Nothing chases the pre-holiday blues away like a new trailer from "The Dark Knight Rises". Thank you Santa Nolan for this early Christmas present.
I have to confess I didn't even know this was coming out today but who cares it's much better than a lump of coal from the Joker! I'm sure there is many a blog and Batman site out there that is going to examine and parse this video to its most minute detail. I may not be able to compete with the all of them but I'm going to give it a shot.
And here we go...
Who is the man with the cane as we open this trailer? (Right after the National Anthem and Bane) The Riddler? (Wouldn't that be a surprise!?) An injured Bruce Wayne or an infirmed Alfred? There is a reflection in the cover of the serving tray. No doubt someone has captured and analyzed it already. We'll have to wait and see who deciphers this first.
Update - Thanks to some expert work on hi-res screen grabs Cyriaque Lamar of the Sci-F- site Io9 has determined it is indeed Bruce Wayne in the service setting reflection. Click on the screen grab as a link to the Io9 site.
The "Peacetime" segment. As Commissioner Gordon takes the dais peacetime is mentioned. So, all is well in Gotham? There has been much talk that this movie takes place eight years in the future from the last one. Yet they still mourn the fallen Harvey Dent? A flashback perhaps?
Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle whispers into Bruce Wayne's ear. They seem to be in some sort of masquerade party. Look closely at Seliana, are those Cat ears atop her head? It seems as though Nolan and company are having Hathaway channel Audrey Hepburn for her look. Check out the photo below of Hepburn and compare it to the masked Selina Kyle.
Just before the football kick off return sequence, a bearded Bruce Wayne visits an underground labyrinth of stairs. This reminds me of the old saying of "Bearding the lion in his own den". It means to confront an enemy in his own territory. Perhaps Wayne visits the lair of Bane to confront or learn about Bane. Also, the intricate stairways in the background remind me of an old Escher print. The print suggests there is no clear beginning or end and that confusion reigns. See the illustration below.
Marion Cotillard removes her mask at the costume ball. A clue to a double identity? Much has been speculated that Cotillard is not only paying the role of Miranda Tate, a Wayne Corp. executive, but that of Talia al Ghul as well. Talia is the daughter of Ra's al Ghul the villain that appeared in the first entry of this trilogy and a love interest of Batman's.
Update - Marion Cotillard has her back to the camera but the person of interest here is Bale's Bruce Wayne. Take a look at the way his right arm held. He seems to be balancing on a cane. The cost of eight years of fighting?
Update - Marion Cotillard has her back to the camera but the person of interest here is Bale's Bruce Wayne. Take a look at the way his right arm held. He seems to be balancing on a cane. The cost of eight years of fighting?
Bane gives to what seems to be a broken Bruce Wayne "permission to die". Has he broken the Bat as he did in the comics?
Selina Kyle appears again walking through a train station. This might be a quick little wink to Alfred Hitchcock and his fascination with train imagery although the "Hitchcockian" movie Charade with Hepburn was directed by Stanley Donen. Charade is often referred to as the best Hitchcock movie he never made. Note the hat on Hathaway's Kyle. Definitely more Audrey Hepburn.
Joseph Gorden Levitt gets some serious face time.Yes, it is quick, but why feature him there at all? I'd love to see Levitt portray Nightwing the former Robin that fought alongside Batman. As it is, he is credited as "John Blake" which I think is a policeman. There is talk that his character assumes the mantle of the Bat in Waynes absence. A new Batman on the scene until Wayne has recovered from Bane inflicted injuries? (Aside, "Nightwing" AKA Dick Grayson, took up as Batman in a recent series of Batman titles from last spring.)
We also see men repelling down into a large stone well. As the video concludes a solitary figure repels into the well. Could this be the "Lazarus Pit" as featured in DC comics that serves as a resurrection point for Ra's al Ghul and is known for its restorative powers. Will Batman need the Pit to affect some sort of cure to any injuries inflicted by Bane?
As the video conclude we get a glimpse at some sort of "Battle Royale" between the followers of Bane and law enforcement. We also see Bane and Batman engaged in battle mano e mano. What follows is an awesome glimpse at what seems to be a Batman piloted Batwing. I wonder if Batman is remote controlling those camouflaged Tumblers? Either way, it is an amazing sequence.
This was a brilliant summation of the trailer! In fact, I don't think I've any reason to comment except to say I agree with all your speculations. Great piece, mister! I'll probably watch this again tomorrow and perhaps then I'll have more to add, but for now, you covered it all!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah. So well done!! Can't think of anyone who would have made such an excellent connection with the fabulous Audrey either. You nailed it!
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