5. The Dark Knight (2008)
It's difficult to get the girl when she's been blown to smithereens by a scarred, make-up-wearing psychopath, as in Christopher Nolan's masterful sequel
The Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne's (Christian Bale) relationship with Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) was spurred on by their deep friendship as children, and when Bruce finally returned to Gotham City after a long absence, it seemed that things might pick up where they left off. However, Wayne's devotion to the ideal of keeping Gotham City safe, ironically, drives a wedge between them, with Rachel declaring at the end of
Batman Begins that she cannot commit herself to the duality of Wayne and Batman. This theme continues throughout The Dark Knight, with Bruce hoping to hang up the cowl for good if he can find a suitable replacement, which he sees in District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) who, coincidentally, Rachel is dating. Rachel, however, warns Bruce that she cannot be his only hope for a normal life, and writes Bruce a letter saying that she is going to marry Dent, but before he can read it, Rachel is killed at the Joker's hand in an explosion. Alfred (Michael Caine), wanting to spare Bruce anymore pain, burns the letter Rachel wrote, leaving Wayne with the thought that if not for her death, he could have been with her. This becomes a major plot point in
The Dark Knight Rises when Alfred, in a desperate attempt to stop Bruce from going on a potentially suicidal mission to stop Bane, tells Bruce the truth about the letter.