Christopher Nolan: Ending The Batman Legacy

Ending the Legacy: A Fire Rises Nolan recently compared Dark Knight Rises to A Tale of Two Cities, and fans seem to be resenting these statements. Yet, I cannot find a reason to waver in my support. Comparing the film to the classic piece of literature is not a statement of arrogance, but of realization. A mental awakening that The Dark Knight Rises can provide an epic conclusion for a trilogy that has been more than seven years in the making. Have the past two films not been a rising of event in themselves. We€™ve seen the city in desperation among a depression with Begins, and watched as it struggled with corruption in The Dark Knight. The idea that a revolution would be coming isn€™t a completely outlandish thought when you think of the original intentions of Ra€™s Al Ghul.

€œOnly a cynical man would call what these people have €œlives,€ Wayne. Crime. Despair. This is not how man was supposed to live. The League of Shadows has been a check against human corruption for thousands of years. We sacked Rome; loaded trade ships with plague rats; burned London to the ground. Every time a civilization reaches the pinnacle of its decadence, we return to restore the balance. No one can save Gotham. When a forest grows too wild, a purging fire is inevitable and natural. Tomorrow the world will watch in horror as its greatest city tears itself apart, through fear. The movement back to harmony will be unstoppable this time.€

The League of Shadows is an entity that spans over time, a balance to corruption, and if it€™s one thing we are certain of it€™s that corruption has not disappeared in Gotham. With Batman gone for 8 years, what has grown inside the belly of the beast all while Bruce watched from the sidelines? A threat grows in Gotham now, Bane. He is a monstrosity of a man, not only unparalleled in strength and combat ability, but in intellect as well. With the recent reveal within a children€™s book that Bane was trained by the League of Shadows, and the presence of Liam Neeson on set for the final installment to the trilogy, it only leads one to believe that Bane isn€™t just a terrorist, but instead a man with a plan to bring order to Gotham. Would it be so wrong to assume he€™s viewed as a revolutionary to the people? Those that choose to follow him could be waiting for the fire to rise that burns the city to the ground, all in order to rebuild. Citizens desperate for change€ What appears to be happening from our brief glimpses into Gotham with The Dark Knight Rises trailers could certainly convince us that we will be seeing a revolution in the city. An uprising of the desperate and poor siding with a man named Bane, a revolutionary. After all, hasn't a theme throughout all of the films been desperation, and what that does to any human being? We€™re led to believe that Ra€™s is dead. That his death swept over him as the train crashed into the streets below Wayne Tower, and the goal of destroying the city in order wipe it clean, and rebuild, was stopped by the student he trained. But perhaps the subtle dialogue from Batman Begins would lead us to assume something else entirely.

€œOr is Ra€™s Immortal?€

Lazarus Pit anyone? Will Ra's make a grand return to reveal the true plan of the League of Shadows? Will Bane finally break the Bat? Whether we uncover the truth or not one fact is certain, The Dark Knight Rises will be the end to a legacy and maybe, just maybe, he wants us to think it's all he has left.

We are set to witness the events of a man€™s legacy come to an end with the final chapter arriving in a few short weeks. Many wonder whether we will see the end of Bruce Wayne€™s life as well. Nolan has devoted himself to creating a Batman legend that delves deep into the psychology of what makes Bruce Wayne tick. We see his struggles, his choices, and we can identify with the emotions that the films evoke. As a side-effect of this focus, and diving deeper into these aspects of humanity, Nolan has set himself up to have crafted a phenomenal trilogy, that I cannot wait to see end in just a few short weeks. So, we will fill the seats on the eve of The Dark Knight Rises, sitting in anticipation and discussing the possibilities of what is to come. The film will overtake the screen for nearly three hours, and we more than likely we will never take our eyes away from the screen...captivated. As The Dark Knight Rises draws to a close, the credits will roll, and the cinematic experience that played mere seconds ago will be the end to a legacy. We will hope that it will not have merely been for only self-gratification, but for the people, the fans. There will be those that condemn it, and they can scream at the top of their lungs to burn the film reels and lock it away. Yet, it will be far too late. Nolan has already devoted himself to this ideal that the fans deserve a better class of Batman film, and he has already become something else entirely. A legend.