The Dark Knight Harvey Dent/Two Face Thread

[Mr. Joker]

There was no scene after the credits, bro.

 

[Possibility]

I wasn't expecting Two Face to die in this one.

Before 7/18, my money would have been on The Dark Knight being "Two Face Begins," with a villainous setup for a third Batman picture with Harvey surviving. My gut told me that Harvey would go on to a third Batman film as the 'super mob boss,' supplanting the Falcone family and establishing a hyper-militant, draconian order in Gotham headed by Harvey himself. In the process of escalation, this seemed to make sense, and would have given rise to a natural sequel - if Nolan had desired.

Since Harvey didn't survive The Dark Knight, I find myself wondering, like most of you, where a third picture would go. That question aside, another question that's been nagging me is this: Was it the best use of Two Face to kill him in The Dark Knight?

A couple thoughts on that:

No denying it, The Dark Knight's ending was terrific. Harvey's death completely underscored the sense of loss that drove Batman and Jim Gordon to cover-up his deeds, and it's one of my favorite endings since Batman Begins.

However, I assert that Harvey's fall was complete before his death, and his killings represented a complete turn from his path of justice. Therefore, could The Dark Knight have kept its central point without killing-off the character? Granted the film couldn't have ended with Batman directly taking responsibility for Two Face's acts - Two Face would have gone on to disillusion Gotham of that notion. But by the same token, it would not have changed Batman's place in Gotham as its dark knight. That point would have stood, even if Harvey had lived.

My qualm with Harvey's death is that it made The Dark Knight seem audaciously full - I'll stop short of saying too full. The complete arc of Harvey's introduction, through his pursuit of justice, through his fall and ultimately his death seems to strain a 2.5 hour running time. Not that it wasn't great, I just think that there's an air about The Dark Knight that it's trying to do something with a time limit, and that shows up for some critics as being rushed. Specifically, I think Harvey's arc is responsible for that. We have to see him from intro to death in a short period of time.

Instead of taking that route, what if The Dark Knight introduced Dent, showed his White Knight pursuit of justice, and ended with his fall and the rise of Two Face? Would that have totally bankrupted the point of the movie? Would that have left Harvey in place for a powerful sequel dealing with his role as an underworld boss different from the previous Falcone/Maroni mobsters? Does his death rob Nolan of a great character on which to base a subsequent narrative? Does it rob Batman of one of his greatest villains with which to have a more dedicated outing the next time?

 

[Marx]

Did any one know there was a two face scene at the end of the credits? I didn't see that, dang.

No. At least not at my theater. and i don't think any where else

:Bangs head against desk repeatedly:

There was no scene after the credits, bro.

There was no scene after the credits.

 

[Mr. Joker]

Rightfully so, too.

 

[Dark Sentinel]

anybody happen to catch the year on the coin?

1923?

1922 i believe, a nice touch on Nolan's part in my opinion

 

[JackBauer24]

1922 i believe, a nice touch on Nolan's part in my opinion

I don't get it.

 

[DSET]

:Bangs head against desk repeatedly:

LoL

I kept trying to yell out to people who stayed after the credits theres nothing

but nobody listens

 

[JackBauer24]

LoL

I kept trying to yell out to people who stayed after the credits theres nothing

but nobody listens

Wait... there's an extra scene post-credits?!


...


.....

 

[Mr. Joker]

You sly rascal you.

 

[Dark Sentinel]

I don't get it.

1922. subtle Two-Face foreshadowing, come on Bauer!

 

[CrimsonDeath]

Yep, caught that one on the second viewing, it was 1922.

 

[Mr. Joker]

I never paid attention, will do so the next time I see it.

 

[Anubis Raptor]

I never paid attention, will do so the next time I see it.

Yeah dude its a pretty cool scene

Well worth seeing!!!

 

[Mr. Joker]

The whole movie is just one giant cool scene.

 

[The Lizard]

To be honest, I think the makeup and CGI used to portray Harvey's facial burns were kind of over the top.

Yes, Two-Face is supposed to look ugly and mutilated, but that big rolling eyeball, exposed bone and muscle were a little much. People just don't walk around with hideous exposed wounds like that.

Cool effects, however.

 

[Marx]

To be honest, I think the makeup and CGI used to portray Harvey's facial burns were kind of over the top.

Yes, Two-Face is supposed to look ugly and mutilated, but that big rolling eyeball, exposed bone and muscle were a little much. People just don't walk around with hideous exposed wounds like that.

Cool effects, however.

Despite Nolan's "real-world" take on Batman, it is still a comic book movie in the end.

 

[ThePheonix22]

The thing that gets me is,How does he live through those burns?Hmmm...I wonder...

 

[Christmas]

The writing on the side of the school bus The Joker uses to escape from the bank after the heist reads DISTRICT 22

 

[beyond_death]

quote from nolan

About halfway in, he mentions the SHH! boards and does indeed confirm that the Joker said six and regarding Two-Face's death, he said something like, "Those bloody fools think I'm going to kill one of the greatest of Batman's rogues? I'm not Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher."

Nay, it was a joke.

 

[kevin2323]

He said that because he was talking about Harvey's reputation. The public's belief in Harvey wouldn't die with him, it would die when they found out what he did before he died.

That line isn't ambiguous at all, it makes sense.

dent is dead...two face the villain isnt

 

[Spider-Fan]

Seems like a joke to me (can't hear the interview. but even the text seems like he's joking).

However, he would be wrong even if he meant it cause he killed Ra's al Ghul (unless he doesn't feel Ra's is one of Batman's best rogue, despite using him in one of his own movies).

Anyway, I stopped discussing this a while ago. I gave up trying to convince people on it.

 

[Batty Belfry]

quote from nolan

About halfway in, he mentions the SHH! boards and does indeed confirm that the Joker said six and regarding Two-Face's death, he said something like, "Those bloody fools think I'm going to kill one of the greatest of Batman's rogues? I'm not Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher."

No he didn't, please stop posting that.

 

[Ratatat]

To be honest, I think the makeup and CGI used to portray Harvey's facial burns were kind of over the top.

Yes, Two-Face is supposed to look ugly and mutilated, but that big rolling eyeball, exposed bone and muscle were a little much. People just don't walk around with hideous exposed wounds like that.

Cool effects, however.

People just don't dress up as bat's and clowns either...

 

[cerealkiller182]

Seems like a joke to me (can't hear the interview. but even the text seems like he's joking).

However, he would be wrong even if he meant it cause he killed Ra's al Ghul (unless he doesn't feel Ra's is one of Batman's best rogue, despite using him in one of his own movies).

Anyway, I stopped discussing this a while ago. I gave up trying to convince people on it.

That andI really just dont care whether he survived or not. I believe he died but dont care if they bring him back.

 

[The Lizard]

People just don't dress up as bat's and clowns either...

Yeah, but it's at least physically possible to dress up like a bat or clown.

Again, I did think Two-Face looked cool, but the way he just casually walked around with half his face freshly burned away wasn't the most realistic part of the film.