4. Redemption
Batman Begins dealt in no small part with the redemption of the man Bruce Wayne- a man who is dying on the inside and ready to commit murder in order to assuage the guilt and disgrace he feels over the death of his parents.
The Dark Knight Rises raises the stakes thematically in that we are not dealing with the redemption of a man this time, but in the redemption of an entire city- Gotham. The movie also deals with Batman's redemption as a hero in the eyes of the public. The public learns the truth about Harvey Dent and the lies upon which Gothams judicial system has been based. Batman dies a hero and, after committing the ultimate sacrifice for the city, a monument is erected in his honour in Gotham.
Key line: Batman- "A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a little boy's shoulder to let him know that the world hadn't ended..."