Just watched the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, the last film in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. It looks so amazing. You can see it here:
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/12/19/the-dark-knight-rises-trailer-explosive-scary-political/
So many different disturbing images, from an exploding football field to an army of prisoners armed with machine guns. The line that gave me the biggest shudder, though, was when Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman), whispered into Bruce Wayne's ear, “You think this is going to last. There’s a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches because when it hits, you’re all going to wonder how you ever thought how you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us.”
Mr. Y commented that a lot of Inception actors are also in this movie - Marion Cottilard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tom Hardy. We're just missing Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page.
What Christopher Nolan has always done brilliantly is to make movies that are both timely and timeless. Selina's words clearly invoked the current Occupy movements, but the struggle of the lower class and the acceptable use of violence in rebellions without crossing into terrorism are thorny, age-old issues.
The superhero genre originally became popular because it provides an escape into a world where good and evil are clearly delineated and a few individuals, albeit with amazing powers and/or gadgets, can fight the evil. However, as the genre evolved, it became popular to give the heroes some sort of complexes. Hence the rise of the dark, human Batman as a counter to the relentlessly good, alien Superman.
I think Nolan's biggest achievement is not highlighting Batman's dark side, but keeping hope alive in these movies. It would be very easy to slide into total darkness, but Nolan know that you have to allow for some light at the end of the tunnel. That is what makes a great superhero movie.
Can't wait for The Dark Knight Rises!
EXCITED.
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