The Dark Knight Rises Why did they wait 5months to blow up the city

[BatLobster]

Not to mention that Gotham was now no more corrupt than any other city due to the Dent Act, so there was no need for LOS to want to destroy it anymore.

Bane was just ***** whipped. Talia was obviously the one running the show

The League obviously saw the Dent Act a mere a band-aid over a much larger problem. They are primarily seeking out what they view as the "natural balance". This doesn't necessarily equate to them seeking to attack cities with high crime rates and corruption. White collar crime, the widening gap between the rich and the poor...these are the things that are still allowed to thrive under a "crime-free" Gotham. The things that are a part of modernized, urban life that seemingly never really change. It's all there in the subtext of the film. I think the League sees Gotham, and by extension America as bloated and decadent, in need of being leveled to the ground so it can be rebuilt as something more pure and decent, and the entire world can see its destruction as some kind of twisted cautionary tale.

Now, did Talia want revenge? Sure she did. But say, Bruce had also died in the train crash 8 years prior...I still believe she would have come back to fulfill her father's destiny and destroy Gotham. So revenge on Bruce isn't a pure motivating factor, but rather a "reward for her patience" as she puts it.

 

[jmc]

Because the film would have been short had they done so. Sadly, this area is one that bugs me to no end. I know it's a movie and all but I for the life of me cannot accept that it was the best way to handle the nuke plot device, especially from this group of people.

 

[kewlmatto]

Because the film would have been short had they done so. Sadly, this area is one that bugs me to no end. I know it's a movie and all but I for the life of me cannot accept that it was the best way to handle the nuke plot device, especially from this group of people.

Agreed. No matter how much Nolan tried to dress it up, you could see it for what it was - a plot device.

The ticking bomb trope has been so overdone. I think it would have been better if it wasn't going to blow up no matter what, and Bane and Talia did genuinely want to rewrite Gotham from scratch rather than destroy it.

And Bane's anger towards Batman doesn't feel justified. If it were more personal, I could see his explanation working much better.

 

[edmetalhands]

the bomb might have worked better if we had some sense of time passing...it goes from 5 months to detination,to one day,to 10 minutes...like the 8 year gap,so much could have happened in that time but we are told that without batman gotham goes into inertia.

 

[747]

Two word answer – false hope.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

And Bane's anger towards Batman doesn't feel justified. If it were more personal, I could see his explanation working much better.

Except Bane wasn't angry at Bruce. Bane was an egotistical terrorist who felt compelled to honor Ra's after he saved his life from The Pit. In reality, I don't believe Bane was all that broken up about Ra's death, especially since he was excommunicated by him. In TDKR, Bane feels that he is The League of Shadows, and is taking revenge on Bruce for not only killing Ra's but moreso for betraying The League. In retrospect, Bruce double-crossing The League likely had a bigger effect on Bane. The dialogue between the two in the sewers points to that:

Bane: "Theatricality and deception are powerful agents to the uninitiated, but we are initiated, aren't we Bruce? Members of The League of Shadows!... And you betrayed us!"

Bruce: "You were excommunicated by a gang of psychopaths!"

Bane: "I am The League of Shadows!"


As for the ticking bomb concept, yes, it's been done to death but so has everything else like the hero always being victorious over the villain.

 

[BatLobster]

At least the film thematically justified itself with the "no despair without hope" element. This thread of the film is carried all the way through from Bane/Talia's time in the pit, to Bruce being thrown in the pit and the way Bane takes over Gotham, to Blake's character chalking up the bat-logo and Batman burning the symbol on the bridge, topped off with the scene of Blake and the kids on the bridge.

In Batman Begins there's a struggle between the good guys using fear and the bad guys using fear. In TDKR there's a struggle between the bad guys using hope and the good guys using hope.

 

[Golgo-13]

Bane has a line just before killing Dagget about ending the "borrowed time" Gotham had been living on. In his mind as well as Talia's, Gotham should have been destroyed the first time around but Batman prevented it. The improvements that were made since then were largely irrelevant to them, especially since they were largely based on a lie. There's also evidence in the film that shows corruption still existing with the poorly behaving politicians and whatnot. The point is that Batman only delayed the inevitable.

Bane didn't know about the 'lie' until he read Gordon's letter, and by that time the plan was already underway.

Was Gotham anymore corrupt, politically than any other city in the US?

It was obvious that Talia was pushing the issue. The plot seemed forced.

 

[Micromind]

Was Gotham anymore corrupt, politically than any other city in the US?

In DC Universe, Gotham is the most corrupt City in the World.

 

[BlueLantern]

Yah....it's as stupid as terrorists sacrificing their lives for something they view as a bigger picture.

Oh, wait, Bane and the rest of the League ARE terrorists

They only wanted to fulfill Ra's al Ghul's destiny. After that, I doubt the League's remnants had any plans to live, and that includes Talia.

The only issue I have with their self-sacrifice is this :-

The League of Shadows has been a check against human corruption for thousands of years. We sacked Rome, loaded trade ships with plague rats. Burned London to the ground. Every time a civilization reaches the pinnacle of its decadence, we return to restore the balance.

Who then sticks around to continue the League of Shadows' legacy?

 

[Micromind]

Except, Talia and Bane were not going to sacrifice themselves as per their "original" plan (IMO.).

They were going to get out before pressing the trigger, but Batman's return to Gotham to foil their plan forced them to stay till the end, to ensure that their plan is carried out.

The scene where Talia says final goodbye to Bane where Bane got tearful, indicated that they were not mentally prepared to sacrifice themselves initially, but were forced to do so, hence the part where Bane gets sentimental.

 

[Sharkboy]

The whole idea has always been the people...over the structures themselves. To destroy the city is one thing, but to have the very people that make up the city, the community...destroy themselves. That's the point, that's the idea that ra's and joker wanted to illustrate to bruce and the world, "when the chips are down these civilized people will eat each other", that these people aren't innocent when pushed to the limit, given the right circumstances, everyone will always turn into savages, killing each other. Bane's plan was just a continuation of this all, giving them all hope, having them all live in the shadow of death only to show Bruce how his idea of inspiring the people of gotham to take matters in their own hands, is futile.

The great thing about bane's plan is that it's almost mocking Bruce's own plan, he himself rallies the masses, and tells them to take control of their city, but his twisted way only incites violence, in a way Bane is doing what the cops and the authorities thought batman was doing all along, inciting violence.

It's what makes the ending so much sweeter, as Batman rallies the cops and his friends to save the city, bruce makes the final play, he makes the sacrifice, but it's an aided effort by selina, gordon, lucius, blake, the cops etc etc...everyone works together to save the city, and in the end they are all inspired...even though they are in a much worse gotham than they started the film in, it's a peace based on truth and a real inspiration guiding them forward...not peace based on a lie, or a fake hero (harvey dent)

Seriously all of this is explained in the film itself....sometimes i really think people don't watch these films properly, maybe Nolan really does make blockbusters that fly over peoples heads.

 

[Viper81]

It might have been alright if the whole trigger man thing was just a bluff in the end and the real idea was to allow the core to decay to go off?

This x 1000

That whole plot line would have made a lot more sense in this case. Then, it would have been a matter of having to wait for the bomb to go off than just ego. This was simply sloppy writing.

I still love the movie, though, but the trigger plot was really convoluted.

 

[Micromind]

Bane's Quotes from the movie say it clearly -

"Behind you stands a symbol of oppression... Blackgate Prison. Where thousands of men have languished for years. Under the Dent Act. Under the name of this man. Harvey Dent. Held up to-and over you-as a shining example of justice and good... But they supplied you a false idol, A straw man to placate you. To stop you from tearing down this cottupt city... and rebuiding it the way it should have been rebuilt, generations ago.

Bane wanted to incite people against Gotham's Institutions of Governance.
He wanted to shatter the trust people had in the administration.

One more Bane's Quote further illustrates this point -
"For an army will be raised... The powerful will be ripped from their decadent nests... And cast into the cold world the rest of us have known annd endured... Courts will be converted... The spoils will be enjoyed... Blood will be shed..."

Here he wants start a mass movement against the rich and corrupt of Gotham, but that is only a part of his plan to destroy the City from within, before he delivers a final blow to burn it to ashes. He does this according to plan of Ra's al ghul.

It's what makes the ending so much sweeter, as Batman rallies the cops and his friends to save the city, bruce makes the final play, he makes the sacrifice, but it's an aided effort by selina, gordon, lucius, blake, the cops etc etc...everyone works together to save the city, and in the end they are all inspired...even though they are in a much worse gotham than they started the film in, it's a peace based on truth and a real inspiration guiding them forward...not peace based on a lie, or a fake hero (harvey dent)

Seriously all of this is explained in the film itself....sometimes i really think people don't watch these films properly, maybe Nolan really does make blockbusters that fly over peoples heads.

Also, This. t:

 

[Micromind]

This x 1000

That whole plot line would have made a lot more sense in this case. Then, it would have been a matter of having to wait for the bomb to go off than just ego. This was simply sloppy writing.

I still love the movie, though, but the trigger plot was really convoluted.

Bane did not use the Trigger did he ? He had to give the threat of pressing the trigger to keep Army away from Gotham, and he wanted Gotham to destroy itself till the day the bomb core decays, (I also think that he planned to escape from the city before that.) but all his scheme thrown out due to appearance of Batman.(something that Bane was not expecting to happen)

 

[Viper81]

Bane did not use the Trigger did he ? He had to give the threat of pressing the trigger to keep Army away from Gotham, and he wanted to Gotham destroy itself till the day the bomb core decays, (I also think that he planned to escape from the city before that.) but all his scheme thrown out due to appearance of Batman.(something that Bane was not expecting to happen)

Yes, but what I'm saying is that the 5 month plot would work a lot better if the audience knows the trigger is a bluff. It would work better if it was revealed in the end that there never was a trigger.

 

[Micromind]

Yes, but what I'm saying is that the 5 month plot would work a lot better if the audience knows the trigger is a bluff. It would work better if it was revealed in the end that there never was a trigger.

I guess that was his last plan of action, if Army did try to enter forcefully in Gotham. Press the trigger in such a situation.

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

All that needs to be said about this, for the trillionth time...

Doesn't mean it makes sense.

That sounds to me like the put it all together backwards. Started with Bane breaking Batman's back. Then what happens during the recovery time? Oh, they just drive the bomb around for months. Well, why would they do that? Because....... See what I mean?

 

[Alexei Belyakov]

Two word answer – false hope.

This - and it worked brilliantly.

 

[The Joker]

This - and it worked brilliantly.

How? When did you ever get the impression Gotham was a city with hope? 90% of the citizens seemed scared. Though we never did get to hear the opinions of Gotham's people because Nolan basically ignored that aspect in this one.

 

[Alexei Belyakov]

How? When did you ever get the impression Gotham was a city with hope? 90% of the citizens seemed scared. Though we never did get to hear the opinions of Gotham's people because Nolan basically ignored that aspect in this one.

One word: Foley.

Foley represented the everyday man in Gotham who believed the government would eventually solve everything and things "would be okay."

Foley was the kind of person Bane described to Bruce in the prison. Someone who would believe anything just to stay in the light.

False hope - the most brutal terrorist act committed in the film.

 

[The Joker]

Foley didn't represent the every man. He was a Cop. The deputy Commissioner. And a scared one, too. Sending his wife to answer the door and all when Gordon came knocking. Afraid to move against Bane. He was just using the government thing as an excuse for his fear, in spite of what Gordon was telling him.

I saw no false hope in Gotham. I saw one scared Cop and a bunch of scared citizens. Nobody seemed hopeful. They were all frightened sheep living under a dictator with a bomb.

 

[BlueLantern]

The only problem with Bane's entire concept is that we didn't really see anyone but the existing thugs take up arms. Would've been nice to see ordinary people driven to tearing the structures down.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

Foley didn't represent the every man. He was a Cop. The deputy Commissioner. And a scared one, too. Sending his wife to answer the door and all when Gordon came knocking. Afraid to move against Bane. He was just using the government thing as an excuse for his fear, in spite of what Gordon was telling him.

I saw no false hope in Gotham. I saw one scared Cop and a bunch of scared citizens. Nobody seemed hopeful. They were all frightened sheep living under a dictator with a bomb.

This.

Plus the whole "false hope" angle doesn't really work either even if the citizens were hopeful. Had Bane been successful every citizen would have died in an instant, hopeful and happy for the future. Which is a good way to die. Now, had he started to take away their hope, by making life in Gotham miserable and anybody could choose to escape by crossing the river, much like anybody could escape the prison by climbing, it would have made more sense.

All in all, it seems like Bane was just making it all up on the fly.

 

[BatmanBeyond]

The only issue I have with their self-sacrifice is this :-

The League of Shadows has been a check against human corruption for thousands of years. We sacked Rome, loaded trade ships with plague rats. Burned London to the ground. Every time a civilization reaches the pinnacle of its decadence, we return to restore the balance.

Who then sticks around to continue the League of Shadows' legacy?

I think it was made pretty clear in the movie that the LoS had become a shadow of what they once were. They had become something akin to a death cult, whose sole purpose was to avenge Ra's' death by way of revenge against Bruce Wayne and consequently Gotham.