1) What are the main central themes that were explored in the trilogy?
Batman Begins - Fear, The Dark Knight - Chaos, and The Dark Knight Rises - Pain. Throughout the film, Bruce is in constant, agonizing pain, both of the body and the soul.
2) What happened to The Joker? What reason is given for the Joker's absence in this film?
No reason is given in the film for his absence. He is neither seen, heard, nor mentioned throughout the whole film. Christopher Nolan had said that there will be no mention of the Joker – “We're not addressing The Joker at all. That is something I felt very strongly about in terms of my relationship with Heath and the experience I went through with him on The Dark Knight. I didn't want to in any way try and account for a real-life tragedy. That seemed inappropriate to me. We just have a new set of characters and a continuation of Bruce Wayne's story. Not involving The Joker.”
Based on Nolan’s statement, he’s hinting that the Joker is dead. Considering from the heinous crimes he did in the Dark Knight, it’s most likely that he got a death penalty sentence by hanging or possibly shot by any of the police officers while he was hanging in front of the heavily-armed SWAT team at the end of The Dark Knight (maybe one of the cops didn’t feel he deserved the judicial system) or killed while he was locked up with the other homicidal psychopaths in Arkham Asylum. It would easily explain why nobody thinks to ask about him in The Dark Knight Rises.
3) What is the "Dent Act" mentioned in the movie?
The Dent Act was a new law that was passed in honor of Harvey Dent recognizing his commitment to rid the city of organized crime. A holiday was declared in his honor as “Dent Day” which has been celebrated for at least 8 years. The Dent Act allows the arrest and imprisonment of any individuals who are found guilty of associating themselves with organized crime families or operating an organized crime ring. Sentencing for these individuals is implied to be swift (likely doing away with a jury) and there is absolutely no possibility of parole. There is no hint on how long the sentence is but it is likely no less than 20 years. The act was designed to completely eliminate organized crime and corruption by ensuring that criminals are taken off the street in for the long term and discourages any further organized crime. This is also likely what prompted Scarecrow, Bane and the others to create the Courtroom to judge and sentence innocent people to death or exile as revenge for the Dent Act.
4) Why did Gordon still have his speech about Harvey Dent in his coat pocket a day after the Dent Day memorial event? If you’re preparing to give a speech that would indict the man the city views as a hero and try to exonerate who they believe is the villain. You’re all prepared to give it, but then you back out at the last minute, knowing what you say could rip the city apart. Are you really going to just stuff that speech back into your pocket and forget about it? Wouldn’t you do your best to make sure that speech is destroyed, and that it could never fall into the wrong hands?
In defense of Commissioner Gordon, we tend to put things in our coat pockets, bags, trouser pockets, etc and only to rediscover them days later. Not to mention he needs to deal with the missing of a congressman case not long after the memorial event. Don’t forget he’s quite old as well. But his careless mistake is one with huge consequences-- Bane finds it when he apprehends Gordon a day later, then uses the speech to bring Gotham to its knees, aiding in his total takeover of the city. That’s a pretty huge consequence for a piece of paper that someone like Gordon should have known to burn the minute he stepped away from that stage on Dent Day.
5) How did both Batman and Bruce Wayne go missing for so long with nobody connecting them?
The answer is that Bruce Wayne wasn’t completely reclusive for the full 8 years. While it is fact that he doesn’t put on the cape and cowl again after the death of Harvey Dent, that wasn’t his last night as billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. In The Dark Knight Rises we learn that Bruce teamed up with Miranda Tate on a clean energy project for Wayne Enterprises that involved the building of the fusion reactor that the movie is set around. Because the project began to ‘malfunction’ 3 years ago (due to a research paper published by Dr. Pavel that the reactor core can be modified to become a bomb), the entire thing was shut down and both our hero and Miranda lost a great deal of money.
While some might argue that Lucius Fox, the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, was dealing with the business end of things with Tate, but it’s clear from the beginning that Miranda and Bruce are close. The people of Gotham believe that Wayne went into hiding and became a recluse because of this failed project (from the conversation between Bruce and Miranda in the charity ball scene) and don’t see any correlation between the two disappearances. If anything, people should have found it strange that Bruce Wayne returned to town in Batman Begins at the same time as Batman’s first appearance. However, no one suspected him as the Batman due to the fact he shows a different character when he is in public by ‘wearing’ a mask, suppressing his true inner feelings.
6) Why the congressman is head over heels for Selina and willing to go missing with her and disregard his duties?
He's a horny (he is shown to flirt with Selina during the memorial event), cheating kind of guy who was drunk and was easily controlled by a hot girl. It seemed like he was heavily drugged by Selina.
7) Does Bruce ever find out Rachel had moved on before she died in 'The Dark Knight'?
Yes. Following the deaths of Rachel and Dent in 'The Dark Knight, Bruce has retired into seclusion for eight years, seeing his only chance for a normal life destroyed along with Rachel. When Bane attacks Gotham City, Bruce decides to return as Batman to stop him, Alfred finally reveals to Bruce that Rachel chose Dent and that he burned the letter in order to spare Bruce the pain. This revelation puts a severe strain on Bruce's relationship with Alfred, who leaves Wayne Manor when Bruce decides to continue as Batman.
8) Where did Bruce and Alfred get any information on Bane? He doesn't seem like a person that would have any kind of official record or identification especially being that he was once a member of the League of “Shadows”...you know that secret elite organization of ninjas that pride themselves about being hidden within shadows? Then Alfred comes to find out about how Bane was in the Pit prison without any explanation on how he discovered this information. He just seems to know everything about anything in this movie.
It is shown that Bruce has access to Gotham’s criminal database to check on information about Selina Kyle. So, they have a database hacking software to access any kind of official record or identification on any database. They have the clean slate database software as well. After the events happened in Batman Begins, the existence of The League of Shadows is exposed to the world. There’re not that ‘secret’ anymore. It is also assumed that Bane was captured or investigated by the CIA before. So, it’s not strange that Alfred can get information on Bane.
9) What does Bane’s mask actually do?
His mask helps him to cope with pain that stems from the beatings or injuries he took in the pit. However, there’s no tube leading from a gas tank to Bane’s mask. Late in the movie, when Batman damages the mouthpiece, it does seem to slow Bane down and he was shown to be in agony afterwards. It has been suggested that there could be capsules of painkillers stashed somewhere in the bulky mask, but Nolan should have included at least one shot of Bane changing out a depleted capsule and refreshing his supply.
10) How does Bane eat/drink?
It is never stated in the movie that Bane cannot remove his mask. When he removes his mask, the anesthetic may take a few minutes to wear off. So if he prepares his meals, removes the mask and eats quickly, he may be able to avoid any pain. Also it's possible he makes his own protein shakes and other meals in drink form and has a tube or straw that he can attach into the mask so he never has to take it off. Though it would stand to reason he removes the mask on occasion seeing as how he clearly shaves. It's also probable that, since the mask delivers some kind of aerosol anesthetic, Bane has other methods of delivering that anesthetic - i.e: intravenously, thus allowing him to eat, drink, and shave in comfort.
11) How did Selina Kyle acquire all her gear?
Selina is a professional burglar and buys the equipment she needs using the proceeds of her robberies which she acquired from Gotham's wealthiest citizens. It's also possible she designed and constructed some of the items herself. And she could have struck up business relations with many people in Gotham who either sell or design the type of equipment she needs.
12) As far as the public and police knew, Batman was a cop killer, (cops take that very seriously) yet they all just stare in awe as he rides the Batpod around with no one taking a single shot. The one cop that does shoot at him just randomly shoots his EMP gun instead of him?
Some of the old cops that have seen him in the past should know well who Batman really is and still believes in the Batman like Blake or Gordon. It could also be that since he’s widely regarded as a cop killer and the person who killed Dent, he’s a ‘highly dangerous criminal’ feared by many of the younger cops. The cop that dares to shoot his EMP gun may be a young cop who has never seen batman before or not from Gotham. It also showed that the new cops are braver compared to the corrupt cops in the past.
13) Bruce slept with Talia is totally out of character. He just met her and still mourn over the loss of Rachel (the whole reason why he can’t move on), and then just like that he slept with Talia and apparently gets over Rachel pretty quickly after, since the movie seems to make you want to believe that she is now his new love interest but then he ends up spending the rest of his days with Selina?
Bruce has been alone for 8 years. It's hard to explain the emotional reactions of people due to the loss of others. From the conversation between Bruce and Miranda in the charity ball scene, it’s clear from the beginning that Miranda and Bruce are close. They must have met several times in the past. He slept with Talia to show that he finally had gotten over Rachel. Bruce managed to show some emotions when Talia asked him who the woman in the picture frame next to his parents (Rachel). He lingered on her death for so long and it was killing him, but now that he has Talia, he can finally move on.
Since Talia had betrayed him and Bruce was right about Selina (deep down she’s still a good person), it perfectly normal for Bruce to develop feelings for Selina. It is highly noticeable that Selina had feelings for Bruce after she found out Batman’s true identity, when she heard his voice and knows that he’s still alive and well after 5 months and was moved by his dedication in helping the people of Gotham near the end of the film. It was completely in-character.
14) How Batman ended up at Daggett’s place, helping Selina to fight against Bane’s mercenaries after the police chase scene in the city?
Batman knows that Daggett hired Bane for his underground construction project. So, he appeared at Daggett’s place to track down Bane’s whereabouts. Since he found Selina, he asked her the purpose of stealing his fingerprints.
15) Why didn't Batman even attempt to blow up Bane with the Bat on the rooftop scene with Selina Kyle?
For the same reason he didn't let the Joker keep falling after he threw him off the building in The Dark Knight; Batman is not a killer. That is his “one rule”. People might die as a result of his actions, but he will never be the one to take their life. Batman's adherence to this rule is shown in the rooftop scene when he knocks a gun out of Selina's hands as says “No guns”. It would've been hypocritical for him to later shoot down Bane and his men with the Bat.
16) After being retrieved from the sewer by Blake, how did Gordon know Bane’s name? Neither Bane nor any of his mercenaries ever mention it while Gordon is with them.
He is fully aware of Bane's existence prior to his appearance. The CIA agent knew straight away who was planning to capture Dr.Pavel early in the film. “The man with the mask.” “Bane?” It seemed that Bane is a well-known terrorist figure, much like the Batman. Bane said earlier as well, “Nobody knew who I was until I put on the mask.” It's also entirely possible that on the way to being dragged there by the henchmen that Gordon overheard one of them refer to him as Bane.
17) How does John Blake know Bruce Wayne is Batman?
Throughout the film, it showed John Blake as a skilled detective: from his investigation of the sewer system (which impressed Gordon enough to instantly promote him to detective), to investigating the intricate layout of explosive laced concrete poured all over the city, to instantly deducing the mercenaries’ attempt to murder Gordon.
Bruce and Blake shared the same tragedy since they’re young…they are orphans. Blake explains to Wayne that they met once, when the young cop was a simple orphan … much like Bruce was at one point. Blake says he saw the fake smile on Bruce, the suppressed inner feelings, the anger, just by looking at him, and possibly over the years, he manages to put all the clues together: Bruce Wayne returned to town in Batman Begins at the same time as Batman’s first appearance, Bruce’s social activity has significantly reduced to the point he became a recluse when batman disappeared after the events of The Dark Knight, only a rich and powerful person such as Bruce capable of using the weapons, gadget and tools of the batman, etc.
18) How is it that Selina Kyle, John Blake and others besides Alfred and Lucius came to know that Bruce was the Batman?
Selina leads Batman to Bane and sticks around long enough to hear Bane call Batman his real name, shocking both Bruce and Selina. John Blake discovered as a child when Bruce came for a charity donation to the orphanage Blake resided in. Upon seeing Bruce, Blake worked out he had severe suppressed emotions that would give him a motive to become The Batman who appeared years later when Bruce came back after his training with the League of Shadows. He challenges Bruce with his suspicions of his alter ego when visiting. Though Bruce does not confirm his theory, he doesn't deny it or giving Blake the evidence that Bruce really is The Batman. James Gordon is the only character directly told by Bruce Wayne (as Batman) that Batman is his alter ego. Batman reveals his identity by referencing the act of kindness Gordon showed him as a boy by putting a coat around his shoulders after his parents' death. Gordon remembers the incident years ago with the child and finally working out Bruce is The Batman.
19) How and when does Batman acquire the “clean slate” software which he later uses to coax Selina into helping him?
It is stated that Wayne Enterprises acquired the clean slate technology to keep it out of wrong hands.
20) Why Batman is willing to help a criminal (Selina) to clear all her records, giving her a clean slate to start a new life? It seems out of character for him to do so.
It mentioned earlier in the movie she always steals from the wealthy and never from the needy and poor. She also made a claim during the dancing scene with Bruce that she helped the needy and poor more than the rich and powerful, including Bruce (a modern Robin Hood). Considering she’s desperate to get the clean slate technology, it shows that she really wants to start a new life and leave the criminal life behind her. Bruce believed that, he also believes that deep down, Selina is a good person.
21) Did Daggett not think that it would be a little suspicious to the investigators that would look into the Stock Exchange attack, that Bruce Wayne suddenly made a bunch of bad stock decisions the same exact time the place was being shot to hell by mercenaries? Furthermore, the hostages there clearly never saw Bruce Wayne in the building during that time.
As Lucius Fox mentioned to Bruce when he visits him in the film, it will take months for lawyers to overturn the fraudulent trades, likely because Bruce’s own fingerprints were used for the transaction and proving the trades were made without his knowledge is likely a tricky path. But meanwhile they just have to accept the fact that Bruce Wayne is bankrupt and forced to approach Miranda Tate for help.
22) Daggett’s underground construction projects have been there for quite some time. Why no one, especially the authorities ever noticed any one of the bombs placed all over Gotham city?
Blake had mentioned that the explosives were planted “in the concrete” itself. Bane was pouring explosives along with the cement.
23) Why did ALL of Gotham’s cops go underground to capture Bane?
During the 8 year gap, the city was in a state of peace. Confronted for the first time with by a notoriously dangerous man, the police force is unprepared and unaccustomed to handle real threats. This is shown as Foley underestimates the significance of Bane’s attacks (the dismissal of the Stock Exchange assault and the order to retract his men from chasing Bane to follow Batman instead).
The catalyst is actually the capture of several wealthy Wayne Enterprise board members as hostages. Commissioner Gordon knew Bane's forces were growing underground, causing an unimaginable terrorist threat to Gotham and its residents. To corner Bane within the extensive network of sewer lines, a large number of officers must approach from every possible entrance. But so long sidelined by his injury and the blind ambition of Deputy Commissioner Foley, Gordon makes a hasty decision, demanding “everyone” on the police force go into the sewer system in search of Bane's mercenaries. When Bane's bombs cause cave-ins that trap countless of police officers and murder the Mayor, the people of Gotham are left essentially defenseless with no authority to turn to.
However, whoever passed down Gordon's directive clearly had enough sense not to throw every single member of the police force underground, leaving a few to handle the day-to-day cop duties in Gotham. Some of these people included top brass like Gordon and Foley, who form a resistance movement with John Blake. But there were more than just these few. Some presumably went into hiding just like Foley attempted before Gordon risked his own neck in his quest to get him to join the charge. And we learn the fate of others through a warning the priest gives Blake about Bane’s army “hunting down” cops to throw before Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow's merciless show court.
24) How hard could it have been for Batman to find Bane on his own since he already knew he was in the sewer?
Yes, Batman has the necessary skills and tools to find out Bane’s whereabouts. However, it would take considerable amount of time to track down Bane himself. (500 underground tunnel blueprint maps) So why don’t just ask someone who’s been employed by the same boss (Daggett) who surely must have seen him before and knows his whereabouts? Bruce knows where Selina lives and can easily contact her anytime.
25) How does Bane know Batman's true identity?
Bane was involved with the League of Shadows and trained by Ra’s al Ghul - the same organization and master who trained Bruce Wayne, so he knew he was Batman.
26) During the time Batman was getting his ass kicked by Bane why he never thought of using his utility belt to gain the upper hand, especially since he knew he wasn’t in the best condition? While being choked by Bane, why didn’t he eject the blades on his wrists as he did against the Joker? This would have damaged Bane’s mask allowing Batman to subdue him right then and there.
He did, only to be mocked by Bane, considering they’re both members of The League of Shadows, trained by the same master and aware of the skills of theatricality and deception. At that point in time, Batman didn’t know about the mask and the purpose it served. Bane strength is formidable, as it is shown that he is able to kill a man just by choking him with his one hand grip. It’s hard to think things straight after all the strong blows from Bane and a strong choke by him. Furthermore, he’s out of shape and his skills are sort of rusty after all those years in being a recluse.
27) How did Bane know where Batman's armory and fusion reactor was located?
Bane had access to the underground sewer system and possibly had acquired schematics of the sewer system earlier and as such could determine the location of the ‘off-limits’ area (as John Blake was also in possession of such documents) of Wayne Enterprises. In addition, given Talia’s chair on the Wayne Enterprises board, she likely has a decent understanding of the building’s layout and given her League affiliations, she knows what to look for in determining the likely location of Batman’s secret arsenal.
In regards to the fusion reactor, Bane was affiliated with Miranda Tate, who had previously visited the chamber with Lucius Fox and Bruce Wayne and so it is highly likely that she informed him of its presence to advance their plans. It could also be that Bane threatened Fox or Tate to speak out the location of the reactor.
28) How was the US government not more involved, and why didn't someone just shoot Bane? Why the government doesn't develop any further strategies for the Gotham hostile takeover situation within the 5 months period after the hanging of Special Force officers?
It is clearly stated that a citizen holds the trigger for detonating the nuke. This is what keeps the government at bay, the citizens against each other, and Bane from being overthrown. Since he doesn't hold the trigger, it will be set off if he dies.
The movie shows a fictional President of the United States addressing the nation on the matter. We also see Special Forces trying to infiltrate and learn about the bomb in order to disarm it. These seem like plausible steps that the US government would take when dealing with a terrorist like Bane. They probably did develop some further strategies to deal with the crisis but failed and it is not shown in the film.
29) How does Bane know about the infiltration of the US Special Forces to Gotham?
As revealed in the end that Miranda is actually Ra’s daughter and the mastermind behind Gotham hostile takeover, she’s the one responsible for informing Bane about the arrival of US Special Forces to prevent the US government from knowing that the nuclear fusion bomb is going to explode in a few days.
30) Bane actually feed and keeps the cops alive. Why do this? So they could potentially break out and defeat him later?
It’s the people of Gotham who keep them alive, not Bane. Bane made a point in one of his speeches to mention that the cops would be kept alive. It is an act to appease the people. If he were to starve 3000 policemen in the sewers, he might not have been held up as the liberator he wants to be seen as.
31) How come no one thought to spread out on their stomachs with their arms and legs out to make it across the ice?
One of the Blackgate ex-cons told Stryver (Daggett's assistant) that if he tries to “swim” across the ice, he will be shot. So, he had to walk across. There was no other choice.
32) Why nothing has been done to track which of the 3 trucks have the nuclear fusion bomb during the 5 months period?
Yes, they did. The cops formed in groups to monitor the trucks as many times as they can and made 'Bat' signs along the route taken by the trucks. However, they can’t track and monitor the trucks constantly as mercenaries are hunting down cops. 18 hours before the bomb explodes, they try to mark the trucks by planting GPS devices on them. Near the end of the film, Gordon made a mistake the first time but he managed to find the truck that contains the bomb the second time.
33) Why Blake and Selina both aware that each other knows the identity of batman?
Throughout the film, it is shown that Blake has good deductive/detective skills. Blake knows that Batman is looking for Bane. From the conversation, Selina implied that she has worked with/knows about Bane due to the fact that she is running from Bane out of fear. (“It's not you I'm running from”) Blake then says “When I spotted you, I was looking for a friend of mine, Bruce Wayne”. She turned quickly to him and looked afraid/surprised. Blake deduces that she knows his identity and what happened to him, and proceeds to ask whether they killed Bruce/Batman.
34) How did Bane transport Bruce to the pit prison so quickly?
The transportation of Bruce to the pit prison happened prior to the Gotham hostile takeover by Bane. At that time, Gotham is not isolated yet.
35) How does Bruce manage to heal his back so quickly within the 3 months period? Since it is revealed that his legs have no cartilage in the film, how he can move and walk so freely like a normal person in the pit prison or even walk normally when he’s back in Gotham?
It was mentioned by the caretaker that there’s a ‘broken vertebrae protruding through the skin’. The closest answer to the injury he suffered at the hands of Bane was likely the anterior or posterior displacement of a vertebra or the vertebral column. Either way, it was a misalignment of the vertebrae, which is a very painful but not serious injury (unless there’s spinal cord impingement, which would paralyze him). A physical maneuver to correct the alignment is needed to push the vertebrae back into place. Then the ligament and muscular infrastructure that holds it in place had to be strengthened. And that is where physical therapy and intense training come in to play. So within 3 months, his back can be strengthened.
Bottom line, I think it requires the audience’s suspension of disbelief in this matter, just the same as how the authorities are unable to link the Bat with Wayne Enterprises (new military technology projects such as this requires government approval, unless Fox able to somehow hides it from the government, which is very difficult), or when Bruce Wayne returned to town in Batman Begins at the same time as Batman’s first appearance, should be enough to arouses some suspicions or rumors that Bruce is in fact the Batman.
Physical activity, pushups and things do not restore lost cartilage. The mechanical leg brace wore by Bruce at the start of the film is to add additional strength to the knees to make up for no cartilage on his knees, but the pushups and pull ups should have nothing to do with it. I believe that he still had his mechanical leg brace with him, even though it’s not mentioned or shown in the film. It requires a leap of faith that Bane wouldn't take it off him.
36) The pit prison is formerly known as ‘Hell on earth’. Why it’s not as bad as it seems when it’s shown in the film? It is shown that prisoners are attached to a rope before attempting to climb out of the pit and the rope is a part of a pulley system. Why didn't they just pull the climbers to the top?
It is revealed that after Talia escaped from the pit, she returned to the prison with her father (who was already in charge of the League of Shadows) and his men to kill most of the dangerous criminals, except for Bane (who was spared for helping Talia when she was in prison) and the prison doctor. After Bane and Talia being admitted in the League of Shadows, it is mentioned that the pit had become ‘Bane’s prison’. He’s in full control of the prison now. The caretaker was requested by Bane to nurse him and to make sure he is ‘untouched’ by any of the prison inmates in the pit. That’s why the prison looked less dangerous compared to the past.
The film shows that the rope was actually attached only to about 3/4 of the way up the climb. It is shown that the pivot point of the pulley system was below the jumping platform. The main problem seemed to be getting from the one ledge to the other, it is assumed that there aren't enough crags/cliffs/rocks to keep climbing even if the climber was pulled all the way to the rope's hitch, and that’s why it was necessary to get to the higher ledge. The rope wasn't long enough and it tightens when the climber makes the final jump, which was the reason why no one could make the final jump just before climbing out. The rope served as a ‘false hope’ (safety precaution for falling) to the prisoners that they can manage to climb out of the prison. The presence of the rope lets the prisoners to think that it should be very simple and easy to climb out, so in the end when they couldn’t, they feel despair. It is shown that the only way you can really get out is without the rope. The climber needs to be able to conquer fear, but needs to have the fear of death at the same time as well. The fear of death drives the need to survive, the need to fight back. The irony is, the first film is about conquering your fears, but the last film is about learning to accept that life itself is contradictory, in order to live life to the fullest, you need to fear death as well.
37) Bane tells Bruce his (or Talia’s) master plan on how he will give Gotham’s citizens a false sense of hope before inevitably blowing them all up. Firstly, what “hope” did he actually offer them? The whole city must have been scared knowing that one random citizen could blow up the city at any given time. There is a terrorist overtaking the city and dangerous criminals running around loose on the streets with no law and order, no government, no society. What kind of hope did he exactly sell to the people of Gotham?
He’s using the media to raise the issue of corrupt capitalists who feeds on the poor (creating a larger gap between the rich and the poor), lying politicians/officials who abuse their power and the idea of a people’s revolution. He proposed the idea that the people of Gotham should take control of their city, to take back everything that has been taken by the wealthy and powerful (anti-capitalism, class inequality and warfare). Ra’s’ vision was that by destroying Gotham, it will change how the world would act. The fates of the people of Gotham don’t matter to Bane (they’ll be dead anyway), only the perceptions of those people watching from outside the city matters most. The crucial element of this plan is to hold Gotham as a cautionary tale for the rest of the world, to show what the world’s greatest city looks like when it’s in the hands of its citizens, when the corrupt have been stripped out of power.
This point is reinforced when Bane said an ordinary citizen has the detonator. If the city is destroyed, it would appear to the world as though a citizen chose to annihilate Gotham. This is also a way to prevent the authorities (US government) from interfering with the plan. On the other hand, it is to let the people of Gotham think that an ordinary citizen would not blow up the city. They think they can survive if they play by the rules (like Foley), but they will eventually all die, unaware of the fact that the bomb will explode after 5 months.
38) How did Bruce Wayne get from the prison back to Gotham? How does Bruce get onto the main island if no one is allowed back onto it and others are shown to fall straight through the ice? How does he know exactly how much time is left on the bomb?
It is the same question that how Bruce managed to travel around the world and live among the criminal underworld for nearly 7 years without any money when he ran away from Gotham in Batman Begins. It shows that he clearly has the knowledge and capability to survive without his fortunes or had ‘friends’ in high places. It was never stated where the prison was, however judging from the background, it was quite clear that it was somewhere in a desert in India. When Alfred mentions it to Bruce early on, he says in an “ancient part of the world.” Given the timeframe between his escape from the pit prison and his arrival at Gotham, which is roughly 23 days (Gordon says it’s 23 days until the bomb goes off, which is immediately before Bruce climbs out), that gives Bruce enough time for a return trip from anywhere in the world to go back to his home, which is located on the outskirts of Gotham. Furthermore, there’s more than enough time for Bruce to track down exactly where Selina was (with his detective skills as well).
He didn’t reach the main island by foot. He just needs to fly there using the Bat. Wayne Manor is said to be located outside the city limits (and perhaps off the main island of Gotham, briefly mentioned in The Dark Knight), he could have gone back to his home and taken the Bat. Note that originally the Bat was parked in the Batcave. But when he came back after 5 months and met with Fox to extract the EMP device from the Bat, it was parked at the top of a building.
He can walk on ice with 'sure-footing' as shown in his training with Ra's Al Ghul in the first film, Batman Begins. Bruce was previously involved with the project and its workings. Bruce followed what happened to Gotham on the television while he was in the pit. When he reached Gotham after his escape from the pit, he is able to do a precise calculation on how much time is left on the bomb.
39) What’s the significance of Batman wasting possibly hours of his time to etch a giant batsign onto the bridge?
The reason why Batman lights a batsign is to let all the people of Gotham to see that he returned to save them and to restore hope and courage to everyone in the city, even Foley included. It is also to inform Bane that he survived and came back from ‘Hell’.
40) Why the place where Blake initially wanted to free the police doesn’t have any mercenary guards?
They don't have guards in every single spot in the city. Blake managed to find a place with lesser guards to free the 3000 policemen trapped underground, albeit ten at a time. However, since Talia had joined the group and learned of their plans, more mercenaries being sent to stop the plan and about to shoot Blake before Batman rescue him.
41) Why in the film, all the mercenaries have guns or rifles, but none of them ever use them when Batman appears?
The criminals are frequently stunned and terrified of Batman when he shows up, so having enough time to react and aim accurately enough to fire is unlikely. More importantly, Batman usually jumps into the center of groups, so firing upon him risks shooting someone immediately opposite of them, giving Batman a significant advantage over his opponents.
42) During the police/mercenary marching, why when batman only shoot one of the tumblers, the other two does not open fire towards the police and the bat and one of the tumblers disappear?
The Tumblers did shoot them. However, the appearance of Batman provided the police enough courage to face the mercenaries head on.
43) Near the end of the film, how does Batman manage to gain the upper hand against Bane? Isn't Bane supposed to be physically superior?
Batman managed to damage part of Bane's mask, which left Bane severely weakened due to the pain he suffered.
44) Miranda was revealed as Talia, Ra’s daughter and the mastermind behind the whole Gotham hostile takeover and destruction plan. Isn’t this severely undermining Bane as just a right-hand man or lackey?
Talia may be the one who planned everything, but she’s definitely not the one who executes the plan. The plan is in such a large scale that it takes a great mind to fully implement the strategy required to destroy a big city such as Gotham. Furthermore, in a huge organization such as the League of Shadows, you still need a capable person to lead The League of Shadows to execute the plan. Not to mention, Bane’s considerable strength, speed and power still shows that Bane is still a formidable opponent.
45) How did Batman have time to escape the nuclear blast when we saw him in the Bat’s cockpit with a few seconds to go on the clock?
Near the end of the film, when Fox had some engineers examined the Bat prototype, it is clearly mentioned that Bruce had fixed the autopilot feature of the Bat.
When Batman lifted the bomb using The Bat, he brought it low to the ground at first. It looked a bit like the bomb was dragging along the street, just before the plane elevated to go over that tall building. He flew low for a bit because he didn't want to eject at the very top in the air, because people would see that. He set up the autopilot, took a deep breath, and jumped out with the eject seat. That's why he set The Bat at low altitude, so he could eject himself unhurt. The shot of him in the cockpit with 5 seconds left to go on the bomb’s timer and over the sea is when he was ejecting out with the seat from the Bat. He was sitting on the eject seat while looking around his surroundings, either looking at the Bat flying away with the bomb or checking to see how he landed. When he is in the cockpit seat, the camera angle doesn’t show the windows at all. It was a misguided attempt by Nolan to trick the audience to ‘briefly feel’ that Batman was truly dead for sacrificing himself for Gotham. In the end, he landed in safety.
46) The nuclear explosion is shown to be quite close to the city. Won’t the radioactive fallout from the bomb inevitably kill the people of Gotham afterwards?
It’s clearly explained in the film that it’s a pure nuclear fusion reactor, the first of its kind.
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or “fuse”, to form a single heavier nucleus. During this process, matter is not conserved because some of the mass of the fusing nuclei is converted to energy which is released. It is different compared to nuclear fission, a nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts, often producing free neutrons and photons (in the form of gamma rays), and releasing a very large amount of energy.
Pure nuclear fusion weapons offer the possibility of generating very small nuclear yields and the advantage of reduced collateral damage stemming from fallout because these weapons would not create the highly radioactive byproducts associated with nuclear fission weapons. So the pure nuclear fusion device should have minimal (or none) radioactive fallouts. (That’s why it’s called clean energy)
The effective power of the weapon is fairly ambiguous in the film. However, it does mention in the film that the bomb has a blast radius of 6 miles. One thing to take into account is what is meant by the effective blast radius of a nuclear bomb entails. The 6 miles mentioned may be the overall effect of the weapon per se. Therefore on initial detonation, only everything within a mile radius of detonation would be incinerated. Everyone within 2.5 miles would suffer 3rd degree burns, 2nd degree burns within 4 miles, and 1st degree burns within 6 miles. Most would eventually die within those 6 miles after prolonged exposure from radiation.
If it is taken to be that the bombs incineration or “ground zero” range is 6 miles, the people of Gotham are dealing with the most powerful nuclear device ever created and will likely die as it would have an area of effect of about 50 miles.
The nuclear detonation shown at the end only resembled of a small nuclear fission device, not a fully-fledged thermonuclear (fission then fusion reaction) weapon bomb found today. After all, the idea of the project is to generate clean energy for Gotham, not to create a weapon of mass destruction.
One thing to note is that a nuclear weapon has the biggest destructive potential when it's detonated a few thousand feet above the ground. The “effective blast radius” depends on the altitude at which it's detonated. They're not quite as destructive when detonated at ground level.
47) What is the significance of the ending and the Florence, Italy scene?
Nolan chose to end the Batman and give Bruce Wayne the happy ending he deserves, unlike in the comics. In the end, Batman can retire because his legacy of sacrificing everything for the city has been passed on. During the film climax, every single cop is willing to sacrifice themselves; running to their probable death against the mercenaries for the betterment of Gotham showed that the police aren’t corrupt like they used to be in the past two films. They embraced the idea that Gotham is more important than them. In Batman Begins, the cops are corrupt and most of them worked with the mafia. In The Dark Knight, the cops are still corrupt and afraid when it came to defending the city against the Joker. But at the end of the trilogy, they run fearlessly into battle. Deputy Commissioner Foley, who was consumed by dreams of becoming a better commissioner than Gordon and a bigger hero, is inspired by Batman to lay aside his selfishness and cowardice and lead the charge, ultimately sacrificing his life. Selina Kyle, a burglar concerned only with getting a new life for herself, eventually follows this idea as well. John Blake, walking into gunfire to evacuate citizens, had little care for his life. A lot of things had changed in the past 8 years. In The Dark Knight Rises, Nolan had showed the audience that Gotham no longer needs Batman, so Bruce Wayne can retire. This trilogy is the story of a boy who had his family, his love stolen from him, but with the help of loyal allies, he becomes more than just a man, who devotes himself to an ideal (‘despite in difficult and desperate times, people in their core, are good and able to make the right choices’), he becomes a symbol, a legend that manages to restore hope and justice to the city that wronged him. In the end, Bruce has given Gotham everything that it needed. The day has come that neither Gotham nor Bruce Wayne needs Batman any longer. He can finally move on.
48) It was revealed that John Blake’s legal name is Robin. So does it mean that he’ll become Robin instead of Batman?
I believe John Blake’s legal name is ‘Robin John Blake’ is just a tease or ‘service’ for the fans to enjoy. But ultimately, we're led to believe he will take up the mantle of Batman. John Blake is a symbol for what Batman inspires and he’s the successor Batman had been looking for since The Dark Knight.
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