The Dark Knight Rises Anyone else not like the 8 year exile plot?

[Doc Samson]

It just wasn't handled well, and felt forced, and ultimately doesn't really matter, because inside 15 minutes he's right back at it with little to no issue in facing becoming his alter ego again.

This was my only problem with it, I loved the concept but I felt he came back too fast. I think the best acting in the whole film was Bale during that stage, he was creepy as hell, just the way I always imagined Bruce Wayne to be when he's not Batman. I would've liked if they held it off a little longer but I suppose he needed to come back to get "broken" and come back again.

 

[ALP]

Wayne holed up in the Manor as a recluse, never being seen by the public, was reminiscent of Keaton's Wayne.

 

[Doc Samson]

One of my favorite scenes in Batman film history is near the beginning of BR when Keaton's Wayne is just sitting in the dark, seemingly waiting for the signal. It spoke volumes about his character without having to say anything.

 

[ALP]

I'd say that's my favorite Bruce Wayne scene ever. He had no meaning outside of Batman. This movie pretty much went the same route. Without the Batman to turn to, he became a broken old man with no purpose.

 

[El Hombre Gato]

Wayne holed up in the Manor as a recluse, never being seen by the public, was reminiscent of Keaton's Wayne.

One of my favorite scenes in Batman film history is near the beginning of BR when Keaton's Wayne is just sitting in the dark, seemingly waiting for the signal. It spoke volumes about his character without having to say anything.

Keaton's Batman was anti-social but he put on the suit every night and patrolled the streets. Bale, on the other hand, was just locked up for 8 years.

 

[The Guard]

Burton's Bruce Wayne wasn't a complete hermit or a recluse, just a bit of a mystery. He had a life outside Batman. Just not all the time. He had business interests with Wayne Enterprises, and he goes out with Selina Kyle right away. And in BATMAN, he obviously dated women, and had a relationship with Vicki Vale.

 

[Doc Samson]

Keaton's Batman was anti-social but he put on the suit every night and patrolled the streets. Bale, on the other hand, was just locked up for 8 years.

Which made it even better for me, that also spoke volumes about who he really is, similar to that BR scene.

My first comic ever was DKR, so I've always enjoyed that particular part of Wayne's character, that creepy sit in a corner having hallucinations guy. This was the closest they got to that on film, and rushed right past it...

Burton's Bruce Wayne wasn't a complete hermit or a recluse, just a bit of a mystery. He had a life outside Batman. Just not all the time. He had business interests with Wayne Enterprises, and he goes out with Selina Kyle right away. And in BATMAN, he obviously dated women, and had a relationship with Vicki Vale.

He was certainly aloof around people though, and it wasn't an act like Bale's Wayne does. He didn't seem comfortable at all in public.

 

[Bruce Malone]

Keaton's Batman was anti-social but he put on the suit every night and patrolled the streets. Bale, on the other hand, was just locked up for 8 years.

Come on they are not even remotely similar scenarios. In TDKR wayne became anti-social due to debilitating emotional and physical wounds. In addition to batman not even really being needed anymore due to how safe the city had become.

 

[El Hombre Gato]

Which made it even better for me, that also spoke volumes about who he really is, similar to that BR scene. My first comic ever was DKR, so I've always enjoyed that particular part of Wayne's character, that creepy sit in a corner having hallucinations guy. This was the closest they got to that on film, and rushed right past it...

Difference is that in Dark Knight Returns, Bruce Wayne was old and had YEARS of experience. Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne was Batman for ONE year, then retires for 8 years, comes back for one last adventure, and then retires again. It cheapens everything that was great about Dark Knight Returns.

 

[ALP]

Burton's Bruce Wayne wasn't a complete hermit or a recluse, just a bit of a mystery. He had a life outside Batman. Just not all the time. He had business interests with Wayne Enterprises, and he goes out with Selina Kyle right away. And in BATMAN, he obviously dated women, and had a relationship with Vicki Vale.

Oh yeah, this is certainly quite true. Keaton's Wayne was never in exile like Bale's Wayne was in this movie. Bale just totally went Howard Hughes. I loved when they made that reference at the beginning.

Which made it even better for me, that also spoke volumes about who he really is, similar to that BR scene.

My first comic ever was DKR, so I've always enjoyed that particular part of Wayne's character, that creepy sit in a corner having hallucinations guy. This was the closest they got to that on film, and rushed right past it...

Yeah, as you guys said, there could have been a bit more of a struggle between getting back into the suit. As I mentioned before, I know it may sound a bit trivial but I think he shaved his beard way too soon upon seeing the doctor. The shaving just sort of signified that he was about to get back into the suit pretty quickly.

 

[The Guard]

He was certainly aloof around people though, and it wasn't an act like Bale's Wayne does. He didn't seem comfortable at all in public.

Not really. Keaton had a public Bruce Wayne, and a real Bruce Wayne, who was a bit more human and absentminded. Real Bruce Wayne was the one who had dinner with Vicki, dated Selina, etc. Public Bruce Wayne encountered Knox and Vicki, and dealth with Max Schreck businesswise.

 

[ALP]

Not really. Keaton had a public Bruce Wayne, and a real Bruce Wayne, who was a bit more human and absentminded. Real Bruce Wayne was the one who had dinner with Vicki, dated Selina, etc. Public Bruce Wayne encountered Knox and Vicki, and dealth with Max Schreck businesswise.

There were definitely many off qualities about Keaton's Wayne.

In BR, he is speaking to Selina, whom he would soon date, and literally confuses himself for Batman. In public, in Max Shreck's office! "I mistook me for someone else." And of course the classic scene where he's sitting in silence in a dark room waiting for the signal. In B'89, he doesn't answer to Bruce Wayne and tells Vickie he has no clue who that is. During a fundraiser at his own home! The man was totally kooky.

 

[The Guard]

How can he confuse himself for Batman when he IS Batman?

He is thrown by his attraction to her.

He's messing with Vicki in BATMAN when he says he doesn't know which one Bruce Wayne is. He's intrigued by her, and wants to study her from a distance.

 

[Doc Samson]

Not really. Keaton had a public Bruce Wayne, and a real Bruce Wayne, who was a bit more human and absentminded. Real Bruce Wayne was the one who had dinner with Vicki, dated Selina, etc. Public Bruce Wayne encountered Knox and Vicki, and dealth with Max Schreck businesswise.

Yeah, dinner sitting at a table separating them by a million feet, which implied to me just how few encounters he's had with a woman, to even think that would be a good idea. Not to mention the guy's literally hanging upside down while the woman's in bed. He was a nutcase to me.

He also completely stumbles over himself when meeting Selina like Alp mentioned, but of course she's a kindred spirit so it makes sense for him to open up to her.

 

[wootbaby]

O.K, i get that he had to go into hiding after the Harvey Dent incident..but why 8 years?

And why is Bruce walking around with a cane 8 years later, as if his ordeal with Joker and Two-face happened last week.......? He's been injured for 8 years? What kinda injury lasts that long?

Plus, wouldn't ppl put two and two together that Batman has disappeared and so has Bruce Wayne.....

I would have liked it better if during those 8 years they would have mentioned bats facing off against Penguin and Riddler,etc...it saddens me that Nolans Batman has only faced off against Crane, Ra's, Joker, Bane and Catwoman...

8 years seems way too long of a hiatus...

the 8 year isn't the point.

the point is that the first hour of the movie is TDKR

also understand that Bane in this movie wasn't really Bane from the comics... ie the character in Knightfall inspired by Doc Savage (Chuck Dixon even jokingly referred to Bane as "Doc Toxic") but he is the Mutant Leader in Miller's TDKR. The first half of the movie is TDKR with Batman's retirement following the death of a loved one, all that time passing, even the fight scene where the Mutant Leader breaks Batman with his minions watching. And at the end even how Selina comes in blasting to save Batman is reminiscent of Robin in the bat tank in TDKR

the 8 years doesn't matter. what matters is the setup, characterization and resolution

Bane in the movie isn't a tactical genius or have any of the characteristics and story of Bane. he is cunning (he realizes that there's no reason to shoot a man you're going to toss off a plane) as the Mutant Leader is cunning (knowing how to hurt Bruce in a fight, where to hit, how to take his time)

in addition to the Selina saving batman evoking the robin scene from TDKR, there's a lot of imagery Nolan uses to make the connection. for example Bane breaking his handcuffs like the mutant leader breaking his handfuffs. how Bane squeezes the head of the privileged like the mutant leader with the mayor etc

keep in mind that TDKR came out a decade before Knightfall so indeed Bane himself and even the idea of breaking Batman was inspired by Miller and TDKR

 

[The Guard]

Yeah, dinner sitting at a table separating them by a million feet, which implied to me just how few encounters he's had with a woman, to even think that would be a good idea.

He also completely stumbles over himself when meeting Selina like Alp mentioned, but of course she's a kindred spirit so it makes sense for him to open up to her.

The table thing is meant to illustrate how he keeps people away from him. Its part of his fake Bruce persona. When he realizes he really likes her, they go have a more intimate dinner and he opens up to her.

He seduces and beds her almost right away. Not the actions of a guy who never has women over.

He stumbles over himself because he is in awe of Selina. Not because he is a fumbly fellow in general. This did happen every so often in the 70's and 80's with Bruce.

 

[Doc Samson]

True, but it was also Wayne Manor. Not like he took her to Taco Bell and then the Holiday Inn. And she was drunk.

 

[ALP]

True, but it was also Wayne Manor. Not like he took her to Taco Bell and then the Holiday Inn. And she was drunk.

That's actually what happens in Tim Burton's directors cut

 

[Doc Samson]

Lol, probably

 

[conan69]

There's also Batmans return scene with the veteran cop telling the younger he's in for a show. Right out of TDKReturns.

 

[ALP]

If anything, I'd have liked a little more of the Howard Hughes stuff. After 8 years, he got back into the swing of things pretty quickly without much internal struggle.

 

[Saint]

O.K, i get that he had to go into hiding after the Harvey Dent incident..but why 8 years?

I don't think that's why he quit--he quit because he won. This Batman's goals are a little bit different--hard to swallow, I know, but true. With the fall of organized crime, he was done--it didn't really make sense for him to go out and roam the city hoping to stumble on random streetcrime. Nolan's Batman was like a soldier and there wasn't any war left to fight.

As for why he became a hermit, well, that was Rachel. I thought the movie made both these points pretty explicit. With his mission complete and his only hope for a life dead, he had nothing else to do--and nothing is exactly what he did.

And his legs--well, when you do what Batman was doing every night, it takes a toll. It's always been preposterous that Batman has endured as long as he has in the comics. The body simply can't take that kind of punishment without consequence. Just look at professional wrestlers when they get older.

It's easy to ignore those harsh realities (and there's nothing wrong with ignoring them; this is fiction, after all) but for the story they wanted to tell, it made sense to go that way. The fact that he wasn't what he used to be, the fact that he had aged and simply would not be able to continue this way forever was integral to his decision to let someone else take over for him.

And, of course, the fact that he had gotten "soft" in the years since his retirement played into his defeat at the hands of Bane. "Victory has defeated you" and all that.

 

[Art Damage]

I don't think that's why he quit--he quit because he won. This Batman's goals are a little bit different--hard to swallow, I know, but true. With the fall of organized crime, he was done--it didn't really make sense for him to go out and roam the city hoping to stumble on random streetcrime. Nolan's Batman was like a soldier and there wasn't any war left to fight.

As for why he became a hermit, well, that was Rachel. I thought the movie made both these points pretty explicit. With his mission complete and his only hope for a life dead, he had nothing else to do--and nothing is exactly what he did.

And his legs--well, when you do what Batman was doing every night, it takes a toll. It's always been preposterous that Batman has endured as long as he has in the comics. The body simply can't take that kind of punishment without consequence. Just look at professional wrestlers when they get older.

It's easy to ignore those harsh realities (and there's nothing wrong with ignoring them; this is fiction, after all) but for the story they wanted to tell, it made sense to go that way. The fact that he wasn't what he used to be, the fact that he had aged and simply would not be able to continue this way forever was integral to his decision to let someone else take over for him.

And, of course, the fact that he had gotten "soft" in the years since his retirement played into his defeat at the hands of Bane. "Victory has defeated you" and all that.

Great points!!

 

[KalMart]

I always loved the idea of it...buy wasn't crazy about how it was just sort of 'there' in the movie.

 

[Fudgie]

8 years was too long. So much for him always needing Batman.