Explaining why he picks Bane as the lead antagonist in his last Batman film, director Christopher Nolan states, 'We wanted to do something very different in this film.'
- Dec 13, 2011
AceShowbiz - Christopher Nolan has explained why he and comic book writer David S. Goyer chose Bane as Batman's nemesis in "The Dark Knight Rises". To Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex, the director shared that he made the pick because he wants to "deliver a true finale and close out the trilogy in a powerful and definitive way."
"With Bane, the physicality is the thing. With a good villain you need an archetype, you know, you need the extreme of some type of villainy," the 41-year-old said. "The Joker is obviously a particular archetype of diabolical, chaotic anarchy and has a devilish sense of humor. Bane, to me, is something we haven't dealt with in the films."
Having said that they "wanted to do something very different in this film," Nolan further pointed out that Bane is "a primarily physical villain, he's a classic movie monster in a way - but with a terrific brain." He added, "I think he's a fascinating character. I think people are going to get a kick out of what we've done with him."
On choosing Tom Hardy to tackle the role, the man behind "Inception" said, "Getting an actor like Tom to take it on, you know you're going to get something very special. Tom is somebody who really knows how to put character into every gesture, every aspect of his physicality in the way that great actors can."
"He's a very, very physical actor. He transforms himself and it's there in every movement. He's not afraid to look at a character from the outside as well as the inside so there's a deep psychological branch to the character but also a very, very specific awareness of how he's going to use his body and his appearance to express that character too. Christian [Bale] is like that too, very much."
During the chat, Nolan also opened up about how he feels about directing his last Caped Crusader film. "I tend not to be too emotional on the set, I find that doesn't help me do my job, but you definitely get a little lump in your throat thinking that, 'OK, this is going to be the last time we're going to be doing this.' It's been quite a journey," he confessed.
The London-born filmmaker continued, "It was pretty emotional as we would finish these characters and say goodbye to Alfred for the last time and say goodbye to Commissioner Gordon and eventually, with Christian, fairly close to the end, saying goodbye to Batman... it was a big deal. And with these newer characters too, finishing with Anne and all these guys. It was quite touching, I must say."
After shooting in India, the U.K and the U.S., "Dark Knight Rises" wrapped principal photography in mid-November. Christian Bale is set to return as Batman and is joined by Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine. The highly-anticipated film will open wide in the U.S. on July 20, 2012.
