The Dark Knight Biggest Disappointment

[Ace of Knaves]

I think it was pretty clear that Bruce was distraught over Rachels death. You could see he was bottling it up and was close to tears. This is Bruce Wayne we are talking about here, bottling his emotions up and brooding is a defining part of his character. What do people want, him blubbing away like poor lil Peter Parker or something?

 

[Fenrir]

It just needed the emotion of the case. It wasn't some pretty girl or who died even someone he liked very much but Bruce's oldest friend and only love. Confusing that with melodrama is just poor.

And confusing Bruce's repressed grief with no emotion is just poor. He was almost choking up when he says "did I bring this on her? I was meant to inspire good, not madness...not death" "she was going to wait for me Alfred". You even see his eyes sort of well up but he was trying damn hard to hold his tears back. Heck, he showed more emotion in TDK over the death of his love than he did in Mask of The Phantasm.

 

[Fenrir]

I think it was pretty clear that Bruce was distraught over Rachels death. You could see he was bottling it up and was close to tears. This is Bruce Wayne we are talking about here, bottling his emotions up and brooding is a defining part of his character. What do people want, him blubbing away like poor lil Peter Parker or something?

Exactly. Besides, Bruce has already lived through the tragedy of his parents' death at a very young age, because of this has become a much more hardened, repressed individual. The kind that can certainly feel pain, but will rarely, if ever show it.

 

[El Payaso]

I think it was pretty clear that Bruce was distraught over Rachels death. You could see he was bottling it up and was close to tears. This is Bruce Wayne we are talking about here, bottling his emotions up and brooding is a defining part of his character. What do people want, him blubbing away like poor lil Peter Parker or something?

Why would people want some poor depiction of Bruce's emotions?

It could have been more intense, that's all. But it was far from ruining the movie for me.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Why would people want some poor depiction of Bruce's emotions?

It could have been more intense, that's all. But it was far from ruining the movie for me.

Why is that a poor depiction of Bruce's emotions? Thats a accurate portrayel of Bruce Wayne. In the comics he's never sat there crying to Alfred, all his feelings are in the little thought bubbles. You could clearly see he wanted to cry and just let his feelings out, but he knows he has a duty and that emotions can't get in the way of that duty. Maybe the Bruce Wayne from BB would of reacted different.

 

[Fenrir]

Why would people want some poor depiction of Bruce's emotions?

It could have been more intense, that's all. But it was far from ruining the movie for me.

Actually, it was a perfect depiction of Bruce's emotions. The character has seen more his fair share of tragedy as a child to even remotely break down in adulthood. Any more than what was already shown would have been too sappy and melodramatic.

 

[Two-Face=Badass]

Actually, it was a perfect depiction of Bruce's emotions. The character has seen more his fair share of tragedy as a child to even remotely break down in adulthood. Any more than what was already shown would have been too sappy and melodramatic.

This is a word I hate, there is no perfect, not even in this film.

That said, I feel now there was sufficient suffering in Bruce once she was dead, but I felt it was disjointed. She gets mentions every so often after that but sometimes he's sad, the next moment he roaring along and all assertive, now he's sad again, now he's talking to Alfred like the worst that happened was a coffee stain, now he's sad. See what I mean? It was there, it just wasn't consistent.

 

[I Am The Knight]

I believe....That the full effects of Rachel's death on Bruce's life will be explored in the next one.

 

[Crook]

Dear god, I hope not. It's bad enough Rachel was in this franchise, now that she's dead I don't even want a sliver of her presence to follow through in sequels.

Of all people, Batman sulking over a girl?

 

[alexdunn]

My biggest dissapointment was the lack of split personality in Two-Face.

 

[CaptainClown]

My biggest dissapointment was the lack of split personality in Two-Face.

Well there was no split personality at all, just a man broken down through tragedy.

 

[BatJeff7786]

I was disappointed that there was no depth to Bale's preformance, like there was in Begins.

Bruce/Batman was just there to fight the Joker. That's it. Not much emotion or complexity to his character, which was pretty lame.

Although he did seem to have less screentime, Batman's arc was just as strong as the others. Here was a man who is out fighting crime every night by himself, making a difference. Dent comes along and does in a matter of days what Batman cannot do (prosecute the mob). Should he quit, seeing as Dent is more effective than Batman? Can he have a normal life? Or is he truly destined to do this for the rest of his life? Does he have the capablility to? This is the Joker's greatest challenge to Batman. Unlike Dent, Batman is incorruptible. Until crime is erradicated, the city will need Batman. After Dent's fall, Batman realizes this, and accepts his task of forever being the city's protector. That's pretty deep if you ask me. It was just a more metaphorical story than the others.

 

[Two-Face=Badass]

My biggest dissapointment was the lack of split personality in Two-Face.

Yeah, I agree with that, I see people trying to imagine he did, posting things like "He does, watch the last scene carefully, you can see it in his eyes that he changes back to Harvey there for a second, then back again to Two-Face" but no, I felt that for such a director of the psychological, Chris Nolan really didn't respect Two-Face as a villain, or at least his personalities.

 

[CaptainClown]

Well he just went in another psychological route. two-face became a broken man obsessed with justice and chance was the deciding factor in his decisions. He didn't have two personalities in the film

 

[roach]

so why did Batman have to take the rap?
why couldnt they blame it on Joker or random crime?

 

[El Payaso]

Why is that a poor depiction of Bruce's emotions?

I was refering to the "him blubbing away like poor lil Peter Parker or something?" suggestion.

What I saw on the film wasn't poor but it left me feeling Rachel's death was not such a big was for him. I felt he was more concerned about failing as Batman than about her death.

Thats a accurate portrayel of Bruce Wayne. In the comics he's never sat there crying to Alfred, all his feelings are in the little thought bubbles. You could clearly see he wanted to cry and just let his feelings out, but he knows he has a duty and that emotions can't get in the way of that duty. Maybe the Bruce Wayne from BB would of reacted different.

I'd have hated to see him crying. But I didn't get that inner conflict you mention. In that scene or any later scene. Again, it didn't ruin the movie or anything but even when a character hides his emotions you can get a stronger portrayal of that. Maybe if not in the actor himself the music or some other narrative device.

Actually, it was a perfect depiction of Bruce's emotions. The character has seen more his fair share of tragedy as a child to even remotely break down in adulthood. Any more than what was already shown would have been too sappy and melodramatic.

You mean it's the only way you can picture it personally. In movie making there are too many ways to execute an idea to just dictate what can or cannot be done in absolute terms.

 

[Fenrir]

You mean it's the only way you can picture it personally. In movie making there are too many ways to execute an idea to just dictate what can or cannot be done in absolute terms.

I meant in terms of "intensity", not about how I picture it. Sure, they could have done it any other way, but had they made Bruce grieve any more than he did in TDK and it would've been sappy, melodramatic and just plan poorly handled. It is far more effective to see a hero almost choking trying to control his emotions rather than one who makes a more elaborate display of his sadness. It also perfectly highlights the repressed nature of the character. It worked in MOTP, and it worked in TDK.

 

[El Payaso]

I meant in terms of "intensity", not about how I picture it.

You mean in terms of "intensity" from the way you picture it. It can't be from any other way since you're yourself and nobody else and no other version of that scene has been shot or shown in the movie.

Sure, they could have done it any other way, but had they made Bruce grieve any more than he did in TDK and it would've been sappy, melodramatic and just plan poorly handled.

A mere speculation starting from your own ability to imagine "any other way" to do it.

"Any other way" to do it can't possibly be doomed to be "poorly handled."

It is far more effective to see a hero almost choking trying to control his emotions rather than one who makes a more elaborate display of his sadness.

More intensity doesn't equal a bigger more explicit display of emotions.

No problem in control the emotions as long as there's a palpable lot of them being controlled.

 

[alexdunn]

so why did Batman have to take the rap?
why couldnt they blame it on Joker or random crime?

Because Joker was in custody in the end. He couldn't have done what Harvey did. Well, maybe its possible that he could have but that wasn't really the point. Batman sacrificed his status to save Harvey's. It shows Batman is a true hero who doesn't care how the city looks upon him.(unlike Spider-Man ) He just does what's best for the city. That was the point. So maybe Batman took the rep because it's a good plot device. t:

 

[Copyright 2008]

so why did Batman have to take the rap?
why couldnt they blame it on Joker or random crime?

Read my post here. It pretty much explains everything. Also the more people understand that Nolan was never going for the schizo/split personality Two Face that robs the Second Bank of Gotham on the second day of the second month, etc,etc, the better they will understand the movie itself.

 

[Bat-Mite]

This is a word I hate, there is no perfect, not even in this film.

That said, I feel now there was sufficient suffering in Bruce once she was dead, but I felt it was disjointed. She gets mentions every so often after that but sometimes he's sad, the next moment he roaring along and all assertive, now he's sad again, now he's talking to Alfred like the worst that happened was a coffee stain, now he's sad. See what I mean? It was there, it just wasn't consistent.

Talk about exaggeration! Please, tell me where Bruce and Alfred are talking as if Rachel's death was a "coffee stain", because you must have seen some secret director's cut of the film that nobody else here has seen. After Rachel's death, it was all about the mission. Aside from the fact that Batman tends to repress his emotions to begin with, with all the stuff going on with the Joker, he didn't really even have time to grieve. A Batman who chooses to sit and have a weep for an hour instead of trying to stop the biggest threat the city's ever seen is not a Batman I could respect, but it seems that others feel differently.

Not that your claim of inconsistency (sad/assertive, sad/assertive, etc.) makes sense in the first place, since after mourning for Rachel, the only time her death is mentioned around him is at the end with the conversation with Harvey. I certainly didn't see him constantly going from sad to assertive constantly, and the film definitely didn't present any reason for that to happen. Like I said, after she dies and he has his conversation with Alfred, it becomes all about finding the Joker. He becomes obsessed with finding/stopping him and doesn't seem to even think about anything else until he meets up with Harvey again. If you don't like the way it was handled in the film, fine, but please don't try to make up scenarios that didn't happen in order to "justify" your position.

 

[El Payaso]

the more people understand that Nolan was never going for the schizo/split personality Two Face that robs the Second Bank of Gotham on the second day of the second month, etc,etc, the better they will understand the movie itself.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Biggest disapointment? It ended and I have to wait for December 9th for the DVD.

 

[Two-Face=Badass]

Read my post here. It pretty much explains everything. Also the more people understand that Nolan was never going for the schizo/split personality Two Face that robs the Second Bank of Gotham on the second day of the second month, etc,etc, the better they will understand the movie itself.

If you're going to make an argument don't be silly about it. No one wanted that Two-Face, but a whole heap of people wanted a darkly complex Two-Face who was split into two men after the horrifying events he experienced. I loved TDK's Two-Face, but in the end I feel he would be so much more if he was given his mental disorder.

 

[Fenrir]

You mean in terms of "intensity" from the way you picture it. It can't be from any other way since you're yourself and nobody else and no other version of that scene has been shot or shown in the movie.

Uhhh...so?

A mere speculation starting from your own ability to imagine "any other way" to do it.

"Any other way" to do it can't possibly be doomed to be "poorly handled."

Of course it would be if it means overdoing it. I mean isn't that exactly what you are proposing here? That you wanted "more"?

More intensity doesn't equal a bigger more explicit display of emotions.

Then what does it mean? Define "intensity".

No problem in control the emotions as long as there's a palpable lot of them being controlled.

Mind making a list of these palpable lot of emotions we were supposed to see then?