3. Cultural Relevance
Perhaps the most divisive element of The Dark Knight Trilogy that separated it from other comic book films was its incorporation of real world issues into its fictional universe. Particularly, the series contained some of the most dramatic post 9/11 imagery found in fictional films. Some of the most striking images were found in The Dark Knight ranging from a burning fire engine to Batman sitting on top of burning rubble as fire fighters struggled to put out the blaze of two buildings that were detonated almost simultaneously. Less obvious were the films' use of metaphors for the government's responses to 9/11. The machine created by Batman to spy on citizens' cell phones in The Dark Knight referenced wire tapping that was implemented; the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" was questioned when Batman essentially beat information out of the Joker that proved to be inaccurate; The Dent Act in The Dark Knight Rises that involved giving law enforcement increased power based on a lie is a sobering reminder of the power that The Patriot Act wields. Even something as simple as the 3,000 police officers who were trapped underground in The Dark Knight Rises can be be seen as a representation of the 3,000 victims of 9/11.