Why do we fall?

I was a good wife and waited for my husband's day off to go see The Dark Knight Rises, though truth be told it drove me crazy hearing all the wonderful things and having to wait. But good things come to those who wait, and I was rewarded for my patience.

The Dark Knight Rises is the best film I've seen all year, perhaps the best film I've seen in many years. It is the perfect finale to an already outstanding trilogy. This seems like quite the statement to make but I stand behind it. There are many factors that determine how great a film is: screenplay, directing, acting, cinematography and the score to name a few. Some films reach greatness on some of these levels but miss others. As we've come to learn with Chris Nolan's previous work he is a man who knows how to take us to levels we hadn't fathomed before (cough cough Inception cough). TDKR is no exception.

Let us begin with the acting. There are some outstanding performances in this film. I feel that I have to mention Sir Michael Caine as Alfred first. He doesn't have as much screen time as he did in the first and second installments but his performance packs an emotional punch. He brings heart and soul to the film, in many ways he is the voice of the many, he doesn't possess the physical strength of the heroes but he brings his vulnerability and love of Bruce to the point where he humanizes him, reminds him of his own limitations. The next actor I need to mention is Tom Hardy as the frightening Bane. His physical possession of the screen is intimidating enough, but he also brings a calm and destructive control. He's a villain you will love to hate, and will also come to understand.

Anne Hathaway is wonderful as Selina, she is sexy, sophisticated and strong. She isn't just there to be a pretty face and a nice body. Her character has purpose, a very important purpose and Anne shines in the role. Christian Bale is back again as the complex Wayne and heroic Batman. We get to see him as Wayne more in this film which was nice, I felt it gave more insight into the character. We also get to see more weakness in him which only adds more to the triumph of his rise from the (literal) hole he finds himself in. Joseph Gordon Levitt has a great performance as Blake. Like Alfred he shows the world of Gotham through a citizen's eyes. He proves himself to be a true hero without a mask. Morgan Freeman as Fox, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordan and Marion Coutillard as Miranda give nothing but the fine performances we have come to expect from them.

The screenplay is spectacular, I don't really know what else to say about it. There are so many great twists and turns, secrets are revealed, lives are lost, heroes rise. There is never a dull moment, nothing felt too long or too short. There is some foreshadowing, one in particular that made me know early on how it was going to end, but that didn't make it predictable, it made it feel complete. The ending is exactly as it should be. Both Chris Nolan and Jonathan Nolan wrote the screenplay and with brilliant minds like that at the helm it's easy to just let go and know that the story is in safe hands.

The cinematography by Wally Pfister is joyously moody. I know that's quite an oxymoron but it truly is. The lighting is dark, the ambiance tense, but there's a charge in the air, and as Selina says a storm coming. Throughout the film you feel that storm brewing purely through the lighting in the scenes. Batman has always excelled in the dark, it's his element, but perhaps this time the shadows will not be the allies he has found them to be previously.

Director of the year goes to Chris Nolan (sorry Joss Whedon, I truly do love you too). This man is unstoppable. Watching Memento years ago I knew that he would be one of the greats and he has not disappointed. I cannot begin to imagine the daunting task it would have been to direct a film of TDKR size. I have seen a few behind the scenes clips and it looks overwhelming. Hundreds of extras, enormous sets built, not to mention the constant hold he has on the story at all times. As an aspiring director I find myself in awe of such talent. What I wouldn't give to be able to shadow that man through the process of making one of his films. In an earlier post I saluted Joss Whedon, in this one I bow down to Nolan.

TDKR is one of those films that I found myself wanting to clap, gasp out loud, and at one point actually physically stopped myself from making a sound. It's a true hero film in that you really believe in Batman and you want to see him rise no matter how far he has to fall first. We've seen his beginning, we've seen him fall and now we get to watch him rise. It's okay to feel a little emotional about that.

Rise

Another senseless tragedy has occurred. Early this morning a theatre in Colorado was packed with fans watching the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. Thirty minutes into the film a gunman walked in, threw gas and opened fire. Twelve people were killed, over 40 wounded, and countless affected.

I am not writing this to talk about what happened, because the media is covering those aspects. Here is the latest update from CNN if you're interested. I am not writing this to go into detail about the human psyche, ask questions about why or how this could have happened. These too will be answered over time, and by someone else. I want to focus this post on the where of it all.

One of the places I have always felt happiest is in a movie theatre. There is some comfort in those dark, cool cinemas where the real world turns off and an exciting new one replaces it for 120 minutes. But there has always been a nagging fear in the back of my mind, a what if? What if someone took advantage of this location? Here we all are, crowded together. Humans don't let each other get that close anymore, it's one of the last places in western society where we can sit close together, without concern of who's to the left or right of you. You're safe, surely, this is a place for entertainment and fun. Who would take advantage of that? But of course there are those that would, and have. A cinema is a black box with limited exits. There aren't many ways to get out in a hurry, especially if everyone is panicking.

My second home doesn't seem so safe when you look at it that way. After today's tragedy there are many who might fear that they will never feel safe in a cinema again. I cannot speak for those who have survived the tragedy or who survive the victims. But I will try speak for the rest of us. Fear has the potential to stay a long time after tragedy strikes. Ever since 9-11 the fear of flying has increased. I'm sure many people taking the London underground still struggle with the fear of "what if it happens again?". I'll never forget the day I was at Concordia University in Montreal and heard that a shooter had gone into the Cegep next to us and killed a student. It stops you in your tracks. Makes you wonder if you'll ever see the world the same again. Tragedies change everything, they shift us all in different ways.

This tragedy will leave it's mark, as all do. However this tragedy doesn't just impact the people involved. It happened in a movie theatre, during one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, on its release day. There is talk that Warner Bros. may cancel all DKR screenings across the US. This may seem extreme but think about it, they need to make the expected gross off of this film, much of which will come from the US, and many Americans will be afraid to go to the cinema to see that film so soon after this happened. I can understand that. But I feel the need to defend my second home. Because dammit, I won't let anyone take it from me. The suspect of this shooting could have done it anywhere else, a park, a mall, a school. They've been the locations of such tragedies before. I am not sure why he chose that cinema, and that film. I am sure there will be those who will try to link the film to the killings, just as they tried with gaming and the Columbine tragedy. But here's the thing, this had nothing to do with the film, it had to do with one sick man's wrong decision.

My heart goes out to all those grieving this pointless tragedy, I cannot begin to understand what such loss feels like. We live in a dark world with many clouded minds. Sometimes, and particularly on days like today, it's hard to imagine the world as anything but dark. It's on those days that I usually go to my second home and let a film remind me of what it's like to feel magic and wonder. No one will ever take that from me. I will not fear a movie theatre, and neither should you. The most safest places on this earth can become the most dangerous if the wrong people are there, but we cannot live in fear of 'what ifs?' When I go to see The Dark Knight Rises next week I will think of the victims of this tragedy, but I won't let fear stop me from escaping from this difficult world for 120 mins, and neither should you.

That man has taken too much all ready, I will not let him take the happiness I feel in my second home. I will rise above fear.