The Dark Knight Rises Honest Trailers - TDKR

[John Locke]

So I am watching Begins and how he gets from Gotham to Europe is by stowing away on a cargo ship. So that's probably how.

 

[Anno_Domini]

People take this stuff too personally. It is a parody. I liked the movie and found it quite funny myself. I don't have to agree with everything to find it funny, nor do I have to be an angry fan and jump on it as gospel. For example a few things it got wrong:

-Bruce was decommissioned for 5 months after the back break.
-Bruce was only a recluse for 3 of the past 8 years when the movie starts.
-We last see Batman in the plane when the bomb has like over a minute left then we cut away then we cut back to 0:05 with no shot of Batman. Nolan's tricksy like that.
-Florence is in Italy, not France.

But all this stuff is inconsequential. Yes, there are plot holes and inconsistencies if you want to look for them. But if we want to play that game...

-How was Joker able to get explosives onto every floor of a hospital even in the doorframe?
-How did Harvey's left eye and mouth still work after everything else is burned to a crisp?
-How come we only see one bridge with heavy traffic? What about the others? After all if we are only shown one, that therefore must be the only one (as with the riots)?
-How did Joker get explosives onto the ferries with nobody noticing?
-How did Joker destroy a fire truck with nobody noticing?

It's a movie. You can either accept its reality or nitpick the shortcuts it makes to tell a story. However, if you can accept most of the logic jumps in the second movie, most of the ones in the third one are not undifferent or worthy of criticism by the same people. Just saying.

All the things Joker does without being noticed in TDK gets no flack at all for some reason that it becomes somewhat laughable when everything gets nitpicked in TDKR.

 

[redfirebird2008]

All the things Joker does without being noticed in TDK gets no flack at all for some reason that it becomes somewhat laughable when everything gets nitpicked in TDKR.

It's just something about threequels. SM2 didn't catch any criticism for the rehash "damsel in distress" climax, but SM3 caught a ton of hell for it. Likewise, the camp in the first two movies didn't receive any criticism while it was suddenly a major sticking point for many people when they saw the third film.

The complaints about Batman quitting are laughable coming from people who worshiped BB/TDK, both movies that clearly show a Bruce Wayne who does not intend to be Batman forever. Nolan himself addressed this in a recent interview and said it was simply his interpretation of the character, not a direct adaptation of the most accepted comics version of the character. He pointed to the plane scene in Batman Begins where Bruce tells Alfred he wants to be a symbol for the people of Gotham. So then Nolan delivers this in TDKR and people have a gigantic freakout over it.

 

[Deserana]

The complaints about Batman quitting are laughable coming from people who worshiped BB/TDK, both movies that clearly show a Bruce Wayne who does not intend to be Batman forever. Nolan himself addressed this in a recent interview and said it was simply his interpretation of the character, not a direct adaptation of the most accepted comics version of the character. He pointed to the plane scene in Batman Begins where Bruce tells Alfred he wants to be a symbol for the people of Gotham. So then Nolan delivers this in TDKR and people have a gigantic freakout over it.

Nail on Head.

The Dark Knight Rises hate only stems from bitterly disappointed fanboys (a term I very rarely use) who don't like the direction Nolan took the film and were then unwilling to accept anything that happened. This was never a comic book Batman which was clearly demonstrated in BB yet in TDKR it is a major issue that Batman retires for 8 years because of the events in TDK (NOT JUST RACHEL). Also people had a ****storm because Bruce never figured out Tate as the "comics" Batman would have figured it out, I find it more unbelievable that Begins Bruce couldn't figure out the drugs were being supplied by Ra's as he felt the EXACT SAME effects with Ra's blue flower drug or at least suspect him. He knew the Leagues plan was to destroy Gotham.

Critics loved TDKR, the GA loved it, by far the majority of the fans loved it. I know this is only a tiny amount but I was looking at a thread on another site with about 40 posts on it that was "your top 5 films of 2012 so far", 18 of them listed TDKR somewhere in the list (mostly top) with a further 10 not even listing films but just talking. I've also not met one person who hated it (again crap research I know) only one person I know disliked it but that is someone who firmly believes the films should be like the comics. The only difference is, is that the haters are the more vocal bunch (please note I'm not saying the people who are hating it are wrong).

Yes I have one big issue (lack of Gotham perspective) but I can look over small logical points (and as a huge Nolan fan I'll happily admit when he gets it wrong) but with TDKR I'd never let my major issue impede my enjoyment of the film. With the story about Bruce he was trying to tell it wasn't really vital anyway. It was vital to an aspect of the story by not Bruce's, I'd never let that small negative out do the overwheling amount of things Nolan got right with this film. There are moments throughout TDKR that made me feel away I have never and will never experience in a movie theater again in my life. The Dark Knight Rises truly is a beautiful film IMO and even though when I reflect on it there are some things I wish he approached differently I can't shake the feeling that this film really is special.

 

[CapedCrusader14]

Nail on head Deserana. Nail on head.

 

[Hawkeye70000000]

Nicely put, Deserana.
I was surprised in BB Bruce didn't realize his mentor was behind it sooner, but remember he thought he killed ra's when he burned the LoS place and thus set the plan they had back a for awhile.

Also, I don't think batman was sideline for the 8 yrs that had past between films, only 3 yrs.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

This is the timeline I've put together thus far from the film:

• 8 years before before Bruce is sent to the Pit -> Batman's last sighting & outing/injured Bruce begins*; Gordon's "I believed in Harvey Dent" speech
  
• 3 years before before Bruce is sent to the Pit -> Pavel publishes weaponized fusion reaction research paper. Bruce confines himself to Wayne Manor after stopping the fusion reactor project that Miranda invested in
  
• 2 years before Bruce is sent to the Pit -> Wayne Foundation stops funding orphan boys homes
  
• 6 months before Bruce is sent to the Pit -> Bane abducts and fakes the death of Pavel
  
• 5 months before the nuclear bomb goes off -> Pavel turns the fusion reactor into the nuclear bomb after Miranda and Lucius authorize the reactor
  
• 2 months (roughly) before the nuclear bomb goes off / Day 84 of the siege of Gotham -> Bruce does pushups in the Pit while watching the TV
  
• 23 days before the nuclear bomb goes off -> Captain Jones meets with Lucius and Miranda; the special forces men are hung and Bruce watches on TV in the Pit (then destroys the TV) before making one last unsuccessful attempt to climb out
  
• 18 hours before the nuclear bomb goes off -> Gordon discusses finding the bomb truck and freaks out when Foley doesn't show up to the meeting
  
• ?? hours before the nuclear bomb goes off -> Bruce reveals himself to be alive and back in Gotham to Selina Kyle
  
• 12 hours before the nuclear bomb goes off -> Bruce meets with Lucius and Miranda as Selina Kyle arrives to free Bruce and Lucius
  
• 45 minutes before the nuclear bomb goes off -> Batman gives Selina the Batpod
  
• 11 minutes before the nuclear bomb goes off -> Time left when Talia figures out her signal to detonate the bomb has been blocked by Gordon
  
• 1 minute 57 seconds before the nuclear bomb goes off -> Batman hooks the bomb up to the Bat
  
• 6 months before Lucius meets with engineers to talk about the Bat -> the Bat's autopilot is fixed by Bruce

* Leg injured in the fall following Dent's fall at the end of TDK according to Chris Nolan (TDKR Special Features comment); reason for cane

 

[The Joker]

It's just something about threequels. SM2 didn't catch any criticism for the rehash "damsel in distress" climax, but SM3 caught a ton of hell for it. Likewise, the camp in the first two movies didn't receive any criticism while it was suddenly a major sticking point for many people when they saw the third film.

There's two reasons for that. Spider-Man 2's served a purpose. MJ found out Peter was Spider-Man and it was the catalyst for them to finally get together. Spider-Man 3's climax originally was supposed to be Gwen taken hostage, not MJ again. MJ's capture in SM-3 didn't serve any purpose like SM-1's and SM-2's.

The camp in SM-3 went into overdrive. Those dance scenes are iconic in terms of bad scenes in CBM movies. Ironic considering SM-3 was supposed to be the 'dark' one of the trilogy.

The complaints about Batman quitting are laughable coming from people who worshiped BB/TDK, both movies that clearly show a Bruce Wayne who does not intend to be Batman forever. Nolan himself addressed this in a recent interview and said it was simply his interpretation of the character, not a direct adaptation of the most accepted comics version of the character. He pointed to the plane scene in Batman Begins where Bruce tells Alfred he wants to be a symbol for the people of Gotham. So then Nolan delivers this in TDKR and people have a gigantic freakout over it.

This is probably because in TDK Rachel leaves Bruce because she believes he's always going to need Batman. Then Joker says they are destined to do battle forever. Alfred says Batman can endure. Gordon says they'll hunt him because he can take it, and he is christened a Dark Knight at the end. None of this implied Batman was going to quit for years.

Then TDKR tells us he quit that very night, which means everything said there was meaningless. He did not endure any hatred or being hunted, because he threw in the towel.

It's not hard to see why so many were peeved.

 

[redfirebird2008]

There's two reasons for that. Spider-Man 2's served a purpose. MJ found out Peter was Spider-Man and it was the catalyst for them to finally get together. Spider-Man 3's climax originally was supposed to be Gwen taken hostage, not MJ again. MJ's capture in SM-3 didn't serve any purpose like SM-1's and SM-2's.

The camp in SM-3 went into overdrive. Those dance scenes are iconic in terms of bad scenes in CBM movies. Ironic considering SM-3 was supposed to be the 'dark' one of the trilogy.



This is probably because in TDK Rachel leaves Bruce because she believes he's always going to need Batman. Then Joker says they are destined to do battle forever. Alfred says Batman can endure. Gordon says they'll hunt him because he can take it, and he is christened a Dark Knight at the end. None of this implied Batman was going to quit for years.

Then TDKR tells us he quit that very night, which means everything said there was meaningless. He did not endure any hatred or being hunted, because he threw in the towel.

It's not hard to see why so many were peeved.

He didn't magically change in TDK despite all the bullcrap dialogue from other characters. In that film, he attempts to quit so he can steal Rachel from Harvey. There is a whole lot of "quit" in this version of the character and there has been from the very beginning of the trilogy.

 

[The Joker]

He didn't magically change in TDK despite all the bullcrap dialogue from other characters.

Bull crap dialogue? So Nolan had all his key characters say all of that in the movie for no reason other than giggles did he? Yes, that really sounds like Nolan's style.

In that film, he attempts to quit so he can steal Rachel from Harvey. There is a whole lot of "quit" in this version of the character and there has been from the very beginning of the trilogy.

"You're the symbol of hope I can never be. Your stand against organized crime is the first legitimate ray of light in Gotham in decades"

"Harvey is that hero. He locked up half of the city's criminals and he did it without wearing a mask. Gotham needs a hero with a face"

"I have enough blood on my hands. I've seen now what I would have to become to stop men like him"

Where does any of this imply he was quitting so he could steal Rachel from Harvey? Is your opinion of Nolan's Bruce that low that he would hand over Gotham's safety to Dent just because he wants Rachel?

Bull.

I'll never ever understand why a handful of people say that. Yes, he wanted to quit being Batman eventually. Dent himself even says this; "Who ever the Batman is he doesn't want to do this for the rest of his life. How could he? Batman is looking for someone to take over his mantle".

This is not the part that you see the big complaints about. The ending was totally in context with what Nolan established with the character's intentions, with Bruce retiring, and Gotham being inspired by him. I loved it, thought it worked as a perfect ending, especially with him ending up with Selina, who I think is the one love interest from the comics Bruce would end up with if he ever got a happy ever after. It's the 8 years of quitting which flies in the faces of all the aforementioned elements of TDK. Barely anyone was even thinking Batman was going to quit after TDK's ending. Total opposite. People were thinking Batman spent X amount of time being hated and hunted.

It was only when Nolan revealed there was an 8 year gap did the possibility of retirement come into people's minds;

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=379863&highlight=active

Even then as you can see the majority still thought he was active even when we learned of the 8 year gap. It was that hard to fathom he could have quit for so long given what we were told in TDK.

 

[Anno_Domini]

Nail on Head.

The Dark Knight Rises hate only stems from bitterly disappointed fanboys (a term I very rarely use) who don't like the direction Nolan took the film and were then unwilling to accept anything that happened. This was never a comic book Batman which was clearly demonstrated in BB yet in TDKR it is a major issue that Batman retires for 8 years because of the events in TDK (NOT JUST RACHEL). Also people had a ****storm because Bruce never figured out Tate as the "comics" Batman would have figured it out, I find it more unbelievable that Begins Bruce couldn't figure out the drugs were being supplied by Ra's as he felt the EXACT SAME effects with Ra's blue flower drug or at least suspect him. He knew the Leagues plan was to destroy Gotham.

Critics loved TDKR, the GA loved it, by far the majority of the fans loved it. I know this is only a tiny amount but I was looking at a thread on another site with about 40 posts on it that was "your top 5 films of 2012 so far", 18 of them listed TDKR somewhere in the list (mostly top) with a further 10 not even listing films but just talking. I've also not met one person who hated it (again crap research I know) only one person I know disliked it but that is someone who firmly believes the films should be like the comics. The only difference is, is that the haters are the more vocal bunch (please note I'm not saying the people who are hating it are wrong).

Yes I have one big issue (lack of Gotham perspective) but I can look over small logical points (and as a huge Nolan fan I'll happily admit when he gets it wrong) but with TDKR I'd never let my major issue impede my enjoyment of the film. With the story about Bruce he was trying to tell it wasn't really vital anyway. It was vital to an aspect of the story by not Bruce's, I'd never let that small negative out do the overwheling amount of things Nolan got right with this film. There are moments throughout TDKR that made me feel away I have never and will never experience in a movie theater again in my life. The Dark Knight Rises truly is a beautiful film IMO and even though when I reflect on it there are some things I wish he approached differently I can't shake the feeling that this film really is special.

Marvelous post.

 

[Fudgie]

Nail on Head.

The Dark Knight Rises hate only stems from bitterly disappointed fanboys (a term I very rarely use) who don't like the direction Nolan took the film and were then unwilling to accept anything that happened. This was never a comic book Batman which was clearly demonstrated in BB yet in TDKR it is a major issue that Batman retires for 8 years because of the events in TDK (NOT JUST RACHEL). Also people had a ****storm because Bruce never figured out Tate as the "comics" Batman would have figured it out, I find it more unbelievable that Begins Bruce couldn't figure out the drugs were being supplied by Ra's as he felt the EXACT SAME effects with Ra's blue flower drug or at least suspect him. He knew the Leagues plan was to destroy Gotham.

Critics loved TDKR, the GA loved it, by far the majority of the fans loved it. I know this is only a tiny amount but I was looking at a thread on another site with about 40 posts on it that was "your top 5 films of 2012 so far", 18 of them listed TDKR somewhere in the list (mostly top) with a further 10 not even listing films but just talking. I've also not met one person who hated it (again crap research I know) only one person I know disliked it but that is someone who firmly believes the films should be like the comics. The only difference is, is that the haters are the more vocal bunch (please note I'm not saying the people who are hating it are wrong).

Yes I have one big issue (lack of Gotham perspective) but I can look over small logical points (and as a huge Nolan fan I'll happily admit when he gets it wrong) but with TDKR I'd never let my major issue impede my enjoyment of the film. With the story about Bruce he was trying to tell it wasn't really vital anyway. It was vital to an aspect of the story by not Bruce's, I'd never let that small negative out do the overwheling amount of things Nolan got right with this film. There are moments throughout TDKR that made me feel away I have never and will never experience in a movie theater again in my life. The Dark Knight Rises truly is a beautiful film IMO and even though when I reflect on it there are some things I wish he approached differently I can't shake the feeling that this film really is special.

The audiences and critics loved Avatar too, mon ami.

Ya can find a zillion sources that list it as one of the top 5 flicks of 2009

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-12-18/...perts-choose-20-best-top-movies?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ

http://blog.moviefone.com/2009/12/22/best-movies-of-2009/

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/12/the-25-best-movies-of-2009.html?p=5

http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/quentin-tarantino-adds-avatar-to-his-top-11-films-of-2009/

http://entertainment.time.com/2012/05/17/top-10-movies-of-the-millennium/slide/avatar-2009-u-s/

http://techcrunch.com/2009/12/29/fl...9-movies-avatar-star-trek-and-the-blind-side/

Ya get the idea. It doesn't change the fact that a crap load of people slam the hell out of it. Rises is in the same boat.

 

[Anno_Domini]

How small do you think the world is that you say a "crap load of people" slam TDKR?

 

[Fudgie]

How small do you think the world is that you say a "crap load of people" slam TDKR?

Small enough for it to be easy to find lots of criticisms for it like Avatar.

 

[Anno_Domini]

Hah.

Go on thinking that.

 

[weezerspider]

I don't know, a lot of the stuff they seem super confused about in the video is directly explained or implied in the film. I wouldn't even call this nitpicking. I'd call it someone who didn't pay much attention.

Batman and Bruce dying on the same day isn't a plot hole at all. Bane's revolution was against the rich. The riot montage was showing the audience that many of Gotham's wealthy were being killed. This paved the way for Batman to fake his death.

He mopes around for 8 years because the Dent Act makes Batman un-needed in Gotham. Alfred even mentions this in DIRECT dialogue. "You're just waiting for things to go bad again". The 'magic' knee brace is a nod to TDKReturns and his limp/injury was more psychological than physical.

Bane explains his plan directly during the prison scene....not so complicated. It wasn't one riot, it was a montage and historically, most cities taken siege under occupation are deserted looking.

Regarding, background checks, Selina probably just showed up in disguise...at an event like that there are probably like 50+ waitresses/maids. Bruce not doing a background check or anything on Miranda is directly referred to in dialogue. Miranda "You can't save the world without first trusting it. Bruce "I'm trusting YOU". This was a big moment for Bruce which is why it was so devastating to him when she stabbed him in the back. He put his trust in her and in Selina. He's stabbed by Miranda and when it looks like he's lost hope in people, Selina saves him, redeeming this new quality about trusting other people, which leads to his character arc's conclusion at the end of the film.

Regarding "wasting hours making a fire bat symbol": One, Batman's greatest weapon is his theatrics. That was a huge theme in Begins and in TDK when he faced someone more theatrical than him. Two, Batman learned he could not face Bane in the shadows because as Bane says "They belong to me". So he adjusted his plan to go straight for Bane in the open, DAY light. Bruce was waiting for sunrise before the big shenangins regardless. Might as well make something that will make half Bane's goons **** their pants while your waiting.

Bane didn't break Bruce's back. He messed up one vertebrae or something.

Miranda killing Bruce 'when she had the chance' defeats the whole purpose of the plan, which as I said, Bane explains pretty easily in the prison scene.

Blake, Lucious and Mr. Reese are the only people to figure out Bruce is Batman.

Funny video, but most of that stuff is pretty easy to grasp.

Also, Batman isn't in The Bat before the explosion goes off and he certainly doesn't swim to safety. Nolan shouldn't have to explain every last detail( actually that's many people's problem with Inception). And yes gimmicks were used to trick the audience at the end. It was intentional, not a plot hole. The cinematography for said scene gives it away. The use of close ups doesn't allow us to see exactly where Batman is. Judging by the edges of the shots, we see the cockpit and assume The Bat. Doesn't mean it is. The Bat could have an escape pod....who knows. The point is when Nolan reveals the autopilot worked, he's telling us just that. Why would he wait until the last second and jump out and then use the auto pilot? He wouldn't, that's common sense. The ending shouldn't have to be completely explained and that's part of the fun. Theorizing how Bats did it. But most of the plot points are very clear the first go around. It still cracks me up that 5 minutes of screen time is dedicated to Bane breaking down his plan to Bruce and still no one seems to get it. Maybe they just can't understand Bane.

 

[BatLobster]

Great post weezerspider.

 

[Hawkeye70000000]

Where does any of this imply he was quitting so he could steal Rachel from Harvey? Is your opinion of Nolan's Bruce that low that he would hand over Gotham's safety to Dent just because he wants Rachel?

Recall at the end of BB Rachel tells him they can't be together b/c he is batman. The only way he can be with Rachel is if he can fine someone to be thee face of justice and have no need for the existence of batman. With Harvey seemingly the guy to take his spot it seems like he could finally be with rachel, but there is one problem, she was dating Harvey. The only way the can be together is to 'steal' her away from Harvey.

As far as him quitting thing, Bruce was looking for a way to be with Rachel. When her character died that is when Bruce needed to be batman and we told that in the letter that Alfred burned that was from Rachel.



Great post by weezerspider.
I would like to mention that their are several types of one 'breaking their back'. Ranging from not serious to very serious, as well as from stable to unstable conditions when looking at the complete spinal system that is our back. So three months plausible considering the type of break it was. Also, their was a doctor in the prison to help him. I believe he was a radical type doctor that lost his credentials. Need rewatch that to get the doc's reason for being there.

 

[Fudgie]

Hah.

Go on thinking that.

Ta for the permission. I like believing in the truth.

Recall at the end of BB Rachel tells him they can't be together b/c he is batman. The only way he can be with Rachel is if he can fine someone to be thee face of justice and have no need for the existence of batman. With Harvey seemingly the guy to take his spot it seems like he could finally be with rachel, but there is one problem, she was dating Harvey. The only way the can be together is to 'steal' her away from Harvey.

As far as him quitting thing, Bruce was looking for a way to be with Rachel. When her character died that is when Bruce needed to be batman and we told that in the letter that Alfred burned that was from Rachel.

Ehhh I don't think you got the point of the flick at all. The idea was that Dent was a better hero than Batman cos he was the hero with the face that people can identify with and believe in.

It was after Dent showed he was the hero by locking up half of the criminals that Bruce said to Rachel that Batman's time is nearly up and they could be together. He did it for Gotham. He does everything for Gotham. Like taking the fall for Dent. All for Gotham.

He was already Bats again before Alfie told him the harsh truth about the letter.

Simples.

 

[Anno_Domini]

Ta for the permission. I like believing in the truth.

Actually start then.

 

[Fudgie]

Actually start then.

Been doing it all my life. Prove me wrong.

 

[Anno_Domini]

Been doing it all my life. Prove me wrong.

Your idea that TDKR has a lot of haters have already proved you wrong my friend.

 

[Fudgie]

Your idea that TDKR has a lot of haters have already proved you wrong my friend.

It does have a lot of haters. I asked ya to prove me wrong. Ya haven't. Ya just always use your box office excuse. I used Avatar as an analogy. It's got the high scores, the money, the lists where it was named best flick of the year and all that jazz. But we all know it gets slammed to hell by loads of people. Same as Rises.

 

[atomicbattery]

I saw Chris Gore on AOTS, and, of course, read Harry Knowles review, and now this, where they 'call bulls**t' that Batman would quit over the death of Rachel.
But I never got that from my viewings of the film. Am I wrong?
I thought that it was pretty explicitly stated at the very beginning that 'The Lie' had worked ('No city is without crime- but Gotham City is without organized crime' -or something like that. Blake saying to Gordon- paraphrasing- 'we're going to have to start arresting people for overdue library books'). I understood this as part of the Nolan thesis that the problems in Gotham had been simply papered over.
I thought that Bruce Wayne had withdrawn from life because of the death of Rachel, which is an entirely different thing.
Did I misunderstand this?
I thought that it was pretty clear.

 

[The Joker]

Ehhh I don't think you got the point of the flick at all. The idea was that Dent was a better hero than Batman cos he was the hero with the face that people can identify with and believe in.

It was after Dent showed he was the hero by locking up half of the criminals that Bruce said to Rachel that Batman's time is nearly up and they could be together. He did it for Gotham. He does everything for Gotham. Like taking the fall for Dent. All for Gotham.

He was already Bats again before Alfie told him the harsh truth about the letter.

Simples.

Exactly.

Of course he wanted to be with Rachel. But she was not the defining reason for him wanting to hand over the city's safety to Dent. He genuinely believed in Dent. But he didn't just say Dent is the man for the job just like that. He made Dent prove himself first by getting him Lau and see if he could get him to talk and deliver the convictions. And he did. In spades. He locked up half of the city's criminals. More of a victory over the mob than Batman ever achieved by himself.

I saw Chris Gore on AOTS, and, of course, read Harry Knowles review, and now this, where they 'call bulls**t' that Batman would quit over the death of Rachel.
But I never got that from my viewings of the film. Am I wrong?
I thought that it was pretty explicitly stated at the very beginning that 'The Lie' had worked ('No city is without crime- but Gotham City is without organized crime' -or something like that. Blake saying to Gordon- paraphrasing- 'we're going to have to start arresting people for overdue library books').
I thought that Bruce Wayne had withdrawn from life because of the death of Rachel, which is an entirely different thing.
Did I misunderstand this?
I thought that it was pretty clear.

You're not wrong. It's spelled out in the movie.

Gordon: "We were in this together, and then you were gone"
Bruce: "The Batman wasn't needed any more. We won"
Gordon: "Based on a lie"

Rachel's death was what had caused him to withdraw from trying to find a normal life as Bruce Wayne;

Alfred: "You hung up your cape and your cowl but you never moved on. You never tried to find a life....to find someone"
Bruce: "Alfred, I did find someone"
Alfred: "I know, and you lost 'em. But that's all part of living"

Alfred: "You used to talk about a life beyond that awful cave"
Bruce: "Alfred, Rachel died knowing we had decided to be together. I can't just move on. She didn't. She couldn't"
Alfred: "What if she had?"
Bruce: "She didn't...I can't change that"
Alfred: "What if before she died she wrote a letter saying she chose Harvey Dent over you.....and what if to spare you pain I burnt that letter"
Bruce: "How dare you use Rachel to try and stop me"
Alfred: "I am using the truth, Master Wayne. Perhaps it's time we all stopped trying to out smart the truth and let it have it's day. I'm sorry"
Bruce: "You're sorry. You expect to destroy my world and then think we're going to shake hands?"

Some people place way too much emphasis on Rachel's effect on his life as Batman. He did not want to quit being Batman just to be with her any more than he stopped being Batman after TDK because she died.