The Dark Knight Rises - OUT FRIDAY - Top 10 Nolan moments
July 18 2012
Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.
Almost a decade has passed since Christopher Nolan gave us the definitive introduction to Batman, pleasing fanboys and critics alike with his real world interpretation of Bob Kane’s classic character.
In only a few days all our questions will be answered as The Dark Knight Rises is finally released from beneath its shroud of mystery.
To celebrate we take a look at the Top Ten moments in Nolan’s Batman Legacy so far...
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1. “Why do we fall? So we can learn how to pick ourselves up”
Batman Begins establishes the Dark Knight’s ideology early on with Thomas Wayne teaching young Bruce a valuable and enduring lesson that will shape the man he becomes.
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2. “Does it come in black?”
After Adam West’s Cadillac and the phallic Batmobile from the Joel Schumacher movies, Christopher Nolan gives us the Tumbler! Finally a Batmobile we can believe in! The centrepiece of Batman Begins is a thrilling rooftop chase with the Tumbler leaping over buildings and ploughing through walls.
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3. “Would you like to see my mask?”
The choice of Scarecrow as one of the main villains in Batman Begins was inspired, allowing the filmmakers to explore one of the great themes of the Batman legend; Fear. Batman’s fear helped make the man he is today but it’s also one of his greatest weapons.
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4. “If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal and if they can't stop you, you become something else entirely – a legend…”
Liam Neeson’s Ducard in Batman Begins inspires the incarcerated Bruce Wayne to seek a new path in life. We finally see the Ninja training that helped transform Bruce into the Bat.
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5. “I give a damn, sir, because a good man once made me responsible for what was most precious to him in the whole world.”
The casting of Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth was another masterstroke by Nolan. Caine gives a performance full of emotional weight unseen in previous incarnations of the usually stoic butler.
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6. “I believe that whatever doesn’t kill you simply makes you stranger.”
The Dark Knight opens with one of the greatest screen heists of all time and an introduction to one of the greatest villains as well. One by one, clowns pick each other off until only one remains. This sequence also showcases Nolan’s use of the IMAX format, something that we’ll see even more of in The Dark Knight Rises.
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7. “How about a magic trick?”
Heath Ledger’s first dialogue heavy scene as The Joker opens with a bang as Nolan and co bring a whole new meaning to the term “eye-popping.”
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8. "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
The fall of Harvey Dent is one of the great tragedies of The Dark Knight. The once incorruptible Dent has his morality and faith in justice ripped away by the Joker as he becomes the villainous and vengeful Two-Face.
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9. “You complete me!”
“What I felt was really important creatively for the scene was that we show Batman going too far. We show him effectively torturing someone for information because it’s become personal.” Christopher Nolan, Oct 2008
The Joker revels in being beaten by the Batman safe in the knowledge that there is nothing he can do to stop the next phase of his plan being carried out.
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10. “Now there’s a Batman…”
The audience get a first look at the Batpod in action as Batman and the Joker engage in a game of chicken in Gotham city centre resulting in one of the biggest and most stunning stunts in The Dark Knight.
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The Dark Knight Rises Film Page
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES IS OUT IN IMAX AND CINEMAS NATIONWIDE FROM FRIDAY JULY 20
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