If Chris Nolan knows how to do one thing it’s end his movies with a punch. There’s a “Nolan Formula”. Open strong. Slap your audience across the face immediately and invest them. But most importantly of all: stick the landing. He actually writes the ending of his movies first and works backwards and that’s brilliant. Because how many times do you leave a theater saying, “Man, that was good but that ending?” Here, with very little dialogue other than the passage read from A Tale of Two Cities at Bruce’s funeral and underscored by Hans Zimmer’s powerful score, are moments, subtle hints that only they would know that Bruce is still alive somewhere. I love the smile on Morgan Freeman’s face and Gary Oldman wildly watching the sky when he finds the new bat signal. I wept at the wordless reconciliation between Alfred and Bruce; Father and Son. And then Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who nearly stole the movie, throws the fans a Robin card in a way that’s not at all cheesy or pandering. Then he picks up a bag Bruce left him and finds the Bat Cave and as he rises to the suit, the movie ends and Batman Begins. Full circle. Masterful storytelling.
Killing Time 
Very, very good post, a brilliant scene to point out – well played.
What a perfect end and I mean that; a great conclusion with still enough to leave a little typical Nolan mystery.
I watched TDKR again the other day and I’m not too proud to say I always get a lump in my throat at this end.
I think Bane’s speak outside of Black gate prison is awesome too.
Great post, really like your site, feel free to check mine out.
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Thank you for the kind words; means a lot. I just kind of started this to share the things I found fun and if other people like it too than that’s just spectacular. I want to check out your site and a lot of others in more detail than I’ve been able to, but hopefully I’ll get some time to see what other talented people are doing. The first time I saw TDKR, I was just crying like an idiot. I don’t cry in films much but Batman means a lot to me and I don’t think I stopped the last half hour. I’m so appreciative to have this trilogy as a kind of perfect example of who I like Batman to be. Picking the scene for this and BB were a lot harder than the interrogation scene in Dark Knight because there are so many equally great moments. But if you can end a film; a trilogy this well, that’s the best way to go. Btw, sorry about the subtitles but as the blu ray is relatively new, there aren’t many to choose from on You Tube yet. If you do have to see words, though, Dickens and Nolan aren’t too terrible an intrusion.
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