EDITORIAL: The Line That Says It All In THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

EDITORIAL: The Line That Says It All In THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

While all debates about the merits and shortcomings of The Dark Knight Rises are valid; there's a very important message I think we've missed.

Editorial Opinion
By jjk2814 - Jul 26, 2012 01:07 AM EST
Filed Under: The Dark Knight Rises
Source: Comicbookmovie.com

As a long-time fan and avid supporter of Comicbookmovie.com, I finally became a member. This editorial is my first step into this larger world.

After seeing The Dark Knight Rises for a third time today, there was something that really struck home for me this time around. A single line that I believe speaks volumes for all comic book movies, and is at the heart of Christopher Nolan's trilogy, while only rarely touched upon.

"A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat over a little boys shoulder to let him know the world hadn't ended."

Upon the third viewing, this line struck home emotionally, for me at least, more than any other moment from the film, or any film in a long time. It's possible that only in the light of recent tragic events that it had it's profound effect; Or that the headlines of Christian Bale's recent visit to the Aurora area hospitals helped boost this line into reality, but I believe this line would still voice a vital message that very few comic book movies have bothered to entertain.

As I mentioned in the teaser of this article, I do believe that the film is worth a healthy level of debate. It's not without it short-comings. It's not perfect, but no movie really is. It IS a comic book movie. It is a Batman movie. It may or may not be nominated for an Oscar, and it may or may not be a better movie that The Avengers. The next point I am about to make is not meant to degrade the value of other comic book movies, but offer a higher quality to The Dark Knight Trilogy that all other super hero movies have lacked.

The Dark Knight Rises Trilogy is about us. Not just the fan community, not just the people of America, but all of us. The human race. It's about an idea that we have let slip away. The idea that "A hero can be anyone." It only makes sense that someone would use Batman as a vehicle for this message. We can't truly relate to Superman, no matter how badly we may want to. Most of us can't truly relate to Tony Stark who happily uses his wealth to better the world. Every one of us can admit to coming up with a thousand different uses for a green power ring that don't include saving the world. There is a reason Batman delivers one of what I hope some, at least, will remember as one the most important lines in all comicbook moviedom.

"A Hero can be anyone."

As I said earlier, the idea is touched upon sparingly, but I want to believe is the most important. In the Dark Knight, we saw Gotham show a madman that not every one is as sick as him. In reality, we saw that seemingly anyone can be that sick. But, in reality we also saw that anyone can step up, speak out and be a hero.

It sounds like I want to endlessly praise Christian Bale's recent efforts, and I do. But I would rather bring up a point that I would have even if the tragic events of last friday night hadn't occurred.

Violence and tragedy happen every day. We hear about only the extremes. We all want something though. We all want a hero. The Dark Knight Rises told us we don't need to look any further than ourselves.

"A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat over a little boys shoulder to let him know the world hadn't ended."

Thank you very much for reading. Thank you comicbookmovie.com for years of enjoyment and for giving me this outlet.

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HxCorbett
HxCorbett - 7/26/2012, 2:03 AM
Fantastic.
Great write up, man.
Caedus137
Caedus137 - 7/26/2012, 2:54 AM
Well said and well written, mate.
MediaMan
MediaMan - 7/26/2012, 3:11 AM
As in "I believe there's a hero in all of us." Didn't we hear that from Aunt May in Spider-Man 2? Didn't we see New Yorkers attack the Green Goblin in Raimi's first movie? And defend Spidey from Doc Ock in 2? TDKR may say, but Raimi showed it, more than once.

If people can't relate to Tony Stark, how can they relate to Bruce Wayne? By contrast, Peter Parker really is Everyman ("isn't there a little bit of Peter Parker in all of us?" as Stan Lee once wrote).

Not saying your point isn't valid, but we have heard- and seen - it before.
kong
kong - 7/26/2012, 4:25 AM
@MediaMan he's not just saying the message is awesome and it came out of TDKR he's saying that within the last week we've seen or psycho killer come and wound and kill many people. We've also seen a hero rise up to make it better. He might not have saved them from the man but he certainly gave them hope.
MrReese
MrReese - 7/26/2012, 5:55 AM
Awesome write up!!

@cipher I loved the scene when Bane's in the pit talking 2 Wayne.He says "You can watch me torture an entire city.& when you truly understood the depth of your failure we will fulfill Ra's Al Ghul's destiny". It also gave 2 truth 2 what Alfred was telling Wayne when Wayne asked him if he thinks he'll fail & he said "I'm afraid you want 2". Amazing how Bane didn't give him the pleasure & knew what would really "break" Batman.Destroying Gotham.I really don't mind the ending where he is "reduced" 2 a henchmen frankly because he wasn't.I feel he strongly believed in Ra's methods & would follow them no matter the cost.Hell he even said "I AM The League of Shadows" even tho he was kicked out.He just had more violent ways of getting it done.+ Ra's did help him out of the pit & trained him.Why wouldn't he finish what Ra's started + he prolly saw Batman as the ultimate challenge seeing as how defeated both his & Wayne's mentor.
MrReese
MrReese - 7/26/2012, 6:12 AM
@cipher Selina in that bar scene when the cops burst in & she just starts screaming/crying I started lmao she definitely owned as Catwoman.Hell she even made me hate her when she [frick]ed Bats over like damn this stupid betch lol. I can c u enjoyed it as well. =)
ElMurcielago
ElMurcielago - 7/26/2012, 8:53 AM
Great article! That is all...
GoILL
GoILL - 7/26/2012, 9:55 AM
This article was really on point, thank you for writing it jjk2814.
jjk2814
jjk2814 - 7/26/2012, 3:29 PM
@ Mediaman.

Thats a great point. At one point I meant to bring that up. The moment in the subway in Spiderman 2, especially. It was the least ham-fisted of those moments.

It's true, Spiderman is probably the most relatable of all superheroes. I was trying not to go on too many tangents though.

But again, good point.
Azrael725
Azrael725 - 7/26/2012, 4:00 PM
yeah that was so emotionally impactful for me as well. one of the best lines i've heard in a long time. great article man. props to you.
Scooby
Scooby - 7/26/2012, 4:04 PM
Very awesome :)

Scooby
Scooby - 7/26/2012, 4:07 PM
@MediaMan a movie is a culmination of several events. To take a line from a scene isn't anything really - but what surrounds it, what leads up to it, and what happens after gives weight to the line. This line had extreme weight and meaning in the context and connected not only for the person that wrote this but for me as well. He did an excellent write up verbalizing his experience of it. Good job jjk2814!
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 7/26/2012, 5:35 PM
A hero can be anyone, but not just anyone can be Batman. ;-)
jjk2814
jjk2814 - 7/26/2012, 5:52 PM
If only, Ranger14, if only. But if it was true we'd probably have a bunch of Jason Todds running around.
MightyMilton
MightyMilton - 7/26/2012, 5:53 PM
I feel like Nolan really stresses this point in the very end, showing John Blake find the Batcave. The fact that anyone can be batman always rings hollow because bruce wayne has the money and the resources to actually make/buy his awesome bat-gear. When "dead" bruce lets blake know about the cave, it shows that even an orphan cop can be batman. According to previous interviews with Nolan and Goyer, that final scene had been planned from the beginning. Great article!
Spidey1996
Spidey1996 - 7/26/2012, 6:13 PM
Great article. Another cool line from the trilogy is from Batman Begins: "It's not who I am underneath, but what I do is what defines me." Man, I love that line. Batman rules! ;)
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 7/26/2012, 6:45 PM
That line summed up the Nolan trilogy, and not in a good way. Batman is Batman, no one else can be Batman. That line tries to rationalize setting up John Blake as Batman, or Robin, or Nightwing. While I actually liked the character, he is NOT Robin. Man, imagine if at the end, his skin turned green and he was revealed to have been the Martian Manhunter the whole time.
MrReese
MrReese - 7/26/2012, 8:12 PM
^ Terry McGinnis
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