1. Victimising The Batman (The Dark Knight)
Hes a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight. Could it be anything else? It may be more of a sequence than one single moment, but The Dark Knights final montage is not only Gordons best moment of the trilogy, but Nolans too. Its a dizzying conclusion; Batman is going to take the fall for Harvey Dents killings, leaving Commissioner Gordon with no choice but to hunt him down. It was one of the real surprises of The Dark Knight and provides some of the films most iconic images; Dents funeral, the bat cycle speeding off into the light and of course, the bat signals destruction. In the cutaways to these events, no matter how brief, you can see the conflict on Gordons face as blames the hero, wishing he didn't have to while knowing there is no other option. Theres also his final, instantly quotable speech that gives Oldman the chance to shine, made stronger by the entire thing framed by being addressed to Gordons son. It is a brilliant end to the best movie of the trilogy and despite the eight year gap, leads directly into its sequel; The Dark Knight Rises opens with the ending of Gordons Hero We Needed speech and the cover-up peppers his actions throughout the film. Its a moment that sums up Gordon. His devotion to his city and doing the right thing defines him, even if it pains him personally; a real hero.