I finished seeing the movie again for the 3rd time, and I still can't express just how much everything in this film just works for me !!!
I wanted to just express out loud the aspects I caught about the ending, and how I see it.
1. on some forum it was mentioned "how can THE BAT be around still, if it was atomized in nuclear explosion?". I think it is implied that Bruce was using the black version of it, as Lucious had said earlier that they have one also in black. It's understood that the armory no longer just has 1 of everything. There are several tumblers, so there should also be several BATs. The one that the engineers are working on at the end is still that blue/grey color. So most likely a prototype. And what Bruce fixed was a SOFTWARE PATCH on the autopilot, 6 months earlier. So perhaps that was then native across all the systems on the other BATs as well.
2. I don't think the Pearl Necklace was anything more than just something that Bruce himself wanted to keep. Its probably his most treasured position. All his money and other things mean nothing, but his mother's necklace, the very last thing he and his dad shared about the night they died, THAT he wanted to keep. And it could be he had it to give to Selena, or maybe even thought Alfred would notice them missing, and then go about trying to track them down, via the tracking in the necklace. That is also good. But he did look generally surprised seeing them at cafe. Didn't look like he was "searching" for anything or anyone. But I can go with either theory. Either a means to get Alfred to search for them. Or, as Bruce's most important keepsake.
3. I love Nolan's movie ambiguous endings. They give the movie continual appreciation. It lives on. As such, I can't decide if John Blake is just meant to discover the Cave and eventually Bruce will return, and they will be Batman & Robin. Or if he is meant to be the new Batman. Gordon got a NEW BAT SIGNAL. So a batman there will still be in Gotham. But who will it be? The trappings of the original story are no longer there. There is no longer just a Wayne Mansion, solely lived in by Bruce Wayne. Wayne Enterprises may no longer be around, depending on if they eventually return the funds lost via the Exchange Robbery. Which Lucious did say would eventually be seen as fraud. But now it's a Boy's Home. So there is a new aesthetic at work now. So Blake could be a new Batman. The ROBIN name was just a throw to the fans, and general audience. As Blake was a perfect mix of all 3 robins (grayson, todd, drake). Being referred to as Robin is just to show that YES, at one time there was a BATMAN & ROBIN who fought together.
We are so used to the repetition, and longevity of the comic book world, that most don't consider that some stories and legends can be based on ONE TIME occurences. Not just OVER & OVER again.
Nolan brings this to his film world, as close as he can, a somewhat more "realistic idea". Yes, to a point. But some ground principals. It's not reasonable that Bruce will forever crush skulls. His bones would be dust before then. He can't do this forever. Ras al Ghul is not immortal, in the physical sense. But his idea lives on. His spirit in his daughter. Things like that. There are nods to the origins from the book. But not straight translation. They try to capture the core idea and theme of the character. Not always leave it for, "ok, introduce this villain. but don't kill him, because he's supposed to come back...again and again and again". If that were the case, then what is the EPIC nature of the film for then ? It sucks from a movie franchise pov, but makes sense if you are trying to defeat a villain in the real world, you would do your best to actually kill him off.
But there is a trade off. As some of the villains are never TRULY seen dying. Yes, Ras al Ghul's train was only seen going down, no charred body. Joker was left hanging. Bane was blasted and flew back into a wall, but not to bits. So there is always reasonable doubt. There is the compromise.
4. Finally, I keep picking up that "Blake has to be batman, Because poster reads THE LEGEND ENDS". So that has to mean that now there is a new legacy, new franchise, new stuff all around. That could be. But I like Nolan, and he seems to setup his movie ads and promotion with what is at core in the film, versus how it is really ending. It was like that for INCEPTION. "your mind is the scene of the crime". So you go into wondering just wtf that means, and it begins to unravel. You are now in that movie world, and that is the general premise/idea of what is going on. I believe the same is true for "THE LEGEND ENDS". Not meant literally that this batman is done with. Bruce is gone, now bring on the JGL show. I think it means that from the pov of the people of gotham. the 8 yr hiatus of batman is OVER. THE LEGEND is over. He's Back. No longer just history, which then became legend. No longer just something old cops tell their rookie partners about. THE LEGEND ENDS...BATMAN IS BACK ! That is how I see it.
Just wanted to share all that. Again, great movie. Gonna see it again quite soon. Just too much goodness in it. Acting, the music, 3 great tearful moments. Anne Hathaway's ridiculous waist line. Good things
