C H R I S T O P H E R N O L A N ’ S
C O M I C I N F L U E N C E S
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS
It is ten years after an aging Batman has retired and Gotham City has sunk deeper into decadence and lawlessness. Now as his city needs him most, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of glory.
BATMAN: KNIGHTFALL
Bane frees all the inmates of Arkham Asylum forcing Batman to push past his limits to recapture them, leaving him exhausted. Finally, Bane confronts him at Wayne Manor and beats him mercilessly, leaving him physically and mentally beaten.
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE
According to the grinning engine of madness and mayhem known as The Joker, one bad day is all that separates the sane from the psychotic. Freed once again from the confines of Arkham Asylum, he’s out to prove his deranged point. And he’s going to use Gotham City’s Commissioner Jim Gordon to do it.
P L O T S U M M A R Y
Following Harvey Dent’s death, Bruce Wayne has retired from the Batman mantle. But when Gotham City is a terrorized by a gang of vicious criminals led by Bane he re-dons the cape and cowl. However, he no longer has the support of the police or public who view Batman as a madman and a murderer. Meanwhile in Arkham Asylum, The Joker has awoken from his catatonic state following Batman’s re-emergence and psychologist Dr. Harleen Quinzel is assigned to analyse and help re-abilitate him.
One of Batman’s biggest supporters Commissioner James Gordon is forced to retire due to his old age and is replaced by Ellen Yindel, a fierce critic of the caped crusader. She forms taskforce 'Knightfall' with Gotham’s finest, an operation to take down the Batman. Among those involved is Detective Richard Grayson, a supporter of the Batman who successfully deduced his identity during his hiatus. Detective Grayson offers to help Batman in his quest to clean up Gotham City but Bruce turns him away stating that he doesn’t need help.
After subduing his henchmen Bird, Zombie and Trogg, Batman confronts Bane. Although he’s still quite strong and is up to the physical task of apprehending ordinary criminals, due to his long period of inactivity his skills and his ability to withstand and recover from injury have diminished greatly and he gets nearly beaten to death by Bane. It’s only because of Grayson’s intervention that Bruce survives.Grayson takes him back to Wayne Manor and Alfred treats his injuries. Bruce agrees to take Grayson under his wing and train him while he recovers. With the help Lucius Fox, Bruce designs tactical battle armour for Dick to use when patrolling Gotham’s streets. He takes the name Nightwing.
Bane’s influence over Gotham City grows after defeating Batman. Yindel’s Knightfall taskforce switch their focus to Bane, and thanks to Grayson’s intel they are able to locate and arrest Bane and his crew. However, even behind bars his influence sends Gotham City into chaos and Nightwing exhausts himself over several months preventing crimes throughout the city.
Bruce, almost fully recovered, comes to the conclusion that the only way to save the city is to show the people of Gotham that Batman is more than just a man and defeat Bane on his own terms. He calls in a favour from the retired commissioner James Gordon who releases Bane from his holding cell. After upgrading his armour, Batman confronts Bane in a mud bath on the outskirts of Gotham. Batman, leveraging the mud to his advantage, employs strategy over brute force and deals a brutal defeat to Bane, crippling him. Seeing Batman triumphant, a lot Gotham City’s criminals disband, denouncing Bane as their leader.
During the course of Batman and Bane’s battle for Gotham City, the Joker manipulates Dr. Harleen Quinzel into believing he is sane. Granted permission by Professor Bartholomew Wolper, Dr. Quinzel schedules a public appearance a talk show so he can tell his side of the story. Ellen Yindel has her taskforce posted outside the show, knowing that Batman will show up to try and get his hands on the Joker. With Grayson on the taskforce, Batman is able to gain intel on their operation and get an upper hand. Meanwhile during the talk show, The Joker, with the help of Dr. Harleen Quinzel, murders everyone in the studio and declares his return as the Clown Prince of Crime with Harley Quinn by his side, the pair escape the studio and manage to evade the police who are preoccupied with the Batman.
The Joker and Harley Quinn arrive at James Gordon's home and kidnap the former commissioner. The pair take Gordon and imprison him in a run-down amusement park. Batman and Nightwing search all over the city for The Joker and Harley Quinn with no result. Commissioner Ellen Yindel ignites the Bat-signal, putting her disapproval of Batman’s vigilantism aside for the sake of the James Gordon who they both have great respect for. Yindel hands Batman tickets to the abandoned amusement park. Batman and Nightwing arrive to find Gordon badly beaten by the Joker who retreats into the funhouse. Despite the ordeal, Gordon’s sanity is still intact and he insists that Batman capture the Joker by the book in order to show him that their way works.
Batman enters the funhouse and faces the Joker's traps, while Nightwing pursues Harley. The Joker tries to persuade his old foe that the world is inherently insane and thus not worth fighting for. Batman attempts to reach out to him to give up crime and put a stop to their years-long war. The Joker declines saying it's far too late for that. Batman defeats the The Joker in a bloody and violent showdown as The Joker laughs hysterically. Batman prepares to kill his arch nemesis and end the cycle of meaningless deaths once and for all but in the end, he can't bring himself to.
The Joker then tells Batman a joke, which reflects their current situation about two inmates in a lunatic asylum who try to escape. One inmate jumps across a narrow gap between the asylum and the adjoining building, but the other is afraid he'll fall. The first inmate offers to shine his flashlight across the gap so the other can walk across it, but the second inmate replies, "What do you think I am, crazy? You'd just turn it off when I'm halfway across!”. The Joker laughs uncontrollably as the police arrive and Nightwing appears with Harley cuffed. The Joker and Harley Quinn are arrested as the rain pours down and are escorted back to Arkham Asylum by Batman.
With The Joker safely behind bars again, Bruce once again hangs up his cowl. Grayson resigns from the police force to complete his training from Bruce and when he’s ready, take up the Batman mantle himself.
C A S T
CHRISTIAN BALE … BRUCE WAYNE / BATMAN
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT … DET. DICK GRAYSON / NIGHTWING
TOM HARDY … BANE
HEATH LEDGER … THE JOKER
JUNO TEMPLE … DR. HARLEEN QUINZEL / HARLEY QUINN
JESSICA CHASTAIN … COMMISSIONER ELLEN YINDEL
GARY OLDMAN … JAMES GORDON
MICHAEL CAINE … ALFRED PENNYWORTH
MORGAN FREEMAN … LUCIUS FOX
BEN MENDELSOHN … PROF. BARTHOLOMEW WOLPER
MATTHEW MODINE … BIRD
BURN GORMAN … ZOMBIE
CHRISTOPHER JUDGE … TROGG