Random Notes on The Dark Knight Rises in a topical approach

1) Enough with the Heath Ledger Joker comparisons
 I agree Ledger's Joker is a superior performance but that is partially because the Joker as crafted over 70 years of Batman storytelling is the perfect foil for Batman and one of the greatest constructions in comic book narrative. Bane, as a character, simply is not the equal to the Joker. The character does not have the time and history in the Batman chronicles. As well the relationship to Bane in the movie also pulls from Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns (Bane stands in for the leader of the Mutants). However what is important to note is that each "villain" in the series is calibrated for the Dark Knight of that moment. A great villain is able to strike at a "hero's" weak spots. Bane a man of vitality and fervor is the nemesis of a spiritually bereft, physical fragile Bruce Wayne. I like the fact that each villain: Ras al Ghul, The Scarecrow, The Joker and Bane all test the limits of Batman/BW at certain points in his career. Ras tests Batman's sense of right and wrong, The Scare Crow his sense of command over his fears, The Joker Batman's sense of order and limits on his own "power" and Bane tests Batman's faith in his city and his own desire to surrender. There is a reason why the story picks up 8 years later. It is to indicate a change in Gotham, in Bruce Wayne and the repercussions of Wayne's choices.

2) Politics and Nolan's Axe to Grind

 I don't think Nolan has a particular political agenda but seemingly Bane's class rhetoric was a device to create the frenzy necessary to drive social breakdown in Gotham. I think it was a cynical approach in that the explosion of class resentment certainly proved Bane's point about the degraded nature of Gotham's people (regardless of class). I thought the film was amazing, I am someone that loves artistic ambition. Nolan swinging for the fences ( I am enough of a USer to employ baseball metaphors) excites me. It was big and bombastic but I don't mind. I love the circularity of the story and the various bits of pieces of Batman narrative taken from various Batman stories. I like that it really became a story about Bruce Wayne (whon is the real nut to be cracked) moreso than Batman and I like that Nolan has enough confidence in the writing and the performances to let the center of interest (Batman) stay off screen for such long stretches of time. All the performances were great Anne Hathaway better than expected and Tom Hardy was as you said about stretches of the movie, hypnotic. The cultured voice emanating from yet still dis-connected from such a brawny physical persona is provocative. I probably should post something on my blog about it but I am not sure I would have something different to say about it. That being said I like that Nolan applies a Marxian reading of Batman. That is, Bruce Wayne's capitalist excesses creates the conditions that maintain the pool of "underground" denizens that he polices as Batman. In short Wayne creates the circumstances that make Batman "necessary" and Bane merely takes advantage of that dialectical contradiction.

3) Intimacy of Expression in the Midst of the Film's "Bombast"

it was a great twist and that dead fucking look in her eyes as she twists the knife, that is an element in this film the others lack a sense of being a witness to Bruce Wayne's suffereing emotional and physical. the look on his face and rarely do you ever see emotion betrayed while he wears the mask was moving as well Hathaway's reaction to is beating at the hands of Bane really made the scene

4) Random Thought While Watching
 I love how Bane's criticism of Batman's fighting style was lifted from the Frank Miller DK Returns when an old Batman fights the Mutant's leader at the garbage dump, little thigs like that show Nolan's willingness to pull all the strings of the Batman story together

in the Bubble

It's been awhile since I have said anything in this forum because I have been in a bubble of sorts. For reasons too detailed to describe I spent most of the month of June at the Maine Media Workshop. I was learning how to make documentaries but in the midst of that what I experienced was the purity of a vision. I was in a bubble with on average 50-100/week people that were just as obsessed as about visual communication as I was. For three weeks over the course of 3 week long workshops, I lived, breathed, eat, slept, drank (too much) and even shat film. I have little experience in film making so I was thrown into the deep end of the pool and loved every frustrating minute of it. I loved it not just because of the opportunity to learn but because of the community in which I was learning. Everyone, and I mean everyone I encountered was a source of knowledge, wisdom, friendship and support. In a later ost I will discuss some of the specifics of my time there but for now, the point I want to make is that there is something special and powerful about swimming in the current with your fellow enthusiasts. I  was immersed in the thing I love with a community of people that love it as much as I do. It was and may only be a once in a lifetime experience but it showed me who I was and who I could be and in y experience, existence grants no greater blessing than self realization. I want to say hello to all my comrades, friends and colleagues from Maine. These pics do not include all of the people I am thankful to and for that I apologize but know that your friendship has had a profound effect on me.