6. Overcoming Pain & Fear
Mr Nolan has indicated in several interviews that pain is a key motif in the third installment of his trilogy. Its an oft-quoted statement that
Batman Begins has its thematic roots in fear and in overcoming fear, whereas
The Dark Knight has its thematic foundation grounded in chaos and in exploring how such chaos can be overcome. The third installment deals with both of these things but throws into the equation the need to overcome pain. When we first see Bruce Wayne in the movie he is a shadow of the man that we saw best the Joker in
The Dark Knight. He limps around his mansion with the need of a cane, aged and greying, and in constant pain from injuries- both mental and physical- sustained during his tenure as Gotham's Batman. Mr Wayne finally meets his physical match in the masked mammoth Bane, severely underestimating the strength and will of his opponent as he is forced to dual with him in an underground sewer after being led into a trap by Anne Hathaways Selina Kyle. Tellingly, Bane is pain afflicted, but also capable of afflicting a great deal of pain- in this case not only of the body, but also of the soul. After breaking Batman physically, he attempts to break him mentally by forcing him to watch his beloved Gotham burn from within a torturous prison that he himself was once incarcerated in... a prison that for Bruce is hauntingly reminiscent of the well that he fell into at the start of
Batman Begins. Only by overcoming this pain and by coming to terms with his fear can Batman escape this prison and head back to Gotham to save the city, not only from itself, but from a ticking nuclear time-bomb. Seeing Gotham burning reignites in Batman the desire to overcome his pain and the guilt that he is still harboring over the death of Rachel as well as his parents. Theres a key change though in the use of the motif of fear here: in
Batman Begins Bruce had to overcome his fear, whereas this time he has to actively embrace his fear of death as an instrument to assist in his escape. Pain is a relevant leitmotif for the other central characters too: Commissioner Gordon is mentally tormented over the lie that he has helped to create and foster, and Alfreds pain is in watching Bruce waste away his life in the desolate confines of Wayne Manor as he wallows in self-loathing over the responsibility that he feels for Rachels death. Pain is necessary for the evolution and progression of all of the characters here and only in choosing to overcome it can they reach their true heroic potential.
Key Lines: Bruce Wayne - "Why didn't you just kill me?" Bane - "Your punishment must be more severe..." And there you have it. Do you agree? If you think that the film deals with themes or motifs that we have not discussed here then please comment below. This list is by no means exhaustive, but what I have tried to do here is mention the key themes that characterised this epic and monumental movie.