The Batman of Gotham

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” – Oscar Wilde.

Whilst watching Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy I have to admit this was the first quote that came to mind.

One day, long ago, five weeks ago to be exact, I had a Statistics Exam in the morning and Physics Scholarship Exam in the afternoon, each was three hours long, and each was for my final high school exams so they were quite important.

 In four days I would have my Calculus Exam. 

When I got home from my exams that day I confidently grabbed hold of a pen and started working for Calculus. My hands would not agree. An ache had begun in my right hand which would not allow me to write after 6 agonizing hours of nothing other than writing furiously. 

For a few moments I attempted to work with my left hand, but a tired body and unwilling brain led me to my laptop for a decision that would change my life forever. 

I don’t why I did it or how it came to me, but I decided in that moment that I would watch a film; Batman to be exact.

For my English Scholarship Exam earlier I watched Christian Bale’s American Psycho to get a few extra marks in my essay about Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho by mentioning the change of times and morals. 

Little did I know that American Psycho would scar me for life.

I felt Patrick Bateman’s large frame behind me in the dark corridor to my room one night, many nights after that I continued visualizing the blood and menacing smiles, wondering, what if someone I know, someone as nice and as gentle as Patrick was portrayed as, was in reality a homeless man murdering, dog trampling, cat feeding to atm machine, rich billionaire businessman.

Sound Familiar? 

I had studied Empire of the Sun in year11 for English which starred a young and bright Christian Bale as Jamie. 

He seemed to always portray a rich character, with everything, so what about batman?

I needed another Christian Bale film. 

I needed to see this serial killing masochist again and my heart knew exactly why.

Batman was the perfect solution.

When I finished watching Batman Begins, call me easy to please, but I was in love.

Completely smitten and completely conquered by the emotional pull I felt toward this man in a cape.

Proceeding to update my facebook status and changing my cover photo to the most emotional line which makes me cry every time, 

"Why do we fall Master Wayne? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."

I realized I could not sleep without seeing the Heath Ledger dominated second film, 

The Dark Knight.

By the end of the second film my heart was stolen from me and I did not need it back because I was content. 

I learnt of Heath Ledger's accidental drug overdose and death. A source close to him said his mind was troubled for the characters he was portraying. He was especially known to have paid special attention on his own to psyching up his mind to play the character of the Joker. I watched Christian Bale as he choked on his words when mentioning Heath to prove the truth of the friendship the two of them possessed. It was heart breaking.

But I realized that this could jeopardize everything I had worked for this year so, I promised myself that only as soon as my Calculus Exam and the Physics Exam which followed were completed would I even think about the third film.

Whilst the first film was rejuvenating the second was more draining.

The third? The third outlined the consequences of what it means to become Gotham's savior.

Exams completed, happiness commenced, I hopped onto my laptop.

Hence concluded the Christopher Nolan Trilogy, on that cold night - a long time ago.

It was magnificent. It was amazing, it was wonderful. It was emotional.

Admiration overflowed for the humble, noble Master Wayne, sadness and appreciation for Alfred, love and overwhelming emotion at his apology to Bruce’s parent’s graves for not being able to protect their son. 

And finally, a happiness which was not matched in any scene in the film; the point where we are introduced to Robin we are given hope for a future, for the greatness of batman in a man who need not suffer the consequences so drastically as Bruce had done for Joseph Gordon Levitt's innocent face. 

Bane was the perfect villain to conclude this epic series. He was acting in the name of love - as Batman had been in the previous film. His was a sad story on it's own - un-reciprocated love, the saddest of all forms of love. A man who had lost everything and would lose more still for the child he had saved from the deepest and most hellish prison on earth.

The film concluded with the dashing Christian Bale’s slow and confident smile at the cafe in Paris to Alfred’s content expression leaves us with the best conclusion to any film I have seen since The Lord of the Rings. The best feeling. The music. The bright and hope-filled colors. The fulfillment of Alfred Pennyworth's wishes. The happiness of the man who saved all of Gotham City without needing any acknowledgement in the process.

"Sometimes a hero can be someone who just puts a jacket over your shoulders." - Batman to Officer Jim Gordon.

As appropriate, I went on to watch Christopher Nolan’s “The Prestige” which turned out to be a showdown between Wolverine, Hugh Jackman and Batman himself, Christian Bale as well as countless YouTube clips involving Christian Bale, his other films such as Little Women were amazing but not as fulfilling as the Nolan films.

As any Marvel Fan I also went on to sketch Batman in my sketch pad - a feat I am working on to this day.

Hence concludes the explanation of a certain batman admiration, or does it? 

-evieroo.