Superheroes can be meditative or even remorseful sometimes, but they don't get beat: not like Batman and his buddies do in The Dark Knight. Though they ultimately capture the Joker and keep Gotham safe, Mr. Smiley still turns Gotham in a stampeding mob, blows up numerous public officials (and at least one hospital), lights about a billion dollars on fire just for kicks, and oh yeah: drives Gotham's shining symbol of hope completely off the deep end. Even as the Joker's getting dragged off to Arkham, Batman and Commissioner Gordon have to bake up a phony story to keep the damage he's done from becoming permanent.
Questions about Defeat
- In what ways does each individual character experience defeat in this story?
- How, specifically, does Batman's reaction to defeat differ from Harvey Dent's? How does that explain what happens to each of them?
- Does the ending constitute a defeat? Would you still say so if you didn't know what ultimately happened in The Dark Knight Rises?
- What does defeat mean in this movie? Is it physical? Spiritual? Emotional? All three?
Chew on This
Defeat ultimately serves as a crucible to determine who can get up and keep fighting, and who ultimately succumbs.
Defeat isn't a crucible at all, but an apocalyptic event that has to be avoided at all costs.