I hate to veer off-topic, but this is an issue that must be addressed immediately.
Why Crime Alley Isn't In the Narrows
On the contrary I think it's very much so specified that "The Narrows" is the worst district in Gotham according to "Begins." And in comic book continuity, to which every form of Batman media was derived from, the Waynes were murdered in the worst district in Gotham.
First of all, what would an opera-house be doing in the Narrows in the first place? According to the Begins visual guide, the Narrows was an old housing project that was badly planned. I see no reason as to why they'd have an opera-house in the middle of the projects.
Second of all, a little research shows that there is no indication that the opera house was in the Narrows. The image below is one of the last shots before the movie transitions with the singing, then to the opera itself. The train is heading for Wayne Tower, and it's safe to assume that Crime Alley/the theater is there as well.
And if you look at other sources (the Batman Begins comic book adaptation), Bruce and family get off the train right in front of Wayne Enterprises--even more proof that Crime Alley is somewhere in that location.
And according to the comics it's "Crime Alley."
I was just putting two and two together. "The Narrows" is just a name Nolan and Goyer re-named "Crime Alley" with. Why I have no idea...
It has nothing to do with comic book accuracy. Nolan and Goyer made up the Narrows not to replace Crime Alley, but to make a new location that would suit the story better. Ra's wanted to attack the dirtiest, most infested part of the city first, so it was suitable to create a new location. In this case, the Narrows.
First the pronounciation of Ras' Al Ghul NOW the casting away of "Crime Alley." I just can't believe Nolan, Goyer and apparently Bat-Fans on SHH would just refuse to keep decades of comic books in mind.
Dennis O'Neal created Ras' Al Ghul and for 3 decades his name has been pronounced by his own creator and everyone involved with continuing Ras' use a certain way. Then suddenly "Begins" comes along and mis-pronounces that name and everyone thinks "Begins" is grounds enough to ignore it's pronounciation from now to back in the 70s.
And now same with "Crime Alley." "Crime Alley" is what "The Narrows" should've been called; fans who read the books and watched the animated series would be able to see that clearly.
I really don't see what the Ra's Al Ghul mispronounciation has to do with anything.
I'm not defending Nolan here, but what's wrong with creating a new setting in Gotham City? He didn't ignore the Crime Alley reference from the comics--it's still THERE, as I showed in the pictures above. He didn't take away that, he ADDED a new district to the city, making the setting that much richer.
The Narrows is not Crime Alley. The area where the Waynes got killed which was:
-Outside the theater...
-Near Wayne Tower...
...
IS Crime Alley, it just wasn't downright given a name or even referred to for that matter. The Narrows is something else entirely.
That's all I have to say on this subject. You may now proceed to on-topic goodness.
