler to parent simply by clearing the distance in the room between him and young Bruce so Bruce can get the hug he sorely needs, is beautifully judged. And yet no Batman. The editing/pacing is masterful, leading us deftly through Bruce's psychological landscape in-between (and sometimes during) push-ups and frozen-lake sword-fights. Every single important aspect of Bruce's story are correctly identified and discussed. But never resolved. There's been a lot of people asking "Can they make a better film than "The Dark Knight?" when they really should be asking "Can they make a film as good as Batman Begins?" - the arguably more complete Batman film. "The Dark Knight" bypassed the subject of Bruce's parents completely. This works fine for the middle film of a trilogy but "The Dark Knight Rises" promises us an ending and to get that we must to go back to the beginning. It's time to work through those issues, Bruce. Which brings us back to big old hole in the ground... Bruce's extended stay at in "the hole" may well be what forces him to confront his past and his pain. With any luck, we could get a sequence as well-paced, rewarding and Bruce-centric as the opening of Begins. As we come (possibly) to the end of the Nolan/Bale films, it's worth acknowledging that their biggest achievement is the attention given to the character of Bruce Wayne. The gift of Bruce. The Dark Knight Rises is due July 20th, 2012. Previously;
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