I’ve finally got round to seeing The Dark Knight Rises, Nolan’s final segment of his modernised super-hero trilogy. I hadn’t allowed myself to get too excited about this as I was dreading being let down. I most certainly was not.
It is by no means the best of the three instalments. I am always undecided as to whether I prefer The Dark Knight or Batman Begins. Here, although the wide spread of strong performances are occasionally let down by weak segments of script, I found myself enthralled at the fact that this finale is a complete combination of both its predecessors. It’s length was not a downfall; it was a long story that would have been ruined had it been rushed. The film’s avid length only makes the final moments all the more thrilling and meaningful. Nolan is yet again, as he did with the previous instalments and other wonders such as Inception and The Prestige, proving that audiences do not need to be pampered to. Modern cinema audiences are capable of enduring a long and complex story; they are clever enough to find the substance and entertainment within lengthy and intelligent plots.
A huge amount of recognition also needs to be paid to the sensational Wally Pfister. This director of photography has collaborated with Nolan throughout the entire series and also on the majority of Nolan’s major projects. It is the combination of these two minds, and visionaries, that makes their projects so unique and impressive.
Michael Caine reminds us all of his undeniable acting ability as his character, the loyal butler Alfred, is explored even further and is evidence of the story’s development within every chapter of the tale, even in the final moments. Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman return to their familiar characters and a sensationally unexpected cameo from the exquisite Cillian Murphy made me a little giddy. The new and exciting performances came from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Anne Hathaway. Gordon-Levitt’s career always interests me as I enjoy watching him develop and grow to become a highly respected and rooted actor. Here, he merges into the role as the inspiring Officer Blake and fits perfectly into Nolan’s gritty ‘heist-like’ setting.
Anne Hathaway also shows strong development as an actress and Cotillard reminds us all of her grace and consistency. I can never fault her. Christian Bale returns as our caped hero once more and as usual, does not disappoint. Tom Hardy is well fitted to the role of the evil Bane although it is hard to judge a performance that is vocally over-enhanced and70 percent facially hidden.
Nobody really likes Jurassic Park III, Jaws 3-D, The Godfather: Part 3 or Halloween III: Season of the Witch more than the series’ previous features. In fact, third films in a series are without a doubt, generally the worst. Perhaps the only exception is Toy Story 3. Of course it is cruel to compare Jurassic Park 3, Jaws 3-D and Halloween III: Season of the Witch to Nolan’s or Pixar’s trilogy. All of these flawed features were missing their original directors, Spielberg and Carpenter; therefore, they can not be classed as trilogies.
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| Personally, my favourite moment from Halloween III: Season of the Witch |
In many ways Toy Story 3 and The Dark Knight Rises are highly comparable. Neither let down their trilogy and neither can really ever hope to live up to the first; although they both tried, incredibly hard. It sounds like a terrible comparison but in a similar way to Toy Story 3, Nolan’s dark and despairing conclusion is climatic, emotional and gripping. Prepare yourself for the final moments. Nolan’s trilogy is over; it’s a saddening reality. However, I could not be more excited about his future projects, whatever they may be. Nolan will hopefully return to cinema and continue to stun audiences and, more importantly, challenge them.
Thanks for reading and let’s all keep supporting our beloved film industry.
Hannah McHaffie 