Review: The Dark Knight Rises – Spectacular end to an immortal saga

Bikas Bhagat

Christopher Nolan has done it again. They say the third outing is always tricky as there is awful lot of pressure to present a convincing plot for the audience in a way that the trilogy culminates into one phenomenal celluloid experience. Nolan has undoubtedly, outdone himself with his latest film which also happens to be the last in the Batman franchise. It is tough to imagine that a comic strip could have such a poignant and an incredibly spell binding movie transformation. You remain fixed to your seats through the entire run of this 2 hours 45 minutes dark action thriller. Right from the first installment of the franchise- ‘Batman Begins’ to ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, the director has maintained the same tone and feel of the film, with the antagonist having an overwhelmingly terrifying influence on viewers with their mean and unfathomable manipulative schemes. While Joker of ‘The Dark Knight’, played impeccably by late Heath Ledger, won more accolades from viewers for his eccentric devilish act than Batman played by Christian Bale, this time round we have even more dangerous and evil adversary of the caped crusader in the form of Bane (Tom Hardy) who is not only intelligent but far more strong and agile than our hero. The story unfolds eight years after the death of district attorney Harvey Dent who in pursuit to completely eradicate organized crime from the Gotham city loses his life under double dealing circumstances at the hands of Batman. Police Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) is convinced that crime has severely been curbed following Dent’s death. But at some other place there has risen Bane who is hell bent on bringing Gotham city down by presenting the most daunting picture of organized crime by degrading contemporary societal trends. Exploiting on the crumpled economic situation of Gotham and the rich-poor divide, Bane, the ‘terrorist’ plans a very conniving plot to take Gotham city under siege challenging Batman to come out of his shell. Meanwhile, the Dark Knight of the city aka Batman has become a recluse taking the blame of Harvy Dent’s death upon him. The film also has the ‘Catwoman’(superbly played by Anne Hathway) who very tactfully manages to lure Batman to his most powerful opponent till date who in a fight overpowers Batman- even breaking his back and dumping him to rot. Batman has to save his city and its people and he has to rise to the occasion. And in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, Batman has to fight not only Bane but also his own self. He has to get rid of the guilt of killing Dent and his once fiancée Rachel and come to terms with the fact even if his ways of dealing with the warlords are in transgression with the city’s administration; he is the ultimate savior of Gotham. This film has some fine performances, from Gary Oldman as the exhausted yet perennially decent Commissioner Gordon to Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake, a young cop who ends up at the heart of the action. Marion Cotillard and Anne Hathaway add glamour and intrigue. Tom Hardy who plays Bane is someone to look out for in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. He’s got a great character and he plays it with aplomb. But the screenplay and treatment of the story by director Nolan is the real deal. Take a bow ladies and gentleman – for the maverick of Nolan rises again as he delivers a masterpiece called – ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Ratings: Four awesome cheers for this one!