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

[robthorn24]

I know that this has been beaten to death over the past couple of days, but I just got home from another viewing and I can tell you with 150 percent certainty that Selina is in fact wearing the pearls. Absolutely no doubt about it. Don't go by the screen cap that's been floating around here from the bootleg, as it's not accurate. The pearls are not completely in focus the entire time and when she turns her head slightly they disappear in the angle of the shot (which is what the screen cap is from), but they are there. If I'm wrong, you're more than welcome to sig quote this post. But I'm not. In the words of Flass... Continue.

 

[diabolik]

I thought the Bat-Signal was more for letting Gordon know he was still alive, not so much for his successor, because honestly...Gotham no longer needs Batman.

Theres much more easier ways to show your alive, then to build and deliver a new Bat Signal to the rooftop of the police department.

A new Bat Signal very obviously is going to be used for...wait for it...BATMAN.

WHO will be Robin John Blake now. Robin is just a first name ( fan service) NOt a new identity...in fact there no way Blake would go by Robin, considering that Lady knows his name, and he obviously hates it. I mean He's not using it.

BLAKE = NEW BATMAN.

He's IN THE BAT CAVE, WITH ALL THE BAT STUFF/GADGETS/SUIT.

Why would anyone think he's NOT Batman.

THE MOVIE IS CALLED THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.

THE LAST SHOT IS BLAKE IN THE BAT CAVE...RISING.

Surely no one thinks Nolan did that last shot of Blake rising as a fluke...not like he meticulously plans EVERYTHING.

 

[Robin91939]

Well in the comics, there is a story where we learn that Alfred used to do acting back in England and was in a troupe

So he may have faked the crying

This is such a stupid theory. Okay -- I know that in the comics there is a precedent for Alfred to act -- but not here. There is no need.

Bruce did not tell Alfred: "I'm going to fake my death, and meet you in Italy -- so really do a good acting job selling that you think that I am dead. Like, I mean, really cry it up good at my funeral. My funeral that only you, Gordon, Fox and Blake will attend. And those three other people that I want you to put on a facade to make them think that I am dead, I am going to leave each of them their own clue to figure out on their own that I am really alive."

Why would Alfred have to "play along" and act like Bruce were dead if he knew he was alive? Bruce wasn't keeping the fact that he was alive from the other three people at the funeral. He left a new signal for Gordon. He knows Fox is smart enough to find out that he fixed the auto-pilot and he left Blake instructions to the Batcave.

Alfred was in the dark at this point. Alfred thought he really did fail the Wayne's in his promise to protect their son. He thought Bruce was dead. But -- Bruce being a smart guy, knew that Alfred would go to that cafe in Italy again, so that's where Bruce retired...the same area that Alfred told him about earlier -- so that one day he WOULD run into Alfred just as Alfred always wanted to and he would let his old friend know that he was alive and well and finally living his own life.

These ridiculous theories aren't fun or even interesting... They're kind of annoying.

-R

 

[Just_Human]

The fact that Bruce left/replaced the Batsignal has nothing to do with who John Blake will become.

All it does it show Gordon that Bruce is alive out there -- somewhere and it's symbolic in Gotham's faith being restored, properly and is symbolic of Gordon being able to have a clean slate and fresh start after protecting Gotham under a lie for the last 8 years.

John Blake can become Robin, Red-Robin, Nightwing or Batman... That much is really up to interpretation. Hell, he can just become a regular, noble citizen.

Who John Blake will become is really the only thing that is left up to interpretation in the end of the film... The rest, like, how Bruce survived, how Blake found the Batcave, where the new signal came from, where are the pearls and how did Alfred find Bruce are all really dumb and pointless questions as they were ALL answers IN the film itself.

I swear a lot of people DID not pay attention to or actively watch the film. This isn't addressed to you -- this is just a not to the forum/thread on the whole. There are a ton of dumb questions coming in and MOST of them were answered in the film -- MOST of them explicitly stated, in fact.


People saying that Alfred halucenated seeing Bruce? Bruce is really dead? That Alfred 'faked crying at the funeral' so people would think Bruce was truly dead as a nod to The Dark Knight Returns? Are you kidding me with this nonsense? Some of these theories are the dumbest things I have ever heard. The ending was the ending. It was laid out explicitly.

-Alfred and all of Gotham believes Batman/Bruce Wayne died.
-Wayne Manor is given to the orphanage/Gotham City.
-Fox is told by his engineers that Bruce Wayne fixed the auto pilot six months ago -- letting Fox know that Bruce probably survived the explosion. He was able to eject early, and have the auto pilot take the Bat out to see.
-Gordon finds the new batsignal, left by Wayne, as a symbol of the fresh start that Gordon has with Gotham City.
-John Blake receives the coordinates, a GPS, and the materials to find the BatCave in a bag left to him in Bruce's will.
-Alfred continues to visit the same cafe he told Bruce about in the beginning of the film in the hopes that he may still see him. Bruce retires in that specific area because he knows that Alfred will eventually be there and he wants to fulfill the wish of his oldest friend. So Bruce goes to this cafe often so that he will one-day run into Alfred so that Alfred knows he is alive and that he has moved on and has a normal life. Bruce even has the pearls with the tracking device that Alfred could have followed to find him.

That's the ending. It's simple -- but damn near perfect. There is VERY little interpretation required. There was no "it's all a dream." That is about as silly as you can get.

But the fate of WHO "Robin" Blake will become is the only thing that can only be truly guessed at...

-R

Dumbest post ever

 

[Just_Human]

Oh and I Alfred really thought Bruce was dead, he would have bern more shocked when he spotted Bruce in Italy

 

[Robin91939]

Theres much more easier ways to show your alive, then to build and deliver a new Bat Signal to the rooftop of the police department.

A new Bat Signal very obviously is going to be used for...wait for it...BATMAN.

WHO will be Robin John Blake now. Robin is just a first name ( fan service) NOt a new identity...in fact there no way Blake would go by Robin, considering that Lady knows his name, and he obviously hates it. I mean He's not using it.

BLAKE = NEW BATMAN.

He's IN THE BAT CAVE, WITH ALL THE BAT STUFF/GADGETS/SUIT.

Why would anyone think he's NOT Batman.

THE MOVIE IS CALLED THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.

THE LAST SHOT IS BLAKE IN THE BAT CAVE...RISING.

Surely no one thinks Nolan did that last shot of Blake rising as a fluke...not like he meticulously plans EVERYTHING.

You cannot say who John Blake will become. No one can. And I guarantee that Nolan never will. He could be Batman, Robin, Red-Robin, or Nightwing. He could continue as a mask-less hero

The title refers to Bruce Wayne rising above his pain and his tragedy and lifting himself out of the darkness to give himself a life of his own... Not literally John Blake on a rising platform. The identity of John Blake and the mantle he takes up is the only thing that Nolan has left room for interpretation in this ending. You can assume anything.

- Blake becomes Batman.
- Bruce left instructions of where to find him for training.
- Bruce left him instructions of how to contact him if the city needs him again.
- Bruce left him the tools to do it all on his own.
- Blake uses these tools to become Batman, Robin, or another variation of those identities (Nightwing/Red-Robin).

The possibilities are endless. But the title very much refers to Bruce and his own pain and the culmination of his journey. The last shot is symbolic of the symbol of Batman rising the hope and inspiring the people of Gotham (the people of Gotham and their hope were throughout the whole movie personified by John Blake).

-R

 

[batbax]

I keep thinking about ra's appearing to Bruce in the pit and saying there's many forms of immortality.. The imagery type of scenes of ra's and Alfred's dream of seeing Bruce in the cafe early in the film. Add this to the weird editing of when they last show batman in the cockpit with 5 seconds on the timer bomb.. Well it does leave some doubt. I personally feel he's alive.. But there's definitely enough things to skew it either way.

 

[Robin91939]

Oh and I Alfred really thought Bruce was dead, he would have bern more shocked when he spotted Bruce in Italy

You said my post was the dumbest post ever and followed it with this? You are serious?

And watch the movie again -- Alfred is shocked to see Bruce, but relieved. It's great acting by Caine. You can see him well up with emotion and do all that he can to keep it bottled up inside. He barely knows what to do with himself as he smiles, nodding -- still with all of these motions visible inside of him, before standing and walking away.

You're theory that Alfred knew Bruce was alive and was acting at the funeral is without a doubt the dumbest thing I've ever read.

-R

 

[miggizle85]

I personally thought John Blake simply became Robin, or Nightwing. It's not unheard of to have Robin use Batmans batcave alone. It's also not unheard of to have Robin respond to the Batsignal.And it's definitely not unheard of to have Nightwing be Gothams protector while Batman is on hiatus.

 

[georgec]

In my little world I imagine that Bruce contacted Alfred somehow and hinted that he was alive and in Italy. When Alfred walks up to his table and sits down, he seems a little anxious.

 

[miggizle85]

I personally thought John Blake simply became Robin, or Nightwing. It's not unheard of to have Robin use Batmans batcave alone. It's also not unheard of to have Robin respond to the Batsignak. And it's definately not unheard of to have Nightwing be Gothams protector while Batman is on hiatus.

 

[kvz5]

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

 

[ord0g]

That's the ending. It's simple -- but damn near perfect. There is VERY little interpretation required. There was no "it's all a dream." That is about as silly as you can get.

+1.

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

 

[DigificWriter]

It wouldn't have taken much for Nolan to unequivocally state that Robin John Blake will at some point take up the mantle and identity of Batman, but he ultimately didn't need to, as the film's ending as it is pretty heavily implies it and is designed to say it without actually saying it.

 

[Just_Human]

You said my post was the dumbest post ever and followed it with this? You are serious?

And watch the movie again -- Alfred is shocked to see Bruce, but relieved. It's great acting by Caine. You can see him well up with emotion and do all that he can to keep it bottled up inside. He barely knows what to do with himself as he smiles, nodding -- still with all of these motions visible inside of him, before standing and walking away.

You're theory that Alfred knew Bruce was alive and was acting at the funeral is without a doubt the dumbest thing I've ever read.

-R

Man you are upset

You can disagree, but at least please show some to the other members of this board

We welcome debates, but we don't tolerate behavior such as yours

 

[Robin91939]

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

I would think so. In his speech in the Batcave he says something along the lines of: "I'd know that you were living your own life and living it for you. And we'd nod to one another and smile and I'd go my way and you'd go yours. We don't talk because we wouldn't need to."

It's sad to think of Alfred and Bruce "breaking up" so to speak -- but at least its on their own terms. Alfred wanted to see Bruce live for himself and be happy -- and Bruce makes Alfred happy by doing so.

That last moment between them shows that Bruce truly loves him and forgives him for not telling him about the letter and later "throwing it in his face." He wouldn't have retired to that area and gone to that exact cafe that Alfred told him about unless he WANTED to run into Alfred and let him see that he was okay and living out his life the way that Alfred always wanted. It's a quiet thank you and I'm sorry and a touching moment between a surrogate father and son.

-R

 

[Darkmania]

I would have been much much happier with this;

-Batman makes the " wearing a mask" comment
-Blake throws away the badge and quits the police
-The talk he gives to Gordon about wanting to do something more when Gordon offers him a chance to come back to the force

If it had been left at that, then I think there would have been more room for interpretation - no finding the cave, no new batsignal, etc.

 

[miggizle85]

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

Most, people say they saw him get up and leave. I just saw him get up. No resin to think he didn't get up to go say hi.

 

[DigificWriter]

Bruce pretty much orchestrated the scene at the cafe, but just because he orchestrated it doesn't mean that Alfred knew he was alive.

 

[kvz5]

I would think so. In his speech in the Batcave he says something along the lines of: "I'd know that you were living your own life and living it for you. And we'd nod to one another and smile and I'd go my way and you'd go yours. We don't talk because we wouldn't need to."

It's sad to think of Alfred and Bruce "breaking up" so to speak -- but at least its on their own terms. Alfred wanted to see Bruce live for himself and be happy -- and Bruce makes Alfred happy by doing so.

That's what I figured. Pretty sad when you think about it because I always envisioned Alfred to die in the company of Bruce but it makes perfect sense in the context of the story especially with what Alfred said/wished. In a way, Alfred is free from Waynes as well. They're both going to live whatever's left of their lives separately but happy to know that the other is happy.

That last moment between them shows that Bruce truly loves him and forgives him for not telling him about the letter and later "throwing it in his face." He wouldn't have retired to that area and gone to that exact cafe that Alfred told him about unless he WANTED to run into Alfred and let him see that he was okay and living out his life the way that Alfred always wanted. It's a quiet thank you and I'm sorry and a touching moment between a surrogate father and son.

-R

Absolutely. In the end, he gave Alfred exactly what he've always wanted. Very touching and beautiful. Who knows how long he's been going there hoping to catch Alfred. And I like too that Alfred still went there maybe with the hope that he will still see Bruce despite him thinking that he died.

 

[Robin91939]

Man you are upset

You can disagree, but at least please show some to the other members of this board

We welcome debates, but we don't tolerate behavior such as yours

Dude -- don't lecture me about what this board does and doesn't tolerate and refer to yourself and the boards as "we" and try to make it appear as if I'm on the outside. I have been an active, positive poster in this community for over 8 years. I know how this place works. I don't need a lecture from you.

I was not being "disrespectful" -- which I assume is the word you forgot to type -- I was delivering a point. And part of my point is that the strange ending conspiracy theories are asinine and ridiculous. I didn't attack you or any other poster personally. I called no one dumb or any names. I attacked their point and their theory.

But the last thing I need is someone who has been here a year to attempt to act like I am not part of this community and that you hold the key to make me apart of it. Ask around -- I know the rules, guy. I've always posted respectfully.

You posting responses like "dumbest post ever" runs contradictory to everything you are saying in the quoted post above.

So since you decided to post that short, trite, disrespectful response of "dumbest post ever" to my post, I will say: We here at the hype welcome debate -- but please do so in an engaging and respectful manner. And oh yeah -- Welcome to the Hype.


-R

 

[Just_Human]

No hard feelings

 

[miggizle85]

I would have been much much happier with this;

-Batman makes the " wearing a mask" comment
-Blake throws away the badge and quits the police
-The talk he gives to Gordon about wanting to do something more when Gordon offers him a chance to come back to the force

If it had been left at that, then I think there would have been more room for interpretation - no finding the cave, no new batsignal, etc.

Hell no. Blake in the bat cave was awesome. I personally would have preferred if Batman, was there waiting for him tho. But i'm happy seeing him on vacation and knowing that he's tapping that sexy catwoman ass.

 

[miggizle85]

I would think so. In his speech in the Batcave he says something along the lines of: "I'd know that you were living your own life and living it for you. And we'd nod to one another and smile and I'd go my way and you'd go yours. We don't talk because we wouldn't need to."

It's sad to think of Alfred and Bruce "breaking up" so to speak -- but at least its on their own terms. Alfred wanted to see Bruce live for himself and be happy -- and Bruce makes Alfred happy by doing so.

That last moment between them shows that Bruce truly loves him and forgives him for not telling him about the letter and later "throwing it in his face." He wouldn't have retired to that area and gone to that exact cafe that Alfred told him about unless he WANTED to run into Alfred and let him see that he was okay and living out his life the way that Alfred always wanted. It's a quiet thank you and I'm sorry and a touching moment between a surrogate father and son.

-R

I think the going our own way part could have changed considering Bruce was on the run from the mob in the original scenerio. I like to believe Alfred got up to go hug his friend.

 

[Ecuanime]

Now, after seeing the movie a second time, Batman survived the nuclear blast. I'm pretty sure he ejected or moved to another vehicle once he blasted through the building. That created a diversion to onlookers, for him to get away, as the Bat continued on Auto Pilot. Everyone's attention, including the movie viewers, was drawn to the Bat carrying the bomb over the water.

Batman always has an exit strategy...