Audiences had many issues with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, but the real meaning of the film’s title secretly highlights those problems.
The real meaning behind the title The Dark Knight Rises doesn't fit well for the film or The Dark Knight Trilogy. Like many famous movie trilogies, The Dark Knight Trilogy’s first two films were widely acclaimed yet its third installment did not live up to expectations. The Dark Knight Rises was a lackluster ending to Batman’s most famous film series due to its cramped and convoluted plot. However, another reason may be the film's title.
The title The Dark Knight Rises was probably not the best choice to end this Batman trilogy. Unlike the previous films, this title is unoriginal and stereotypical in simply adding the word 'Rises' to the previous title. Also, the parts in the film that the title symbolize ended up being the most criticized parts of the story. Looking back, the filmmakers of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy should have come up with a more creative title as opposed to going with an easy option.
The True "Dark Knight Rises" Meaning Explained
The meaning of the title The Dark Knight Rises is a reference to several parts of the film. One is in reference to Batman rising as a symbol of hope in Gotham. Batman’s return after eight years in the shadows and his return to Gotham to save the city from Bane's rule shows that he has risen from his lowest point. The title is also a reference to the rise of a new Batman at the end of the film. When Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character John Blake becomes the new Batman, audiences are introduced to the rise of a new age of the Batman mantle.
The biggest reference in the film to the title The Dark Knight Rises is in Christian Bale’s Batman journey throughout the film, particularly his having to climb out of the pit prison Bane has placed him in. Bruce has to literally rise from the depths in order to escape imprisonment and save his city. The symbolism is on the nose but is meant to reference Bruce’s desire to escape and his need to rise out of his deep depression and re-join society.
Why "The Dark Knight Rises" Is A Poor Title For Nolan's Trilogy
While the word “rise” does work symbolically for these plot points in The Dark Knight Rises, it’s still an uncreative choice. Many films use the word rise in their title and so there isn’t much to differentiate The Dark Knight Rises from other films such as Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, or even newer films like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Nolan created a unique Gotham and exceptional versions of famous Batman stories and villains. For such an innovative series, this title choice felt dull and not in line with the title pattern already set up.
The previous films created a pattern of each film being named after a different nickname given to Batman and reflecting what stage of Bruce's Batman journey audiences were seeing. Naming the first film Batman Begins makes sense as it is the most recognizable name and Bruce’s journey was just beginning. The second film they named The Dark Knight works as it highlights how Batman is viewed by others and ties into the themes of the film. The title The Dark Knight Rises doesn’t fit with this pattern, instead, it feels like it was designed to capitalize on The Dark Knight's success. It would have been more creative if the film was named after another name for Batman such as The Caped Crusader.
The Dark Knight Rises' Title References The Movie's Worst Aspects
The biggest downfall of naming the film The Dark Knight Rises is that the story aspects it is referencing ended up being the most criticized parts of the film. Bruce’s quick return to Gotham to fight Bane was criticized by moviegoers for its lack of plausibility as Gotham was under locked quarantine and Bruce Wayne would be easily recognized. Batman also needlessly painted his symbol in gasoline upon returning to Gotham instead of immediately helping people. The reveal that John Blake was actually Robin before becoming the new Batman also fell short as there were barely any hints of this plot twist throughout the film making it feel like surface-level fan service as opposed to a natural character progression.
Bruce’s rise out of his depression was also not fully explored before being quickly resolved and then ignored for the rest of the film. And even the infamous climb out of the pit was criticized for Bruce healing his broken back in less than three months and with no medical attention. Bruce’s reveal in the final scene that he is alive, another way to reference the rise in the title, was questioned as it would mean Bruce would have had to swim away from a bomb in about five seconds in order to be at the café with Selina Kyle at the end of The Dark Knight Rises.
There were many problems with the final installment of Nolan’s Batman films, but they did not impact the legacy left by The Dark Knight Trilogy. The series is still considered to be some of the best Batman content and proved that comic book stories could be dark and philosophical. However, The Dark Knight Rises was still the weakest of the trilogy and perhaps for this film, audiences should judge a film by its title.
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Related Topics About The AuthorFeatures Writer for Screen Rant. Marie Barros was born and raised in Canada. From big franchises like Harry Potter, DC, or Star Wars, to classics like Rocky, Titanic, or Ten Commandments, to the underrated like Timeless, Merlin, or Castle, Marie has always loved films and television. She is usually that person after watching anything who says, "that's not the way it was in the book" or "what if they had done this instead?" Marie studied Dramatic Arts and English Literature at Brock University. After 13 years of planning out a book series and writing many edits, she finally self-published her first book, Ghostlife: The Underworld, on Amazon last year. Marie also has a YouTube channel called Barros Productions where she makes film and television tributes, montages, and trailers in her spare time. Recently, she started a commentary series called Journey to No Way Home where Marie and her sister react to all the Spider-Man films.
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