From destruction comes new construction, and from pain we see growth.
The Dark Knight Rises is foundationally built on these principles as the follow up to the
brilliant Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
Arguably not recognised as much as it's predecessors, I think there are many complex discussion
points in The Dark Knight Rises, and for that reason, I wanted to discuss it in today's
video, but also what this means for us as we find meaning to our lives, and act in accordance
to our values.
Each of the Dark Knight films have a key theme that they're built on, with Batman Begins
being about Fear, The Dark Knight about Chaos and finally The Dark Knight Rises about Pain.
Now while I may do videos on the other films in the trilogy, I chose The Dark Knight Rises
after having rewatched it recently and coming to some conclusions on the film that I previously
hadn't done so, specifically relating the journey of the characters and Gotham city
in the film to our journey in life, and how it puts out some critical points about living
a life that has meaning to it.
Now, I feel I ought to say from the outset that director Chris Nolan and his brother,
Jonathan, who wrote the story, have both stated the film is heavily influenced by the Charles
Dickens novel set during the French Revolution, called A Tale Of Two Cities.
I've not read the book and only vaguely know the story, so may miss points that directly
correlate with it and am interested in learning more if anyone has read the book and watched
the film.
If so, please do share in the comments.
Ok, just in case anyone hasn't seen the film, which I highly recommend, there are spoilers
ahead.
1.
Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle - Batman and Bruce Wayne, as well as Catwoman
and Selina Kyle are almost distinct characters from each other in the course of the Dark
Knight Rises - This is particularly evident in the way
Christian Bale played his role, showing Bruce Wayne as a broken husk of a man who often
hunches over and appears dishevelled and hurt, not moving on past the events of Rachel's
death in The Dark Knight.
In contrast, Batman remains a physically imposing figure, even when he's not in costume in the
hospital visiting Jim Gordon, which is early on in the film and at a point where Bruce
Wayne hasn't yet done anything to cope with the pain in his leg
- Going back to Bruce Wayne specifically, throughout the course of the film I feel he
represents the worst of the aristrocacy in Gotham, having become detached from the rest
of society and apathetic, stagnating just like his peers in the upper class
- On the other hand, Selina Kyle is the other extreme of society, acting in desperation
to survive in poverty, acting out in ways that are equally destructive by working for
people that create deeper problems for her - One of the things we, as individuals, need
to understand is that in order to maintain healthy growth in life, we need to take responsibility
as we mature, both in caring for ourselves, as well as for others
- We see this in the juxtaposition of the two characters, as both the lack of action
from Bruce or the actions from Selina in their respective roles lead to severe problems,
as Bruce's inactivity has caused numerous issues to himself and others around him, while
Selina's actions are equally destructive in her own life
- Many of us face a similar issue on a personal level, as we have base needs and desires,
but the actions we take need to be in accordance with our responsibilities, both for ourselves
and others, if we're to stay in a healthy and productive state, one that's of use to
society rather than a burden
2.
Batman and Catwoman - Both Batman and Catwoman are symbolic figures
in the Dark Knight Rises, with Batman representing order in the face of chaos and Catwoman humanity
- When a person descends into chaos, or a self destructive path in their lives, they
often lose both of these qualities in their descent, acting more out of personal desire
and gratification, than out of meaning based on their core values
- In the case of the Dark Knight Rises, in the first half of the film Batman is mostly
absent as Gotham is heading into chaos, and in the instance he does return, during a scene
that's breathtaking in scope and theatrics, it's almost superficial, as his actions when
trying to stop Bane during a heist serve to distract authorities rather than to support
them, showing that at that moment, Batman isn't truly Batman, as he's lacking the belief
and conviction that's at the core of the character and taking actions that could be described
as irresponsible, as pointed out by Alfred later on
- The return of Batman, and all he represents, is something we only truly see when he descends
into his personal hell as he's sent to the Pit, the prison Bane places him in, to watch
Gotham be destroyed, from which he literally needs to ascend to return to being the order
that will save Gotham in the grips of chaos - Catwoman is equally complex, representing
humanity, perhaps better explained as empathy for her fellow man, which again is absent
in the first half of the film, but comes to prominence in the latter half during the redemption
of Gotham in the fight against the revolutionists, represented as oppressive chaos by the League
of Shadows, as she performs selfless acts of heroism
- Our personal growth often comes from going through a similar journey that's equally harrowing
and difficult, as it's when we're confronted with difficult times that often we come out
having seen true growth, one which makes us stronger and more capable
3.
Gordon Represents Morality - Throughout the first two acts of The Dark
Knight Rises, Jim Gordon is in a state of moral conflict throughout as he perpetuates
the lie about Harvey Dent, leaving him incapable of performing his duties during that time,
where he's trying to do his job, but fails to believe in the very ideals he fights for
- It's only once he comes to terms with the truth, forcefully done when Bane reads his
letter to the public, that a great weight and burden is lifted from his shoulders.
It's from here that we see he's liberated and ready to take action to do what's just
and perform his responsibilities as the commissioner of Gotham
- What's fundamental to understand is that being truthful is key when discussing events
that occurred, as building on false pretenses is eventually going to come to light, before
which the burden of lies weighs heavily and will leave us incapacitated as we try to cope
with a great sense of internal conflict within us
- We have to take responsibility for the truth, own them and maintain our integrity in life,
both to keep trust of others, but also maintain belief in ourselves and what we stand for
4.
Alfred Is The Father - Alfred represents Bruce's second father
throughout the course of the Dark Knight trilogy, helping him grow into an adult and guide him
in his journey to what he hopes is a fulfilling conclusion where he can move beyond the past
and finally get closure - This relationship in particular is one of
conflict throughout the Dark Knight Rises, with Alfred always seeking to reason and guide
a despondent and broken Bruce Wayne, ultimately stepping away as he comes to the realisation
he can't guide him any longer.
This moment is fuelled with emotion, as there's a great sense of pain, with Alfred, Bruce's
father for most of his life, no longer able to support his son
- Despite Bruce becoming lost and losing Alfred, it's fundamental for his maturity in the film,
as he no longer has Alfred to lean on and guide him through his life
- Instead, he's forced to take responsibility for himself, pursuing that which is important
to him and gives his life meaning and purpose, to save Gotham, which is a reflection of himself
- Despite the journey being one which almost sees him lose himself, the detachment from
Alfred is necessary, as it's the only way he comes to the self realisation that his
life cannot remain as it is any longer, he needs to move on and enter the next phase,
leaving behind Batman, embracing Bruce Wayne and settling down with Selina Kyle, who undergoes
a similar journey herself
5.
Hope and Sacrifice - We've already said that Batman symbolises
order in the course of the Dark Knight Rises, and in the film order represents hope and
sacrifice, which are necessary for the city to move forward with belief in itself
- It's not by coincidence that in a critical moment in the film when he returns to Gotham
after escaping the Pit, that he chooses to use controlled fire to symbolise hope to restore
justice and order, returning Gotham back into a state of harmony and growth, as it's from
the ashes of the fire, or war, that Gotham will be able to build anew
- In the film, he also symbolises the act of sacrifice, the first of which is when the
previous, shallow version of Batman, or order, is broken by Bane
- Then he sacrifices himself again at end, this time through choice, as he represents
the previous form of order in the city, and does so to save Gotham and allow the growth
of something new - This is common thread in humanity as seen
through historical events such as World War 2 and the Cold War, where we were at risk
of nuclear disaster, as well as other horrific events from which we learn important lessons.
It's often from huge sacrifices that we learn our most important lessons
- However, equally pertinent is that this applies at a personal level too, as it's from
events we face and work through in life that we grow and be stronger.
At this point, we sacrifice our previous forms or beliefs, so that we can grow to be someone
new
6.
The Fire Rises - It's from chaos we see a new form of order
and construction breed and grow, wheter it be in the form of society in Gotham, or individual
characters who have changed following the events
- From this we see the death of the old form of order, represented by Batman who died in
the nuclear explosion, and from the ashes we see the rise of a new form of order, represented
by John Blake, revealed to be Robin who inherits the role of the Batman from Bruce Wayne
- We also see that Gotham is reborn from the ashes of the fire, ready to return to order,
structure and harmony, as Jim Gordon quotes A Tale Of Two Cities at the end from the perspective
of Batman, saying
“I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss.
I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy.
I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations
hence.
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better
rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
- We individually go through the same, as we'll have moments of great difficulty in
life that can be chaotic, scary and destructive, but from it we come out stronger, a new and
stronger form of ourselves - This is understood from the philosophical
principle known as the Hegelian Dialectic, whereby you start with a proposition, called
the thesis, the negation to that proposition, called the antithesis, following which the
conflict leads to synthesis, whereby the two conflicting ideas are reconciled to form a
new proposition, as seen in The Dark Knight Rises
There are more characters that deserve discussion, such as Bane and Miranda Tate, who I may cover
in another video.
In the meantime, what did you think of the Dark Knight Rises?
Was it a satisfactory conclusion to what will go down as one of the great trilogies in cinema
history?
Let me know in the comments.
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