As a long-time fan and avid supporter of Comicbookmovie.com, I finally became a member. This editorial is my first step into this larger world.
After seeing The Dark Knight Rises for a third time today, there was something that really struck home for me this time around. A single line that I believe speaks volumes for all comic book movies, and is at the heart of Christopher Nolan's trilogy, while only rarely touched upon.
"A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat over a little boys shoulder to let him know the world hadn't ended."
Upon the third viewing, this line struck home emotionally, for me at least, more than any other moment from the film, or any film in a long time. It's possible that only in the light of recent tragic events that it had it's profound effect; Or that the headlines of Christian Bale's recent visit to the Aurora area hospitals helped boost this line into reality, but I believe this line would still voice a vital message that very few comic book movies have bothered to entertain.
As I mentioned in the teaser of this article, I do believe that the film is worth a healthy level of debate. It's not without it short-comings. It's not perfect, but no movie really is. It IS a comic book movie. It is a Batman movie. It may or may not be nominated for an Oscar, and it may or may not be a better movie that The Avengers. The next point I am about to make is not meant to degrade the value of other comic book movies, but offer a higher quality to The Dark Knight Trilogy that all other super hero movies have lacked.
The Dark Knight Rises Trilogy is about us. Not just the fan community, not just the people of America, but all of us. The human race. It's about an idea that we have let slip away. The idea that "A hero can be anyone." It only makes sense that someone would use Batman as a vehicle for this message. We can't truly relate to Superman, no matter how badly we may want to. Most of us can't truly relate to Tony Stark who happily uses his wealth to better the world. Every one of us can admit to coming up with a thousand different uses for a green power ring that don't include saving the world. There is a reason Batman delivers one of what I hope some, at least, will remember as one the most important lines in all comicbook moviedom.
"A Hero can be anyone."
As I said earlier, the idea is touched upon sparingly, but I want to believe is the most important. In the Dark Knight, we saw Gotham show a madman that not every one is as sick as him. In reality, we saw that seemingly anyone can be that sick. But, in reality we also saw that anyone can step up, speak out and be a hero.
It sounds like I want to endlessly praise Christian Bale's recent efforts, and I do. But I would rather bring up a point that I would have even if the tragic events of last friday night hadn't occurred.
Violence and tragedy happen every day. We hear about only the extremes. We all want something though. We all want a hero. The Dark Knight Rises told us we don't need to look any further than ourselves.
"A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat over a little boys shoulder to let him know the world hadn't ended."
Thank you very much for reading. Thank you comicbookmovie.com for years of enjoyment and for giving me this outlet.
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