*** Very Minimal Spoilers***
It’s hard to know where to start with a movie I loved so much. I’m not sure exactly what I hoped to get out of the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy but I do know that any expectations I had were met and exceeded. Overall, it was an intense thrill ride, filled with heart crushing tragedy while still exuding overwhelming hope. It was a film that finally cemented Batman as my favorite of all the comic book super heroes.
The action and story in this film were both supreme but, I find myself having the most to say about the characters. Each one was so beautifully crafted, their thoughts and motivations resonating bone deep.
I have always loved Alfred. His love and care for Bruce is better than any parent-less person could hope for. Only because it is the love and care that he CHOOSES to give. I have those kinds of relationships in my life and there are none better. Alfred makes two very poignant speeches in this movie, both of which moved me to tears. Michael Caine is amazing.
Tom Hardy’s Bane was terrifying from start to finish. He gave me chills of the very worst kind, in the very best way. Every movie villain should be this scary. Bane seems to fear nothing while having nothing to lose. My only complaint is that his mask made it tough to hear what he was saying at times. I had to lean over to my husband asking, “What?” more than once. Maybe he should have subtitles?
In all honesty, growing up, I loved Michelle Pfeiffer’s Cat Woman. She was seductive and scary and completely unpredictable. And while her portrayal as the ultimate feline will go down in history, Anne Hathaway is by far the sexiest, smartest, most bad ass Cat Woman that has ever worn leather. She has redefined everything I ever thought Selina Kyle could be. She surprised me and thrilled me in every way I thought I could be thrilled. She made me so very angry. And then she made me smile.
There is also Blake. I’m not a regular comic book reader. I knew nothing of this man, of this character, before this movie. I do know that I loved him from the word go. He was strong when others were weak. He believed when no one else had the balls to. He tried when no one else wanted to try. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was flawless. He portrayed his character so perfectly. A man filled with dark tinted idealism. A man looking for a hero when he had one within himself. I never expected to be taken so fully by anyone other than Batman, but Blake took me. He took me for an emotional ride I was unprepared for and then so much further.
There is something about Batman that has always intrigued me. He doesn’t come from another planet. Nothing special ever bit him. He is a man. A man with a mission. A man filled with anger. An almost ordinary man except for his inheritance. It’s easy to relate to anger and his helplessness. But he strengthens himself. And with all of his power and all of his might, he chooses true justice over personal gain. He always works for the greater good over the worst of wrongs. In the true Batman style, there were points of the movie that felt like overwhelming despair. And there were parts that felt like breath giving hope. Other than the incredibly human characters, it is the twists and turns and impeccable transitions that give this movie its life.
One thing is for certain: if ever anyone should brave the Batman helm again, they will have quite an empire to face. The world so beautifully built by Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale and their team will be next to impossible to beat. Good luck!
winestainedlife 