The Dark Knight Rises Sarah Essen

[protoctista]

Had a look but couldn't find a thread on Sarah... shoot me if I'm wrong.


So do you think Sarah should be in the sequel to TDK?

She could potentially provide a really interesting dynamic for the new Commissioner's life. We saw some of Jim Gordon's family life in TDK, how about screwing it over for the sake of dramatic satisfaction? An affair could add a dimension to the brilliant portrayal by Gary Oldman.

Sarah Essen is also a brilliant character. Feisty, driven and powerful without being super, she's got balls but is still sexy, and has ideals but is still flexible.


Who could play her?

Remembering of course the age of Gary Oldman (50), we can't go suggesting red-haired hotties; she has to look like she could feasibly have a relationship with Oldman on screen.


What role, other than a love-triangle situation with Gordon and his wife, should she have in the plot? Assigned to hunt down Batman? Put in mortal peril?

 

[Ziggyman]

Yeah...I've always thought she should be in a sequel...

Not so sure who could play her though!

 

[Matt.S99]

Julianne Moore? Miranda Otto? Maybe?

 

[Ziggyman]

^batboy...Julianne Moore is first woman that came to mind...!

But...She doesn't seem gritty enough!

 

[protoctista]

Rene Russo, of Thomas Crown Affair fame.


She's a bit older than Gary Oldman, but she's doesn't look too old.

 

[protoctista]

I think Otto's a bit too young

 

[Ziggyman]

She may be too young...But I'm up for Charlize!

 

[protoctista]

Everyone's up for Charlize

 

[Victarion]

Maybe. It seems like Gordon will have enough to deal with in the next movie though. Then again, the Nolans could probably make it work without feeling too crowded.

 

[Sky Captain]

I like Naomi Watts. Just me? Okay.

 

[elgato]

I'm up for Julianne Moore, she's perfect, tho, if you think it for a moment, if Uma Thurman hadn't played Ivy in B&R, she would be perfect now for the role (38)

 

[Melkay]

I wouldn't have Essen in the new. Let's take somespotlights off Gordon. Some attention must be taken from him and his life and redirected to Bruce/Batman. This new movie should be first and foremost about Batman, and I don't know how feasible that is having to pay attention to a Gordon with his new illicit affair, and new villains that would have enough trouble just for coming after Ledger's Joker. The third film may be a crowded one, I think I could spare Essen.

 

[Ronny Shade]

I'd rather we focus on Gordon dealing with crime and Batman than dealing with women.

I'd also rather we give Batman a foil character rather than Gordon.

I'd say keep her out of it. She doesn't really serve a purpose.

 

[Laderlappen]

Can anybody answer me this. Why is it that whenever people talk suggestions for very minor characters, they pick the biggest actors/actresses out there, and while we're talking about major character its often unknowns?

 

[Ronny Shade]

Probably because the people who bother to cast minor characters don't look past the obvious.

 

[Robin91939]

Essen's main purpose was to provide the mob with leverage on an otherwise spotless Gordon. Sure she was developed after that but that was original purpose. Plus, in Year One, The Long Halloween and Dark Victory Gordon's marriage is shown to be in crisis and constant flux...in the movies he has a pretty stable relationship...there is no need to break up the happy home. Another point, is that Essen's second best purpose, was to die an honorable death by saving an infant then being killed by the Joker. This was all in the attempt to drive Gordon mad... this has already been done by the Joker killing Rachel to drive Dent mad.

There is no story driven purpose to adding her at this point.

-R

 

[protoctista]

I don't think she'd need to have a large role, so the issues about her 'taking up too much time' are in my opinion null. She'd be an interesting character - a sort of 'Ramirez' style role that's expanded to suggest closer intimacy with Gordon. There doesn't have to be an explicit affair - the affair could be more philosophical; in that Gordon moves away from his wife and towards Essen in ways that makes him feel uncomfortable.



What role would she play in the plot? Well besides having a direct integration with the action (she'd be on the police force, so she'd be doing whatever the GPD get up to) she'd be another cog in the emotional mechanism.

It would mean that Gordon has an intimate attraction to someone on the battlefield with him - his attachment would up the stakes. If a faceless GPD officer gets shot, it's meaningless to us, but if Sarah Essen goes into danger - even if it's just her going into a dangerous situation and not being actually targetted, we're a little bit more invested in the outcomes. Gordon has more at stake.

If she took Gordon's old job, it would help distinguish to the audience his promotion.

She could provide another source of antagonism if she was assigned to the hunt for batman - as Gordon would be trying to act against her without being overt. She could also provide a nice insight into Gordon's moral drive, his motivation - both in their closer moments and in the moments when they disagree.

It would also help show that there is a life outside of the action and crime - that what Gordon and Batman are both fighting for are the real people caught up in it - not just the eradication of evil and the defence of an ideal.



Granted a full blown affair story would take time, and could detract from the action. But providing emotional pressure to Gordon, as well as fitting in fluently with the events from tDK (there is a career shift in the wake of Gordon's promotion) could be really interesting in creating a complex plot situation where multiple parties have multiple agendas and different priorities.

 

[Ronny Shade]

Any reason for Essen is for Gordon's character. I'd prefer if we focused more on Batman.

 

[protoctista]

I love Gordon, so I wouldn't have a problem finding more about him.


And as for shifting the focus away from Batman - Batman and Gordon are now inextricably linked. They're partners in crime - a cover-up. They're partners ideologically - and are both evading Batman's capture from the law, and they're doing the same job - protecting Gotham from crime.

I'd really enjoy a film which directly drew the lines between Batman and Gordon's differences - after all, it's as important to say what Batman is not (by comparing him to Gordon) as to say what he is.

If Gordon has the the same number of pressures as Batman, it makes them more comparable.


Also, as stated above, it can provide antagonism. If Essen is on the team assigned to jail Batman, then her inclusion can allow us to focus on a force within the GPD that is against Batman, as well as the force that is pro-batman (Gordon).

In the end, all these things hold up mirrors or antithesis to Batman's psychology and morality.

 

[Ronny Shade]

Its all good, but if we're going to have more than one villain in 3 I don't think we'd have time for it.

If it were a TV show I'd give Gordon Essen and Bats Catwoman and draw parallels over a whole season or two.

 

[Laderlappen]

I think if they make a 3rd it should be less about the villians than TDK. Then there's time to give some more focus on Gordon.

 

[Ronny Shade]

I think BB3 should have these priorities:
1. Batman
2. Villains
3. Gotham City
4. Gordon

in that order

 

[protoctista]

Think about what new elements are going to be introduced (in my proposal);
- Main Villain (Say, Riddler)
- Catwoman (or if you prefer, a minor villain)
- Some form of new Mob activity
- Sarah Essen
- The hunt for Batman



Compare that to TDK:
- Main Villain (Joker)
- Harvey Dent/Two-face arch
- Sal Maroni, the Chechen etc
- Lau (similar in terms of screen time to how I would see Essen)
- Players like the mayor, Ramirez, Mr Reece

On top of that Rachel Dawes is no longer there.


So my proposed idea with the inclusion of Sarah Essen has plenty of time to work with all factors considering how tDK manage to do this with a similar amount of story to tell. And Sarah Essen would be inextricably linked to a major plot point anyway - the hunt for Batman.

I think she would fit seamlessly into the plot.

 

[Ronny Shade]

actually, now that I'm thinking about it, Essen could be a really good as in charge of the hunt for Batman. Like Yindel was in DKR.

I'm liking this now. Gordon could be conflicted over whether Batman is still doing the right thing...talking with Essen about it, debating whether or not to tell her about the cover-up as they get close...

I'm convinced.

 

[protoctista]

TDK showed how Nolan's screenplay was able to introduce new ideas as well as advance the plot. The 'pencil trick' meeting introduced all the mob players, the Joker and Lau. It set up their relationship perfectly and was exciting. It also got the plot well and truly rolling. So yeah there's a lot of new stuff to introduce, develop and conclude, but it's been shown to be possible before.


I imagine a scene in which the Major Crimes unit is being briefed by Gordon as to the search for Batman, and Gordon briefly introduces Lieutenant Essen as a transfer from Chicago - in a way that instantly presents her character and suggests at her relation to Gordon (akin to the above example). Then we have the plot ball rolling, a new character introduced without any big introductory time used up, and a great new challenging insight into Gordon as a man and his ideals.

3 minutes tops.