Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy is world renowned for having not only one of the best superhero films of all time but some of the greatest moments in superhero cinema, too. Nolan andChristian Balebrought forth a Batman with some great stories and moments that areboth adapted from the comic books' mythology and original creations of Nolan and his team.
These moments are brought to life not just through the stories and directing but by some amazing performances, cinematography, editing, and score. Even whenThe Dark Knighttrilogy is at its worst, it brings forward some of the best Batman moments there is. Still, some scenes are far more memorable and enjoyable than others, becoming part of pop culture as a whole.These are the most rewatchable Batman scenes from theDark Knighttrilogy, ranked by how much they stand out and how important a role they play in the three-part story.
10Bruce’s Training
‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
Bruce Wayne didn’t become the iconic DC symbol of justice overnight. The first film in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy depicted Batman’s entire origin story, including the time he spent training in the mountains after the death of his parents. Unlike other versions of the story,Batman Beginsincludes Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson), then going by Henry Ducard as Bruce’s mentor and a major influence in building his eventual vigilante dogma.
It’s an understandable inclusion on Nolan’s part, as Ra’s al Ghul is one ofthe greatest combatants in the Batman canon, and this scene does a wonderful job depicting this fact. Bruce’s training with Ducard is very well done and shows audiences why Ducard is a worthy opponent for him. The lessons that his mentor teaches him arethe building blocks that will help him become Batman, so the many trials he must face, like sword-fighting Ducard on a frozen lake, are very exciting to watch.
Batman Begins
9Batman Kidnaps Lau
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
One of the opening scenes in the first act ofThe Dark Knightdoes a great job of displaying the kind of spectacle that Christopher Nolan intended to show off in the sequel flick. He needed to impress the audience and show them that they were in for a much bigger ride the second time around, and the scene in which Batman arrives in Hong Kong to kidnap Lau (Chin Han) was the perfect way to do it.
Be it the fact that he’s venturing out of Gotham or the sheer visual of Batman gliding through the Hong Kong skies, this scene made it clear that Nolan was not playing around with the second film. Something about the comic books is that Batman often travels out of Gotham City to get a job done because, well, he’s got the money to. Thus, it was nice to see something like that adapted into live-action,giving Batman a more international reach than ever before.
The Dark Knight
8Poisoned By Scarecrow
One of themost underrated characters inThe Dark Knightfranchiseis Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), which is disappointing because the character is one of the best in Batman’s large rogues gallery.Batman Begin’s themes of fear and overcoming it make Scarecrow and his trademark gas a wonderful villain to parallel the Dark Knight. One of the best scenes that depicts this is when Batman himself is affected by the gas.
The editing work at this moment is great at selling the villain’s effects on the Bat. Not only does the VFX show bats and other things crawling out of the Scarecrow mask’s mouth, but the jarring, quick inserts of footagemake the scene feel disorienting and confusing in the best way, putting the viewers in Bruce’s head and selling the effect greatly. Not to mention, the ominous and looming dialogue from Scarecrow is the perfect cherry on top. Saying, “You need to lighten up” before setting his enemy on fire cemented Scarecrow as a certified badass.
7"I’m Batman"
One of themost iconic Batman scenes of all timecomes fromMichael Keaton’s first film, in which he beats up a bunch of thugs and, for the first time, states, “I’m Batman.” So, when Christopher Nolan and his team decided to adapt that scene to their iteration of the Batman character, fans were super excited. Acting as the first true reveal of Christian Bale’s Batman,this scene set the tone for Nolan’s Caped Crusaderperfectly.
It was also the first true reveal of Bale’s now-infamous Batman voice.His gravelly and rugged way of talking became the blueprintfor many future interpretations of the hero in a lot of Batman media. While there are many who make fun of how over-the-top and occasionally absurd it sounds (understandably so), there’s no denying that it’s a pretty legendary aspect of Bale’s iteration of the character.
6Batman Makes His Reappearance
‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)
After the tragic and dramatic ending ofThe Dark Knight, Gotham City’s protector disappeared for quite some time, even if he never actually stopped being the Caped Crusader. But, in-universe, the last confirmed sighting of Batman was the night Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) died, and he took the fall for it. Thus, people knew that when Batman made his appearance to the public once more inThe Dark Knight Rises, it would be an incredible moment.
Indeed, the entire sequence is incredible: the lights in the tunnel shutting off, the incredible Hans Zimmer score kicking in, the reaction from the police (“You’re in for a show tonight, kid”) — Batman’sreappearance to the public inThe Dark Knight Risesis genuinely chilling. It’s the exact type of moment a character like the Dark Knight deserves for his big return.
The Dark Knight Rises
5Bruce Rises from the Pit
One of the biggest plot points inThe Dark Knight Risesis the fact that Bane (Tom Hardy) manages to break Batman, literally and metaphorically. As a result, Bruce must climb his way out of a pit, again, both literally and metaphorically. The moment he actually succeeds against all odds isone of the most triumphant in the entireThe Dark Knighttrilogy.
This moment emphasizes one of the major themes of the film, best exemplified by a quote said by Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) inBatman Begins, “Why do we fall, Bruce? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.” Bruce climbing out of his prison is a triumphant moment of self-improvement as the others watch in fear and anticipation, wondering if Bruce will finally make his way up.
4Pursuing the Joker
Everyone loves a good car chase, and one of the best in superhero cinema is the car chase pursuingthe Joker (Heath Ledger) inThe Dark Knight. With the Clown Prince of Crime speeding through Gotham City’s streets in a huge semi-truck, knocking Police Vans into the river and shooting a bazooka at the remaining police vehicles, it’s no wonder Batman gets involved so spectacularly. Not to mention, Harvey Dent’s life is on the line.
One of the coolest parts about this scene, and Batman in general, is the tech on display in the Batmobile. With how tight the tunnel he’s pursuing them in is, the Caped Crusader decides tocompletely detach from the Batmobile, turning part of it into a bike, the Batpod.The action scene that follows is not only fast-paced but explosive, as well. Everything that makes for a great car chase.
3Knightfall
When it was revealed that Bane was going to be the primary antagonist inThe Dark Knight Rises, fans knew there was a good chance the film would adapt the “Knightfall” story from the comic book where Bane breaks Batman’s back, effectively putting him out of commission. Audiences were on the edges of their seats as Tom Hardy’s Bane picked up Bruce and broke his back with a powerful knee thrust.
But the back break isn’t the only thing about the scene that makes it iconic.The fight that comes before is intense and engaging, easily one ofthe best action scenes in any Batman movie. This is a moment in which Bane really gets to show Batman what he’s made of, and the beating he gives the Dark Knight is quite harrowing to watch. It set the stakes for the future conflict with the muscled-out Batman villain and had audiences anxious about how Bruce would come to beat the masked villain after such a defeat.
2Joker’s Interrogation
Pretty much any interaction between the Joker and Batman inThe Dark Knightis a sight to behold. However, the best comes when the Joker is at the Gotham City Police Department. When Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) can’t make any headway in interrogating him, he calls in special help, and Batman is always ready to lend a hand. The scene that ensues is aperfect example of why the dynamic between the Caped Crusader and the Clown Prince of Crime is so great.
The scene is heart-pumping and exciting, especially as Batman loses his cool and blocks off the door, getting rougher and rougher with the clown.Their contrasting personalities are on full displayhere andshow exactly why the two are such a good pair. Not to mention,Christian Bale and Heath Ledger’s chemistry on screenmakes the scene one of the best in the entire franchise.
1"I’m whatever Gotham needs me to be.”
‘The Dark Knight’ (2012)
The Dark Knightis already apretty perfect superhero movie, in no small part because of its iconic ending. It’s the perfect illustration of what makes Batman so special as a character. When Harvey Dent, the symbol of hope for a better future in Gotham, dies a villain, Batman tells Jim Gordon that he will take the blame for everything that happened. In his mind, Gotham City deserves to keep its symbol of hope.
“Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded,” he says, a line that gives goosebumps to this day. This sceneencapsulates why Batman is such a wonderful character: he doesn’t care what happens to him or how others perceive him. As long as Gotham is protected, both physically and spiritually, he will do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Batman is the hero they need him to be, meaning he can be both hero and villain, if necessary. In just a few seconds,Nolan summarizes Batman’s essence, making this scene the most rewatchable in the hero’s long history.
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