The Dark Knight is a beacon of hope, literally, in one of the most goosebump-inducing scenes
from "The Batman" – and fans can't stop talking about it.
Warning: spoilers for "The Batman" ahead.
"The Batman" is darker than any previous iteration of the masked vigilante's story — with Variety
describing it as a "grounded, frequently brutal" film noir.
Total Film magazine quoted director Matt Reeves as calling his movie the scariest "Batman"
movie yet, and critics and audiences seem to agree.
One element adding to the movie's dark tone is the way Batman is treated by citizens of
Gotham.
At best, they're wary of him.
Two years into his career as a crime-fighter, he's not exactly seen as a superhero.
Not even the Christopher Nolan movies made the Batman seem like such a threat to regular
people.
This is made clear at the start of the film when on Halloween night a gang of thugs beat
up on a man riding public transportation.
When Batman swoops into a subway station to mete out his personal brand of justice, he
lays the bad guys out with ruthless efficiency.
But then, instead of being grateful, the victim cowers and asks Batman not to hurt him.
The scene establishes Batman as a frightening force for everyone – not just the bad guys.
That's the way it stays for most of the movie, with comparisons being drawn between the supposedly
heroic Batman and the supposedly villainous Riddler.
But that all starts to change at the end of the film with a scene that's giving fans goosebumps
— and for good reason.
"Fear is a tool."
This goosebumps-inducing scene takes place at the very end of the film.
Batman has failed in his efforts to contain the Riddler's damage, not realizing until
too late that the criminal has placed explosives at seven of Gotham's sea walls.
When they go off, water floods the city — including Gotham Square Garden, where the mayor-elect
Bella Reál is giving a victory speech to a crowd full of Gotham's most important people.
Batman soars in to save everyone, but before he does that he has to deal with the internet
army that the Riddler has put together, who are on hand to make sure the villain's plan
goes smoothly.
In the aftermath, a number of people are trapped by the collapsed building, so Batman goes
to rescue them.
At first, they are hesitant to accept Batman's help, not knowing his motives.
The first to take Batman's offered hand is the young son of former mayor Don Mitchell
Jr.
Orphan Bruce Wayne sees a bit of himself in the boy, whose father was killed at the start
of the film.
A young woman tentatively follows.
Eventually, everyone lets him lead them out of there through the flooding waters.
Batman ignites a red flare and holds it up to light the way, becoming a literal beacon
of hope.
"I'm vengeance."
The scene is part of the character's own journey in the film.
Batman starts out moodily telling his enemies that he's the personification of vengeance.
Later, one of the Riddler's cronies says the same about himself, when Batman asks him why
he's helping to cause such terror in the city.
At that point, Batman realizes how much in common he has with the bad guys, and it prompts
him to reflect on his mission, and what he wants to stand for.
At the end of the movie, Bruce realizes that he can't just stand for vengeance – he has
to be a symbol of hope.
This scene, coupled with Bruce's emotional growth, allows the film to end on a somber
yet optimistic note.
Posters on Reddit discussed the scene in detail, with one user on Reddit said praising the
hard-hitting theme.
They wrote,
"This was a pivotal concept that Batman had to confront in order to find a sense of justice
built on something more stable than anger and vengeance.
Batman needs to be fear, but he also MUST be hope."
One user on Reddit gave their thumbs-up as well, writing,
"The whole character arc of 'The Batman' from the vengeance to hope was showcased masterfully."
One user on Reddit thought the scene was meaningful and visually beautiful, writing,
"That scene when he’s helping the people in the flooded area and leading them to a
safe place is just beautiful, visually and story wise.
Perfect depiction of Batman being the beacon of hope."
It makes sense that Batman would be facing this character development at this early stage
of his career as a caped crime-fighter.
Naturally, a city facing such rampant crime would be suspicious of a masked interloper
diving in to take matters into his own hands.
After dealing with the threat of the Riddler, however, the people of Gotham – and Batman
himself – have a better idea of what he's actually trying to accomplish.
"Justice.
The answer's justice."
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