5. The Man Behind the Mask
Though Tom Hardy is saddled with the cumbersome, restrictive mask for 99.9% of his screen time in The Dark Knight Rises - bar one single shot as he looks up to a young Talia, who is fleeing the pit - he makes Nolan's layered writing come to life, making of Bane a character more than simply an overgrown grunt wearing a breathing contraption. Most notably this occurs in the climax, as Miranda Tata reveals herself to Batman to be Talia, and explains how it was Bane who helped her escape. Tears form in Bane's eyes, remembering the overwhelming pain that ailed him when he was without the mask, as well as his love for Talia. He then has a compassionate goodbye with Talia before he is later blown away by Catwoman. The scene did prove somewhat divisive with Batman fans, as they felt it made Bane seem weak, but given the arc Nolan went for, it felt natural, and simply more human than many young, emotionally stunted comic book fans might be prepared to deal with (not to indulge in stereotypes too much). Some other instances of Bane's human side abound in slight comic interludes throughout the film; note his bizarre politeness when grabbing his motorcycle helmet in the stock exchange, and then purporting "What a lovely, lovely voice" during the national anthem at the American Football game. While it might be easy to reduce Bane's comment to sarcasm, it feels oddly genuine on his part, suggestion an appreciation for the finer things in life you probably wouldn't expect from a master terrorist.