The EW Article on THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Reveals New Details

The set-which occupies most of a massive L.A. soundstage-is extraordinary for being exactly what it needs to be. Just a big old cave. One with a working waterfall that feeds a subterranean lake, as well as a concrete platform that rises up from the watery deep and hides secret plastic cabinetry that can pop up from the floor with the press of a button.

Christian Bale: "My last day in the suit was also the last day of shooting for me. I was in New York, on top of a downtown skyscraper. The day began with Morgan Freeman and then ended with Anne Hathaway. I got to say goodbye from within the batcowl. it was very quiet, just a couple people there. But in the midst of it, I said, 'Hold on a sec. Let me take a moment. This is it. I'm never going to have this claustrophobia again!' So I had to pause. I had to."

"It's a fascintating thing, that suit, don't you think? And since I am generally within it, I actually don't get to see it that often. Not the way that other people do."

"I can tell you the truth because I'm done with it: I felt immense pressure. And I think it's a good pressure because you owe it to the films-and the people's expectations-to make greatwork."

Nolan denies reports that he wanted to shoot the protesters who encamped in Zuccotti Park last fall for the film. He and his collaborators conceived Rises more than three years ago, he notes, and obtained their New York shooting permits "nine months before Occupy Wall Street even existed." Still, he's not shying away from the implications. "The truth is, we wanted to shoot on Wall Street for the same iconic reasons that the Occupy movement chose that location: It is a symbol of American wealth and capitalism," says Nolan, who hasjust begun editing the movie and cautions that the question of relevancy is premature. "In trying to tell as story of a self-made hero who is a multibillionaire, it raises certain issues that I do think are important in the world today, about the use and abuse of wat is Bruce Wayne's only superpower" extraordinary wealth."

In seeking to craft "a portrayal of a city and the different strata of people living in it," Nolan and his brother were inspired by Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and the silent cinema of Fritz Lang, arguably best known for the sci-fi landmark Metropolis.

Jonathan Nolan:
"If Batman's plan was to stamp out crime the new movie asks: What if the plan actually worked?"

Christopher Nolan: "At least superficially. The movie deals with the idea that if you've papered over the cracks, then you're just solving problems in a way that may not hold for the future."