Photo courtesy of impawards.com
In the final film of The Dark Knight trilogy, we find that the Batman has not been seen in eight years, since the night of Harvey Dent’s death.
Since his disappearance, crime has decreased due to the presence of the Harvey Dent Act. Therefore, Batman’s actions have indeed reduced crime even if some may have speculated that his appearance in Gotham City roused up more dangerous criminals. Of course, the citizens of Gotham are unaware that Batman sacrificed his reputation so citizens could maintain their faith in Dent. Because of this, Batman is seen as a murderous vigilante.
As a mysterious villain named Bane begins terrorizing the city, Bruce Wayne believes that it is time that the Batman makes a reappearance; however, he is not prepared for the physical challenge this villain displays against him.
“I never wanted you to come back to Gotham. I always knew there was nothing here for you, except pain and tragedy. And I wanted something more for you than that. I still do.” – Alfred Pennyworth
Bane is meticulous and ruthless. He has clearly strategized his overtaking of Gotham as well as the way in which he defeats Batman. In this film, we see Bruce Wayne at his most tested. Bane severely injures Bruce when he breaks his back in their first confrontation. Through this, along with his lack of action in eight years, Bruce is at a physical disadvantage.
Ultimately, we find the Batman being humanized once again.
After Batman’s defeat, Bane leaves Bruce in a pit, battered and broken, with a television that broadcasts the chaos that is occurring in Gotham under Bane and, unknowingly at the time, Talia al Ghul’s hand. Therefore, Bruce is being challenged physically and psychologically in a form that he has not experienced before.
Throughout the trilogy, Batman has served as the symbol of hope for Gotham City; but in this situation, Batman is nonexistent and Bruce himself feels hopeless.
Discouraged by his multiple failed attempts of escaping the pit, Bruce only succumbs to his hopelessness even further.
In this moment of despair though, he learns that he has not been motivated by the correct drive. He believed that anger was what could push him to escape the pit and confront Bane once again, but anger is not and was never Batman’s impulse; it was fear.
“How can you move faster than possible, fight longer than possible without the most powerful impulse of the spirit: the fear of death.” – Prisoner
Fear drove Bruce to confront his trauma and eventually use it to his advantage, as seen in Batman Begins. Fear is what Batman instilled in the criminals who wished to destroy the city, as seen in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Therefore, fear is what Bruce needs to save himself. With this impulse, Bruce manages to climb out of the pit and during his journey he encounters a barrage of bats, paying homage to the first film in which Bruce encounters his fear in the Batcave.
Overall, The Dark Knight trilogy did what many other superhero films have not: ground their heroes into reality and make them human.
Of course, there are moments in superhero films such as Peter Parker’s abandonment of his Spider-Man alter ego in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 (2004) as well as Rorschach’s pursuit of justice by any means necessary in Zack Snyder’s Watchmen (2009) that display heroes’ humanity and flaws; however Nolan expands on this in the trilogy.
Batman faces countless emotional and physical obstacles that challenge his method as a hero. Despite these challenges, Batman proves that he is incorruptible, and the story of Bruce Wayne as the Batman comes full circle, allowing Bruce to pass on the mantle to someone who can continue the Batman’s legacy as an infallible figure. In the film, that person is John Blake.
Upon the end of the film, Bruce Wayne is believed to be dead by everyone in the world except those close to him. His mission as the Batman has been fulfilled, paralleling words spoken by Batman in the acclaimed Batman story that many aspects of the film are based upon, The Long Halloween.
“I made a promise, to my parents, that I would rid the city of the evil that took their lives.” – Batman in Batman: The Long Halloween
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