The Dark Knight Rises Clearing up the ending of TDKR (MUST READ)

[Ecuanime]

He had no self defense skills without his gun. The only time he saved himself was when he killed those two people.

He couldn't be a Batman in my opinion.

As Ras says in BB, training is only half of it, it also takes will. And John Blake proves that in TDKR.

 

[Archangel08]

+1.

Not sure why everyone is looking at TDKR ending as if it was Inception part 2.

indeed...there was no reason for us to assume such a complicated ending like inception where we think "is it a dream or isn't it??" fox is told the auto-pilot is fixed by bruce wayne, i'd say it's safe to assume that he let the bat go on auto-pilot! now, i will admit, the scene of batman in the cockpit with only seconds to go does seem confusing, considering that he would have to book it on out of there to be safe (6 mile radius in seconds)...my only explanation could be that the bat's ejection system was similar to the tumbler and the bat-pod...possibly the bat ejects him out in a smaller vessel that contains the cockpit, so he was just chillin in that watching the explosion, who knows...regardless, i'm willing to give that a pass because it still gets the point and emotions of the movie and series as a whole (at least to me)...

and before people say that overlooking how he escapes takes you out of the movie, i will admit there were other scenes where i noticed biiiiiiig continuity errors, but once again, i'll let it slide just cuz some scenes look/feel cooler in night/day haha...for example, the stock market chase...they needed 9 minutes for the application to run, so they start the chase in daylight, then when batman ends it 9 minutes later, it's the middle of the night...and when batman gives catwoman the bat-pod, he tells her they have 45 minutes before it blows, it's the middle of the night, but by the time detonation occurs, it's the middle of the day...so that caught my eye, and there's really no explaining those out, but o well, i still loved the movie hahah

 

[Ecuanime]

\

And the ending of this movie was INCREDIBLY straightforward and easy to follow. I am stunned that people are having confusion about this. How did Batman get out of the Bat??? Um...it's BATMAN...why are you questioning how he was able to eject from a plane...especially when even his car had a freaking mini-vehicle that could be driven around?

Although I agree with you that Batman escaped, you can't say it's straightforward if none of that was shown at the end. Everyone has to draw their own conclusions and make assumptions.

 

[Ecuanime]

The bat-signal is back. Batman is considered dead but since he is a symbol and "more than just a man" another could take his place. Or at least become something similar to him.

 

[miggizle85]

Nightwing. Nightwing looked after Gotham while Batman was on hiatus in the comics. So why is it so hard to believe that Robin Blake became Nightwing? Nightwing can use the bat cave. Nightwing can answer the bat signal. Seems logical to me.

 

[DigificWriter]

^ Because doing so ignores what the film's ending was rather heavily implying. Nolan pretty much says that Blake will be Batman without actually coming out and saying so.

 

[miggizle85]

^ Because doing so ignores what the film's ending was rather heavily implying. Nolan pretty much says that Blake will be Batman without actually coming out and saying so.

Yeah except for the part when he says that he's Robin. Let's not ignore that either.

 

[Frontier]

Now see, personally? I got it all - the ending - first viewing. No questions from it. I'm amazed anyone had trouble with it...

 

[miggizle85]

Now see, personally? I got it all - the ending - first viewing. No questions from it. I'm amazed anyone had trouble with it...

How do you see it? Is Blake Robin, or Nightwing, or Batman II?
Also does Alfred get an just leave and never talks to Bruce again, or does he get up to go say hi?

 

[DigificWriter]

Yeah except for the part when he says that he's Robin. Let's not ignore that either.

You do realize that Robin is his first name, right? By giving JGL's character the full name of Robin John Blake, Nolan is cementing that the character is a homage to the character of Robin, not telling us that he'll BECOME the character of Robin.

 

[miggizle85]

You do realize that Robin is his first name, right? By giving JGL's character the full name of Robin John Blake, Nolan is cementing that the character is a homage to the character of Robin, not telling us that he'll BECOME the character of Robin.

Yes I realized that. But there's no way of knowing that Nolan is merely "cementing that the character is a homage to the character of Robin" without actually having Nolan say so himself. Maybe his first name is Robin, because Nolan meant him to be Robin. (and Yes I know the Robin from the comics is Dick Grayson, and Tim Drake, and Jason Todd)

 

[DigificWriter]

Did you even pay attention to the ending? Nolan made things about as crystal clear as he possibly could without actually showing Blake putting on the Batsuit. Everything about the film's ending implies and basically screams the following: Blake is literally a 'Robin' who will become a Bat.

 

[BritishChap007]

But it wouldn't have been ambiguous if it ended with Alfred smiling/nodding without us seeing Bruce. Earlier in the film he said it's what he'd do if he saw Bruce there, so it wasn't necessary to show Bruce at the other table. As soon as Alfred smiles, we know he's spotted Bruce.

The only way it would have been ambiguous is if it ended with Alfred raising his head and the film cutting to black before you see him smile or nod.

Personally I think it'd have been much more iconic to end it on Alfred smiling. Main reason they showed Bruce, I think, was to establish that he had found happiness with Selina.



Of course it was the same. When we first see the cafe in Florence, it's during Alfred's flashback. We then see him going there for real. Why would the locale look any different?

One important detail I haven't seen mentioned is this:

In Alfred's flashback, when he for sure is imagining seeing Bruce, it's NOT BRUCE (not Christian Bale). In the end, it is him.

 

[BatFan#1]

If Alfred stared at the camera, it would be breaking the 4th wall and made no sense. If he stared away from the camera, we would know he noticed someone.

Anyway, glad they didn't do it. Nice to see Selina Kyle there too.

It's not necessarily breaking the 4th wall if his vantage point is actually directly in front of the camera(or in this case Bruce being right across from him). Alfred could have smiled to himself very easily and the screen could have cut to black. I too was expecting this happen and i think it would have been cool either way. Batman lives on, that is definite.

 

[elgaz]

The ending was clearly real, and not a fantasy. I'm not sure why a few people seem confused by it.

Hey, at least we didn't get this

 

[jb007]

At the end of the film when Alfred & Wayne see each other & you see her with the pearles on. I knew that Wayne would return as Batman. I mean they have the tracking device on them.

Not to mention in the comics it's Robin who get's Wayne to come back & fight crime.

 

[blinkuldhc]

Ok, I tried scouring the forum for a reasonable answer to my question... (SPOILER OBV) Brownie points to the person who explains it the best:




The blast radius of the nuke is 6 miles. When Batman decides to tow the bomb away, I believe there is about 1:43 left on the clock.

For argument's sake, let's assume that:

1. Batman flew and towed the bomb in a straight line -- no detours or evasive maneuvers -- toward and over the water.

2. The Bat reached maximum velocity instantaneously, i.e. no acceleration, and maintained that velocity the entire way.

3. The distance of the flight was exactly 6 miles from the departure point, i.e. the bomb detonated at the absolute minimum safe distance from Gotham.

4. The Bat flew at the max velocity, in a straight line, for 103 seconds. Batman didn't waste any time attaching the tow, walking to and from the bomb, macking on Catwoman, entering the Bat, and/or starting the Bat.


Under the above assumptions, that means the Bat had to have been traveling 209.7 MPH for 103 seconds in a straight line. Throw in factors like acceleration, maneuvering, attachment, lift-off, etc., it had to have traveled at a greater maximum velocity than 209 MPH.


Can someone please explain this sequence in a way that makes it physically possible.... in other words, how can everything be reconciled logically?

It did not look like the Bat could travel any faster than about 50-60 MPH laterally; even a 120 MPH max velocity with zero acceleration and zero detour would mean that Bats needed 3+ minutes to do it.

 

[blinkuldhc]

Also, who cares whether Catwoman was wearing Mrs. Wayne's pearl necklace?

Bruce could just take her back to the villa and give her a fresh lukewarm syrupy pearl necklace for free.

 

[Norek]

Chill out, broskies... If someone wants to believe in their own interpretation of the ending, then let them be! Personally, I feel the ending was pretty clear to me, but if someone wants to believe otherwise, that's fine. It's their decision.

The most important thing about the ending was that it was... an ending. A closure to the whole trilogy. That's all, folks. The end.

 

[Alienous]

Also, who cares whether Catwoman was wearing Mrs. Wayne's pearl necklace?

Bruce could just take her back to the villa and give her a fresh lukewarm syrupy pearl necklace for free.

I think it does matter. It shows that Bruce has truly let go of his parents death, and accepted it as part of his life. He has grown out of the pain and ready to move on. Not holding these items in devout reverance (Wayne Manor, the pearls) shows that Bruce is finally able to live his life. You know that his parents would be smiling at him happily at the end if they could see him.

 

[Sikri06]

I wonder if that's it for Alfred and Bruce... No more contact after that?

That's not how I'm imagining it, but (luckilly) we'll never know.

 

[blinkuldhc]

I think it does matter. It shows that Bruce has truly let go of his parents death, and accepted it as part of his life. He has grown out of the pain and ready to move on. Not holding these items in devout reverance (Wayne Manor, the pearls) shows that Bruce is finally able to live his life. You know that his parents would be smiling at him happily at the end if they could see him.

No i know.... I was just trying to make a lame crude sexual joke.

 

[Technic]

To anyone that believes in the "he died" theory, the main question In my opinion would be; why would he not use the auto pilot if he had it, and he clearly had it. The people believing in the inception style theory are basically saying that Bruce Wayne was suicidal, which Bruce Wayne may be many things. But suicidal never seemed to be one of them. Honestly, if there is something I'm missing then let me know. If this is what you believe, then why would Bruce Wayne want to die? We know that he had auto-pilot, so that tells us that if he didn't use it then he chose not to. Why?

 

[rickfox]

I think it does matter. It shows that Bruce has truly let go of his parents death, and accepted it as part of his life. He has grown out of the pain and ready to move on. Not holding these items in devout reverance (Wayne Manor, the pearls) shows that Bruce is finally able to live his life. You know that his parents would be smiling at him happily at the end if they could see him.

and mothers's(alive/deceased) jewellery can be passed to their son's wife/fiancee/partner and served as a symbol to confirm marriage or partnership

Kate was given one of Diana's diamond rings(oval sapphire) from William for their engagement

My mother gave one of her diamond ring and necklace to my fiancee

that pearl necklace is a symbol/hint to indicate who will be Bruce's wife/ partner since the begining part of The Dark Knight rises

 

[Technic]

and mother's(alive/deceased) jewellery can be passed to their son's wife/fiancee/partner and served as a symbol to confirm marriage or partnership

Kate was given one of Diana's diamond rings(oval sapphire) from William for their engagement

My mother gave one of her diamond ring and necklace to my fiancee

that pearl necklace is a symbol/hint to indicate who will be Bruce's wife/ partner since the begining part of The Dark Knight rises

I like that way of looking at it. Never thought of it that way.