Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight
Trilogy has become, in my mind, the definitive version of the Batman legend.
His take on the stories leans more toward realism, and delves deeper into
the tortured world of Bruce Wayne. The term "Dark Knight"
was actually used early on in the comics, and was made popular by the 1986
graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns" by Frank Miller.
Nolan's movies, conceived with David S. Goyer, borrowed from the original
comics and the graphic novels to create a Gotham City
rich with history and memorable characters, but set in a more realistic world.
Some people quibble about
whether or not Batman qualifies as a “superhero.” My opinion on the matter is, who cares? For some reason, I don’t hear the same
complaints about Iron Man, who is really the Marvel Comics cousin of Batman (who
originates from Detective Comics). Both
men are incredibly smart and incredibly rich.
Bruce Wayne is easily the more disturbed of the two, but what connects
him to Tony Stark is the fact that they’re both mortal men. Neither has been endowed with super powers,
which in the eyes of some people means that they aren’t superheroes. But that’s exactly why I like Nolan’s
version. It takes place in a semi-realistic
world where super powers don’t exist.
Therefore, the story possibilities are a little closer to home, a little
harder-edged, with much less fantasy to rely on. As one blogger noted, if you take out the
character of Batman, you’re left with a dystopian crime drama.
The original Batman comics that
appeared in the 1940s were dark, reminiscent of film noir. Then the
character was subjected to the camp
TV show of the 60s.
(The Batcave from the TV show was actually used by Nolan as a location in
his trilogy, so a little value was gleaned from the cheesiest version of
Batman.) The graphic novels took the stories to their darkest, most
violent possibilities. They were true to
the essence of a main character that could never be as wholesome as Superman.
Tim Burton’s attempts with Batman and Batman Returns were dark and depressing, introducing us to a world
of shadows and crime, full of villains and evildoers. The problem was that we never got to explore
that world, to discover why it became that way, and, more importantly, why
Bruce Wayne would risk his life as a crimefighter. A critic of Nolan’s films said that audiences
couldn’t connect with Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne the way they could with
Michael Keaton. Of course I
disagree. I liked Michael Keaton in the
role, but what was there to connect with?
A character with a little mystery can be interesting. Unfortunately, he was all mystery. The only things we as an audience knew about
Bruce Wayne were that he’s rich, he’s the alter ego of Batman, his parents were
killed before his young eyes, and he had a butler named Alfred. No explanation of how he came to be Batman,
or why. We’re left to assume that it’s a
case of revenge against the criminals of Gotham,
which isn’t heroic at all. As Alfred
reminds Bruce in the much smarter Batman
Begins, “…What you’re doing has to be beyond that. It can’t be personal. Or you’re just a vigilante.” We may not be able to identify much with Bruce
Wayne, but Nolan and Goyer made him into someone we can understand and
empathize with.
There were also good things
about the Tim Burton films. They
featured good performances by Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer. They established a new look for the character
of Batman, which mustn’t be forgotten.
Nolan was smart enough to know that a complete overhaul of the look of
Batman might alienate and infuriate his audience. So the new look has developed while still
being a descendant of the look established by Burton.
Then Joel Schumacher took over
the franchise. Suddenly the world of
Batman was more colorful, the humor a little more up front, and even the
character of Robin was brought in.
Schumacher’s version of Batman was more fun, but it seemed to be slowly
crawling back in the direction of the camp TV
show. And almost everything was changed,
from the actor playing Batman to the Batmobile itself. Only Alfred and Commissioner Gordon remained
the same, played by Michael Gough and Pat Hingle, respectively. (With respect to the actors, I always felt
that both characters were non-entities.
Even in the comics Alfred didn’t seem to have much personality.) As much fun as this new take on things was, I
grew to loathe it. The host of
characters grew, the special effects grew more spectacular, and Gotham City
slipped further into a land of fantasy.
Characters we cared about and empathized with were nowhere to be seen.
I have to admit that I felt my
share of trepidation when I read about Christopher Nolan’s re-inventing of the
Batman franchise. (Maybe that’s part of
the problem right there: the term “franchise.”
An audience can connect with a character in a story, but how do you
connect with a franchise?) Then I
started to read the list of actors and my interest began to grow. Trying to introduce a new version of Batman
so soon after the last film seemed extremely risky, even foolhardy. Nolan was not known for making “big” films. What more could he bring to the world of
Batman? What would make his version
unique?
I kept my fingers crossed, and I
wasn’t disappointed. I’ll never forget
watching Batman Begins for the first
time in the theater. There was a
specific moment when I realized that I was seeing the Batman that I’d always
envisioned. Changes had been made, but
they made sense and coalesced into a version that seemed fresh and
revitalized. Everything about it felt new, all the way down to an elegantly re-designed bat
logo. I walked in expecting the worst,
secretly hoping for the best, and what we got is . . . the best.
Critics of Christopher Nolan’s
version (especially in the beginning) strike me as very short-sighted. They complained that certain actors from the
Tim Burton films had not been brought in.
They complained that composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
didn’t use Danny Elfman’s Batman theme from previous films. What they failed to realize is that Nolan and
Goyer and their collaborators were approaching the world of Batman from a
completely different angle, one that owed nothing to the other films. They started from scratch and gave us
characters of depth, with less dependence on action and spectacle (although
Nolan’s films have plenty). They gave us
the Batman films I always dreamed of watching.
(Warning: spoilers abound.)
Batman Begins (2005)
Batman Begins
(2005) opens with a memory of Bruce Wayne’s childhood. As he and Rachel Dawes play on the grounds of
Wayne Manor, Bruce accidentally falls down a hole and has a life-altering
encounter with some bats. Not long
after, the boy witnesses the murder of his parents. This is a horrible incident, but we in the
audience are grateful for the context that Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
have given to this part of Bruce Wayne’s history. It also sets up a father/son relationship
between Bruce and Alfred (Michael Caine), the butler of Wayne Manor.
While Rachel (Katie Holmes)
grows up to be an assistant district attorney, Bruce (Christian Bale) harbors a
growing desire for revenge against his parents’ killer. Eventually he confronts Carmine Falcone (Tom
Wilkinson), possibly the most powerful crime boss in Gotham City. The web of crime engulfing the city is
overwhelming, both in size and impenetrability.
Then Wayne
disappears.
Bruce is found in a prison by a
man named Ducard (Liam Neeson), who offers him “a path.” Under the tutelage of Ra’s al Ghul (Ken
Watanabe) and as a member of the League of Shadows, Bruce begins to learn the
skills he will be able to use to fight crime.
He is also taught how to overcome his fear and use it as a weapon. He learns control and finds a way to look
past any need for revenge. After
learning of their plan to destroy Gotham,
Bruce flees the League and returns home with new purpose.
With Alfred as a confidante and
helper, Bruce sets about creating the Batman persona. He is greatly aided by Lucius Fox (Morgan
Freeman), the genius of the Applied Sciences branch of Wayne Enterprises, which
is now run by the loathsome Mr. Earle (Rutger Hauer). He also seeks out Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman),
who seems to be the only honest cop in town, one who made an impression on the
newly orphaned Bruce Wayne.
As Bruce works to cultivate
methods and tools to use as Batman, one new thing worth noting is the
re-invented Batmobile. It’s like no
other Batmobile that has come before, and, in fact, is never referred to as
“the Batmobile” at any time in the trilogy.
Built as a military vehicle, it’s called “the Tumbler” before Bruce
paints it black and puts it to use.
Another “new” development is the Batcave (which is never called “the
Batcave”). It’s an actual cave full of
bats that Bruce discovers beneath Wayne Manor.
The Tumbler enters and exits through a waterfall that obscures the mouth
of the cave.
Also worth noting is how Bruce
begins to use “billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne” as a persona and disguise. Who would suspect a rich pretty boy of being a
masked crime fighter?
As Batman begins to emerge, so
do new villains. In this new version,
Batman isn’t up against one villain, but an entire criminal community. Working in connection with Falcone’s hive of
thugs is Dr. Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy), the head of Arkham Asylum. Using a mask and calling himself the
Scarecrow, Crane uses a hallucinogen to frighten and torment his victims.
The plans of Crane and Falcone
are only the groundwork for a master plan hatched by an unknown force. After a microwave emitter is stolen from a
Wayne Enterprises shipment, the plan is to use the emitter to disperse Crane’s
toxin into the air and cause the inhabitants of Gotham City
to go mad and destroy each other.
We finally learn near the end
that the master plan is that of the real
Ra’s al Ghul, who was merely posing as Ducard. Crane’s toxin originates with a flower found on the mountain
where Bruce was trained as a member of the League of Shadows. Their plan to destroy Gotham
has been behind everything, exploiting the local criminals for the sole purpose
of one grand apocalypse. The League
members release the toxin in the Narrows (which seems to be in the center of Gotham), and then free the criminals held in Arkham.
So we have everyone in the Narrows being affected by a hallucinogenic toxin and set
upon by insane criminals. And it’s
basically up to Batman and Jim Gordon to save the day. While Gordon uses the Tumbler, Batman goes
one on one with Ra’s al Ghul, and we get Liam Neeson in his first villain
role. He is very effective as a mentor
to Bruce Wayne, but he is also a formidable foe of Batman.
While many movies end with
chases and fights, this one seems to have real purpose within the story. By this time we have invested in the
characters, and we understand why Bruce Wayne would fight to save Gotham instead of watch it be destroyed. It’s easy to see why the League of Shadows
would wish such a thing: Gotham is a cesspool
of injustice. But Batman believes in the
goodness of people, and uses his image to inspire fear in his enemies while
inspiring others to stand against evil.
One of the last shots of Batman Begins is a close-up of a playing
card, a joker. It cleverly sets up the
possibilities for the next film.
Christopher Nolan says that he didn’t set out to make a trilogy of
Batman films, his goal was to make one. Once Batman
Begins became a huge success, his new goal was to make one more. Part of the
accomplishment of his trilogy is its cohesiveness as a whole. All three films flow together very well.
Batman Begins is
dark, full of shadows and danger, with a subtle thread of humor throughout the
movie. This story finally gives scope to
the world of Batman, and gives us a Bruce Wayne that holds our attention. He doesn’t even dress up as Batman for the
first hour of the movie, but by then the character has earned our
interest. As Roger Ebert said in his
review, “This is at last the Batman movie I’ve been waiting for.”
The Dark Knight (2008)
Near the end of 2008, Stephen
King wrote that The Dark Knight
(2008) was “the best superhero movie ever.”
He might be right. The story
takes us beyond the normal realms of “comic book movies” and goes much deeper. It was a phenomenon, not only more successful
than Batman Begins, but one of the
most successful movies of all time.
The opening scene of the film
fulfills the unspoken promise made at the end of Batman Begins when Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) showed Batman the
Joker’s “calling card.” We watch as
several men in clown masks rob a Gotham
City bank, and learn as
they talk that they all work for the Joker (the late Heath Ledger), although
none of them seem to know who he is. He
is finally revealed at the end of the scene, in a striking close-up, to be one
of the robbers. By now we know that this Joker is going to be different from
anything we’ve ever seen.
The next scene shows us how the
crime world of Gotham has developed since the
appearance of Batman (Christian Bale).
In the previous film Gordon mentioned escalation, and now we see the
evidence, some of it unexpected. Not
only does Batman have to contend with bad guys, but a number of copycats who
dress up as he does. The giveaway is
that the copycats wield guns, while the real Batman refuses to use that
particular weapon.
Very soon we meet Harvey Dent
(Aaron Eckhart), a fearless district attorney who also happens to work with
Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Bruce Wayne’s old friend. Dent isn’t intimidated by Gotham’s
crime element and is keen to find a way to bring down as many criminals as he
can, preferably all at once. He knows
that Gordon is working with the Batman to do this, but Gordon and Dent don’t
work together easily. There is a lot of
mistrust between their respective teams, maybe with good reason. As we saw in Batman Begins, the crime lords of Gotham
have penetrated every level of the city’s infrastructure.
The Joker’s real introduction
comes next, before a council of crime lords.
The scene is wonderful. Heath
Ledger is nearly unrecognizable, not just because of his makeup job, but
because of his voice and body language.
His performance is thrilling to watch.
His Joker is smart, persuasive, dangerous, fascinating. He won a posthumous Academy Award for his
role, and it’s easy to see why. It ups
the ante of the entire movie. Even though the Joker is, in a sense, fun to watch, he’s frightening
because he could be real. His look was
not the result of being dipped in chemicals.
His scenes reveal a dark and twisted intelligence at work. Rarely does an actor inhabit a character so
completely.
The crime lords at first don’t
agree to the Joker’s proposition, and are soon struck a mighty blow from the
combined efforts of Batman, Dent and Gordon.
Even the mob’s accountant finds himself being “extradited” from Hong Kong by the Batman.
So the gangsters decide to try the Joker’s plan, which is effective
right away. He succeeds in killing the
police commissioner and a judge. His
attempt on Harvey Dent’s life is foiled by the appearance of the Batman, but he
proves to the city’s crime lords that his methods are effective.
So let’s stop for a moment and
discuss how our characters have developed since Batman Begins.
Bruce Wayne and Alfred (Michael
Caine) have had to temporarily relocate to a penthouse while Wayne Manor is
being rebuilt. Bruce is still using his
playboy image to distract from his true night life, while also using it to
promote Harvey Dent as the “white knight” that Gotham
needs. And Alfred, as always, has the
wisest and most poignant dialogue. He is not only an aide and confidante to Bruce, but also a father figure, a role that Ra’s al
Ghul (Liam Neeson) proved too corrupt to fulfill.
Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), who
became the CEO of Wayne Enterprises at the end of the last film, is now in an
even better position to help Bruce/Batman.
And he proves to be an ultra-savvy businessman/diplomat/advisor. Near the end of the movie, Lucius becomes the
voice of moral reason.
Much has been made about Maggie
Gyllenhaal taking over the role of Rachel Dawes from Katie Holmes. She does very well here, but I think many of
the reviewers were unnecessarily harsh towards Katie Holmes, who did just fine
in Batman Begins. Ms. Gyllenhaal doesn’t do anything in The Dark Knight that Ms. Holmes couldn’t
have done just as well. But enough of
that. Rachel is now dating her boss,
Harvey Dent, and has moved on from her interest in Bruce Wayne. Her role in the story is a little
tricky. While she appears to be wavering
between Harvey and Bruce, in the end she chooses Harvey.
She intends to tell Bruce in a note, but Alfred, who knows the truth,
decides that the moment isn’t right.
(This turns out to have crucial consequences in the relationship between
Bruce and Alfred in The Dark Knight Rises.)
The Dark Knight
trades a fake death for a real one. The
first one, the staged death of Jim Gordon, takes us by surprise. (But he’s not Commissioner Gordon yet! How
can they kill him off?!) His
reappearance comes with the capture of the Joker after a stunning chase
sequence involving a semi truck and the new Batpod (which is actually referred
to by name!). As a result, Gordon is
promoted to Commissioner. The real
payoff, though, is a quiet little scene where he reunites with his son (one of
my favorite moments in the movie).
The real death is that of
Rachel. She and Harvey are kidnapped by
the Joker’s henchmen and tied to barrels and explosives in separate
warehouses. Batman is able to save Dent,
but Gordon and the police are too late to save Rachel. While her death is not wholly unforeseeable,
we can’t predict how it will affect the relationships of the remaining
characters. Bruce, believing that Rachel
would one day return to him, forces himself through the grief and focuses on
finding the Joker. But Dent, scarred by
the explosion of the warehouse in which he was trapped, and tainted by the
persuasive words of the Joker, becomes “Harvey Two-Face” and begins a manhunt,
bent on revenge.
A moment of great tension in the
film comes when the Joker has two ferry boats rigged to explode. One is filled with civilians, the other with
convicted felons. The twisted choice
offered by the Joker is for one group of people to blow up the other. All of the Joker’s ploys are ingenious,
offering no easy choices. He describes
himself as “an agent of chaos,” working to bring out the animalistic natures of
the people of Gotham. But Batman puts his faith in the ability of
people to make good choices and do the right thing.
There are so many things in this
film that I admire. The characters have
convincing relationships with a history.
Christian Bale’s Batman has an emotional complexity that lends real
depth to the story. His enemies are not
his polar opposites, but a mirror to his own flaws. The cinematography is incredible, making good
use (just as in Batman Begins) of
locations in and around Chicago, many of them in daylight. And we get Heath Ledger’s Joker (simply the
best), possibly the most psychologically complex villain to ever appear in a
Batman film.
Watching The Dark Knight is an exhilarating experience.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
And now we come to The Dark Knight Rises (2012), the final
chapter in the Dark Knight Trilogy. The
buzz surrounding the film was incredible, the expectations very high. The
Dark Knight broke records left and right, and set an extremely high water
mark with Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker. Many people wondered whether the new film
would live up to the hype.
I think it does. Christopher Nolan and his team have created a
powerful film that builds to a wonderful climax. The story finds a definite conclusion,
although some of the characters’ stories are left with interesting
possibilities. Nolan and his actors have
stated that this is their final Batman movie, and I applaud their
decision. Not every film franchise can, or should, go on forever. Sometimes the best thing
is to let a story continue in the minds of the viewers. Otherwise, it can grow stale and tired, and
it loses something. (The James Bond
films are an obvious exception to this.)
Giving the story a strong ending is the right thing to do.
The first time I saw The Dark Knight Rises, I wasn’t sure how
I felt about it. But the more I watched
it, the more I grew to love it. After
the phenomenal success of The Dark Knight,
it was hard not to feel some trepidation.
The second viewing was a much more relaxed experience, and I was able to
focus on what works so well within the story, which takes place eight years
after the events of The Dark Knight.
Let’s start with Bane (Tom
Hardy), the lead villain. His
introduction is early in the film, and he is immediately effective. His look is distinctive and intimidating,
with a mask that works well for the character, but isn’t explained very clearly. Bane has been endlessly compared to the
Joker, but the two characters are worlds apart.
Bane’s plan and sense of purpose are completely different. While the Joker described himself as “an
agent of chaos,” Bane claims to be a member of the League of Shadows, planning
to fulfill the legacy of Ra’s al Ghul with the destruction of Gotham. Many people complained about Bane’s voice,
which is amplified through his mask, stating that it was hard to
understand. I didn’t have a problem with
it, and admired Tom Hardy’s ability to sell his performance through body
language.
Another new character this time
is Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), known in past stories as Catwoman. We never hear that nickname in this
film. As Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale)
researches her past, he runs across newspaper articles that reference “The Cat”
and “Cat Burglar.” She has a pair of
eyepieces/goggles that flip up onto her head and look a bit like cat ears, but
that’s it. No whip, no kinky
undercurrent. But she does have blades hidden
in her high-heeled boots. She’s a very
competent criminal, yet even she ends up needing to be rescued by Batman. He can see her potential for good, and makes
an appeal to her better nature. How her
personal journey impacts events late in the film is exciting.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt joins the
cast as John Blake, an orphan who has grown up to be a member of the Gotham police force.
Blake is as good as Bane is evil; he remains honest and brave and always
tries to do the right thing. His
persistence wins the approval of Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), who makes
Blake a detective and tasks him with finding Bane and learning the villain’s
plan. Blake is also the only person who
figures out that Bruce Wayne is Batman.
There’s a thrilling moment when Batman comes to his rescue, and I love the
look of excitement on Blake’s face as he gets to see his hero in action.
The other new character worth
mentioning is Miranda Tate, played by Marion Cotillard. She is a member of the board of Wayne
Enterprises, with a professional interest in the company’s clean energy
project, and a personal interest in Bruce Wayne. When one of Bane’s schemes wipes out Bruce’s
fortune, Miranda is brought in by Bruce and Lucius in an attempt to save the
company.
As I mentioned earlier, The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight
years later than the previous film.
Crime in Gotham is now (seemingly)
under control. No one has seen Batman in
all that time, and Bruce Wayne has become a recluse. After the decision agreed upon by Jim Gordon and
Batman, Harvey Dent’s behavior as “Harvey Two-Face” has been kept a secret,
with Batman believed to be Dent’s killer.
Many criminals have been imprisoned under the Harvey Dent Act. But Bane is able to expose the truth, release
the criminals, and use a nuclear bomb to hold the entire city hostage. Within months Gotham becomes a moral wasteland.
Many of the earlier scenes in
the film seem a bit convoluted at first, but make more sense as things go
along. Through events I won’t describe,
Bane is able to wipe out Bruce Wayne’s finances, trap the majority of Gotham’s police force below ground, and exile Bruce to a
prison that Bane had previously inhabited.
While Bruce is in the prison, he is able
to watch on a television as Bane terrorizes the people of Gotham.
Just as pivotal is what happens
to the relationship between Bruce and Alfred (Michael Caine). In reaction to the actions of Bane, Bruce
decides to re-appear as Batman, even though Alfred thinks it’s a mistake. He argues that Batman isn’t needed any more,
but that what the people of Gotham need are
Bruce’s knowledge and resources. (I
completely understand Alfred’s point, but I was pretty delighted to see Batman
again.) In a sad and surprisingly quiet
scene, Alfred reveals to Bruce how he burned a letter from Rachel in which she
declared her choice of Harvey Dent over Bruce.
This becomes the breaking point in their relationship, and Alfred
leaves.
The Dark Knight Rises
is the longest film in the trilogy, which is fine, because it covers the
longest period of time. Bane’s control
of Gotham lasts for months, and Bruce needs
the time in exile to recuperate. He also
has unexpected lessons to learn before he is ready to re-claim his mantle as
Batman. The scene where he escapes from
his prison is wonderful, with Hans Zimmer’s music building to a powerful return
of the Batman theme, and the return of Batman to Gotham.
Back in Gotham,
Gordon and Blake and the few police officers not trapped underground are
attempting to track the nuclear bomb in the hope of disarming it. What most of the population doesn’t know is
that it will inevitably detonate after its core deteriorates over time. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) supplies them
with a way to stop the bad guys from detonating the bomb prematurely, but they
still have to figure out a way to get rid of it. The ticking time-bomb element of the story
brings a lot of urgency to the final scenes.
Batman succeeds in freeing the
police force, and it’s neat to see how his presence inspires them in their fight
against Bane and his men. Batman has
always had a good effect on people who are good. The final showdown begins as a mess of
hand-to-hand combat, with Batman and Bane finally duking it out. The action builds to one of the most
effective chase scenes I’ve ever experienced.
While Batman flies in “the Bat,” his latest gadget from Lucius, Selina
is on the ground with the Batpod, driving it with as much skill as Batman. In past iterations of the Batman legend,
Selina was always tempted by her good side, and it’s an awesome payoff in this
film to see her fighting as a good guy.
My quibbles with the final film
in the trilogy are few, the major one being that I think Bane is brushed aside
much too easily. Once it’s revealed that
Bane is merely the front man for the “real” villain, it makes sense that his
importance to the story has been significantly reduced. But it left me a touch unsatisfied. Since Bane was such an important and
effective character throughout so much of the film, it’s too bad they didn’t give
him a better sendoff, so to speak.
Well, enough of the plot
descriptions. Thinking back over the
entire trilogy, there’s an interesting visual metaphor to accompany the title
of The Dark Knight Rises. Not only of Bruce climbing out of an
abandoned well as a child, or climbing from his exile in prison. Throughout the trilogy we see more and more
scenes in daylight. Much of Batman Begins was shot in shadows to
hide the deficiencies of the original Batman costume. When the costume was re-designed for The Dark Knight there was no more need
to shoot Batman’s scenes only at night.
The final battle of The Dark
Knight Rises takes place in the morning light. By that point in the story, not only has Batman risen to his highest
potential as the hero of Gotham, but he has allowed its citizens to re-awaken their better natures and start over.
I also like that there’s a
subtle through-line of Batman saving children.
In Batman Begins he rescues
Rachel and a young boy she’s trying to protect; in The Dark Knight he rescues Gordon’s son; in The Dark Knight Rises he has Blake attempting to rescue a busload
of orphaned boys. The boys (helped by
Hans Zimmer’s music) provide a nice moment near the end when they realize that
Batman has saved them.
So the final film ties up all the loose ends in
a way that I found extremely satisfying.
As I mentioned before, though, some of the characters’ stories have
intriguing possibilities. I walked away,
after a great ride, with a feeling of conclusion. Christopher Nolan and his entire team, from
the actors to the crew, have taken a character that already resonated with me and struck just the right chord. There
will probably be other versions of the Batman legend in the future, and some
people will probably prefer other versions to this one. But the Dark Knight Trilogy presents the
Batman I always imagined and longed to see.