The Dark Knight Rises Gotham's Architecture

[Rockadood]

We've now seen a few on-set pictures from The Dark Knight Rises. Mainly from urban/inner city locations and the location for Wayne Manor.

What do you think of Nolan's interperatation of Gotham this time around?

Personally, I think The Glasgow locations are a perfect real-world depiction of the grittier, shabby Gotham/Narrows sets from Batman Begins, whilst the Delta Point location is reminiscent of the shinier, metropolitan Gotham from The Dark Knight.

It would appear that The Dark Knight Rises - at least visually - will bridge the gap between the two films.

 

[Gianakin_]

It would appear that The Dark Knight Rises - at least visually - will bridge the gap between the two films.

The fact that they're shooting at so many places makes me eager to agree with you.

 

[Mister Meddle]

So far I think Gotham looks great. My complaint with TDK was the look of the city. It looked the same as any ordinary American city you'd see in movies and television shows. I live in the Chicago area so it's also hard to suspend disbelief with this one. It's nice to see that they're using areas with vintage buildings for a change. Hopefully the look will resemble Batman Begins, or possibly somewhat more stylish.

 

[D.P.]

So far I think Gotham looks great. My complaint with TDK was the look of the city. It looked the same as any ordinary American city you'd see in movies and television shows. I live in the Chicago area so it's also hard to suspend disbelief with this one. It's nice to see that they're using areas with vintage buildings for a change. Hopefully the look will resemble Batman Begins, or possibly somewhat more stylish.

I didn't mind them using locations that were obviously very Chicago.

I love when movies film here because it's such an underused and underappreciated city. I was glad when Nolan decided to use Chicago as Gotham for that reason.

NYC, LA etc. are stereotypical and cliche at this point.

Pittsburgh was a smart move though. It's a very blue collar city that can pass as the more classic American city aspects of Gotham.

 

[Mister Meddle]

I didn't mind them using locations that were obviously very Chicago.

I love when movies film here because it's such an underused and underappreciated city. I was glad when Nolan decided to use Chicago as Gotham for that reason.

NYC, LA etc. are stereotypical and cliche at this point.

Pittsburgh was a smart move though. It's a very blue collar city that can pass as the more classic American city aspects of Gotham.

When my father (he used to read the Batman comics when he was a child) watched TDK with me his first reaction was "that doesn't look like Gotham City". And I definitely agree with him. As much as I like my city, the visuals are far more important. The last thing I want to see is a SWATman with ears flying in the same world as the Blues Brothers'verse.

 

[Kynergy]

Pittsburgh doesn't really need a description. Its a dump.

I don't get why everyone always has that assumption. From pictures I'v seen, it looks like a nice place. Every city has its crappy areas. I live in a city that has a big one, but its still a nice city. Ignorant people are always giving certain cities bad names just from what they hear about them, and its really frustrating.

 

[Bat-Mite]

There is no definite look for Gotham City. It's a fictional place, not a place like New York City where you see a landmark or the skyline and it's instantly recognizable. If you look at the very first comics, it's just a regular city (Gotham was a nickname for NYC back then) and that's how it's depicted in the Adam West series also. Schumacher made it a city of neon, where even the street thugs dressed flamboyantly and wore glow in the dark face paint.

Sure, I love the grimy city that has the buildings all crowded together, has lots of gargoyles, art deco skyscrapers, police blimps, etc., but that's just one interpretation of many. Nolan intentionally made Gotham look like a regular American city in TDK because he wanted the Joker's acts of terror to really have an effect on the audience.

I do hope the Gotham we see in this next one is closer to what we got in the first one though (and it looks like it will be), considering that Harvey Dent's gone, Batman's being hunted, and the city is still dealing with the aftermath of what the Joker did. It should be a pretty messed up place this time around.

 

[Mister Meddle]

Well I disagree. I always got the impression that Gotham is a nasty city that no one would want to step foot in. The look usually reflects on that. I didn't get that impression in TDK because [visually] it was too neat and fancy looking. I don't believe the Joker character had anything to do with the look of the city. I believe it had more to do with giving the film a fresh look. If anything, a darker approach of the Joker would've looked much better in a darker or more twisted looking environment like in BB.

I'm not talking about the West series or the Schumacher films. They don't have to add sparklers and gargoyles all over the place. The look in BB was perfect based on their approach of the story and shame on them for not maintaining it for the second film.

 

[Yurka]

Pittsburgh doesn't really need a description. Its a dump.

You must be from Cleveland/Baltimore.

 

[ThePhantasm]

Pittsburgh doesn't really need a description. Its a dump.

Paraphrase: "It doesn't need a description. Let me describe it with an analogy."

 

[ThePhantasm]

The look in BB was perfect based on their approach of the story and shame on them for not maintaining it for the second film.

?!

Just because we didn't revisit the Narrows doesn't mean Gotham was radically altered. Even the orange Begins tint was there for example in the tunnels chase scene in TDK and a few other scenes as well.

 

[Octoberist]

I would like to see more billboards and neon signs.

 

[Godzilla2014]

I think this portrayal of Gotham City is very effective. I like that the city looks like it could exist as a regular old city in America. It added a sense of authentic sense of place to The Dark Knight, which really helped the crime drama aspect. Interestingly, in addition to Los Angeles in Blade Runner that is often cited as inspiration, Gotham in Batman Begins reminds me of the unnamed city in Se7en, especially in the Narrows where it always seemed to be raining. Anyone else get that feeling?

 

[Mister Meddle]

Just because we didn't revisit the Narrows doesn't mean Gotham was radically altered.

It had a lot to do with the fact that part of the city was built in a studio (BB), which gave them the freedom to chose any design that they wanted. That's part of the reason why Gotham looked much better in Batman Begins.

Even the orange Begins tint was there for example in the tunnels chase scene in TDK and a few other scenes as well.

Um that's what the lights are actually like in Wacker Drive. It has nothing to do with "the orange Begins tint". I don't know what that has to do with anything. I'm not talking about colors.

 

[Octoberist]

I didn't mind them using locations that were obviously very Chicago.

I love when movies film here because it's such an underused and underappreciated city. I was glad when Nolan decided to use Chicago as Gotham for that reason.

NYC, LA etc. are stereotypical and cliche at this point.

Pittsburgh was a smart move though. It's a very blue collar city that can pass as the more classic American city aspects of Gotham.

They're also filming in LA and NY......

 

[D.P.]

I'm aware.

 

[Rodrigo90]

The architecture? I'd say they got Gotham spot on in BB. TDK's interp was just too 'nice'. Everything changed. But I guess having the city look 'worse for wear' had no relevance anywhere. I think it was a subtle metaphor. Thing's were getting better thanks to Batman and Dent, so the city looked 'cleaner'. That and deliberately not showing or putting any focus on the rougher parts of Gotham.

And I agree with Nolan's look in general. I know Gotham looks gothic in the comics, but originally it didn't. As I said, Nolan was taking everything back to the reader's perception from the 1940's. Where Gotham essentially looked like any other city, like it does in TDK. Even the original perception of the Joker, where for over 10 years no one knew he was bleached white and everyone thought it was just makeup.

 

[Godzilla2014]

The architecture? I'd say they got Gotham spot on in BB. TDK's interp was just too 'nice'. Everything changed. But I guess having the city look 'worse for wear' had no relevance anywhere. I think it was a subtle metaphor. Thing's were getting better thanks to Batman and Dent, so the city looked 'cleaner'. That and deliberately not showing or putting any focus on the rougher parts of Gotham.

And I agree with Nolan's look in general. I know Gotham looks gothic in the comics, but originally it didn't. As I said, Nolan was taking everything back to the reader's perception from the 1940's. Where Gotham essentially looked like any other city, like it does in TDK. Even the original perception of the Joker, where for over 10 years no one knew he was bleached white and everyone thought it was just makeup.

I think the point of not going back to places like the Narrows was because, while it was a relevant location to action in Batman Begins, the action in The Dark Knight focused on Joker's assault on law & order and the centers of power in Gotham City. These areas would naturally be cleaner than the Narrows, because rich people can keep their stuff cleaner.

 

[Rodrigo90]

I think the point of not going back to places like the Narrows was because, while it was a relevant location to action in Batman Begins, the action in The Dark Knight focused on Joker's assault on law & order and the centers of power in Gotham City. These areas would naturally be cleaner than the Narrows, because rich people can keep their stuff cleaner.

I agree with you there. I guess another way you could look at it is by showing Gotham in a much cleaner and better state thanks to the power of law and order - Batman, Dent and Gordon - then having the Joker attack the good that they've done for Gotham, creating a new Narrows for example?

 

[Mach2Infinity]

I have to say I much preferred the look of Gotham in "BB". I perfectly understand the reasoning behind a more 'cleaner' looking Gotham city in the sequel. The only thing is, it just looked like a completely different city to me. There didn't seem to be a continuity or segue between the city from the first film to its sequel. It comes off as a little jarring to me.

 

[batbax]

No, but I did get one of my many degrees from a well known school in Cleveland and lived there for a number of years.

I never would believe that a gentleman of your Stature would sully themselves by living in Cleveland. Must have been quite a
trying time in your magical existence.

 

[redhawk23]

If they needed somewhere to film a rundown area they should have taken a page from John Carpenter's book and come to St. Louis. That and itd just be sweet if the they were in St. Louis. Unfortunately both the state and the city have closed down their film offices and the state is getting rid of it's tax credits. It's nonsensical.

 

[stlblues84]

If they needed somewhere to film a rundown area they should have taken a page from John Carpenter's book and come to St. Louis. That and itd just be sweet if the they were in St. Louis. Unfortunately both the state and the city have closed down their film offices and the state is getting rid of it's tax credits. It's nonsensical.

Agreed. We always laugh how post apocalyptic New York City looks exactly like inner city St. Louis as is. My dad even watched them film a few scenes for that movie.

 

[Yurka]

Pittsburgh doesn't really need a description. Its a dump.

No, but I did get one of my many degrees from a well known school in Cleveland and lived there for a number of years.

Fascinating.



I'm very optimistic that Nolan will finally nail the "Gotham" I feel has been missing from this franchise, the dark, gritty, gothic environment that was barely existent in BB and non-existent in TDK.

The inclusion of the Glasgow and Pittsburgh locations have me excited, and the streets they've chosen to film on in Pittsburgh give me a great deal of hope. Nolan was actually spotted scouting next to a very old and gothic church.

It's understandable why they chose not to make an extremely gothic and "unique" looking Gotham, but at the same time thats what that city is and I believe should look like. Everything I've seen or heard up to this point gives me a feeling that this incarnation of Gotham will feel more like "Gotham" than any previous Nolan version.

 

[Matchbox]

I think the point of not going back to places like the Narrows was because, while it was a relevant location to action in Batman Begins, the action in The Dark Knight focused on Joker's assault on law & order and the centers of power in Gotham City. These areas would naturally be cleaner than the Narrows, because rich people can keep their stuff cleaner.

I agree and that's just what I was going to say.