When thinking about the life of Bruce Wayne, many can agree that his most famous life event
is his most tragic.
Most iterations of the Batman story, at some point, have depicted the event that sealed
his fate: the murder of his parents.
It's a moment that changes the course of his life forever, driving him to create a symbol
that the criminals of Gotham will fear.
Matt Reeves' "The Batman," unlike so many previous cinematic incarnations of the character,
does not tread on this familiar territory.
When "The Batman" picks up, it is two years after Bruce has started wearing the cowl.
He feels the trauma of his past deeply, but it is represented more in what is not said,
than what is.
"I don't care what happens to me."
Bruce has become reclusive, hiding away in Wayne Tower with Alfred, played by Andy Serkis,
only venturing out around people when it will help him solve a mystery.
There are many aspects about this version of Batman that are heartbreaking.
Bruce's self-imposed isolation, and his inability to connect to other people in a meaningful
way, are just a couple.
And in the midst of all the murder and mayhem the film depicts, it is one scene in particular
that shows just how sad the life of Gotham's Dark Knight truly is.
Throughout the film, Bruce has made it abundantly clear how alone he is.
He goes out at night and fights as many criminals as he can.
When he comes home, the only person who tries to forge a connection with him is Alfred,
but it's a one-sided effort.
"If this continues, it won't be long before you've nothing left."
Alfred is concerned about Bruce's nighttime activities and why a serial killer is leaving
him messages.
But for all of Alfred's attempts to take care of Bruce, the young Wayne pushes him away.
He tells Alfred that he isn't his father and doesn't accept his guidance.
This dynamic reaches its devastating peak when the Riddler sends a package to Wayne
Tower.
While it's meant for Bruce, Alfred opens it, just as a bomb inside is detonated.
Alfred survives the attack, but he is terribly wounded.
When he regains consciousness in the hospital, he and Bruce have a loaded conversation, full
of pain and unresolved trauma.
Both Alfred and Bruce have burdens they need to unload upon one another, and when they
do, it finally brings them together.
When Alfred first wakes up from his injuries, Bruce is there by his side.
But rather than express sympathy, the Dark Knight's first response is to accuse his longtime
butler of keeping family secrets from him.
Bruce lashes out, upset that he never knew his father had a business relationship with
known mobster Carmine Falcone.
However, once the two resolve this issue, Bruce admits to being afraid for the first
time since the death of his parents.
To cope with the loss, he became a symbol devoid of any fear.
By becoming the personification of vengeance, he ensured he would never feel powerless again.
But Bruce acknowledges that when Alfred's life was in danger, being Batman did not help.
He admits that Alfred is one of the only people that means something to him anymore, and that
losing him would be just as bad as losing his parents.
Bruce wasn't the only one who has been holding onto past pain.
Alfred holds immense guilt over the deaths of the Waynes.
As he tells his young charge, Bruce was "just a boy" when they died, and Alfred thinks he
should have done better to protect the Waynes.
Not only that, but he never felt equipped to take care of a young Bruce or raise him
properly, after being thrust into a parental role.
Alfred remarks that Bruce needed a father, and he never felt that he was good enough
to fill that role.
He blames himself for Bruce's emotional withdrawal, repression, and rejection of the Wayne legacy.
That said, it is clear that Alfred holds no ill will towards Bruce, despite how cold their
relationship appears earlier in the film.
This scene marks the first time both men have truly opened up to one another, and it allows
them to finally begin healing their relationship.
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