1. A Tale of Two Cities
While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind upon viewing it, The Dark Knight Rises does indeed draw heavily upon Charles Dickens' classic novel. The class struggle between Bane's lower-class rebellion and Gotham's wealthy and powerful parallels the story in more ways than one. In spite of the fact that Bane's "revolution" was really nothing more than a way to destroy the city from the inside out, the division of the aristocrats and the peasants is heavily reflected upon. The speech made by Bane before releasing Blackgate's prisoners is evidence of this. Nolan even went so far as to quote the novel during one of the film's most emotional scenes: "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."