For many, Winter Term is a time to catch up on the long list of movies students have yet to see. Campus Living and Community Development hosted a viewing of "The Dark Knight Rises" in the Watson Forum of the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media Thursday. Although the movie is being shown for recreational purposes, I've always thought about the deeper issues surrounding the film.
During the 20th century, who was once seen as a mysterious man in a smoky grey body suit with a cape and a sidekick? If you all have guessed correctly, you would say "The Caped Crusader," or "Batman." But now we see him as a confused orphan billionaire who struggles - The Dark Knight.
As kids, some of us grew up with Batman as a part of our Saturday morning cartoon routine, seeing him only as a hero that gets rid of the evil villains and their henchmen. Boys grew up dressing as the hero for Halloween, while some girls wanted to be the female characters in his stories - Catwoman or Poison Ivy. Nevertheless, we were always convinced that superheroes like Batman were just heroes without flaws. As time progresses, we learn more.
Anyone who has watched Batman, knows that the silent vigilante protects victims and prevents victimization. But we also know that he has another side to look after: politics. Bruce Wayne, the face behind the mask, is the cornucopia of the fictional Gotham city's sustenance, having both the resources and knowledge to keep the city out of the pit to which it has already fallen.
As an adult and fan of the Dark Knight Trilogy, I see things differently than I did as a kid, in terms of politics, morals, love and the grief that Wayne has. Bruce deals with the few rebels within Wayne Enterprises, the family's company. He also forgets that his vigilant actions as Batman not only affect Gotham, but also the ones he loves.
After his parents were killed, while yet a child, he held on to the idea that their death was his fault. Years later, his best friend and crush was killed. Afterwards, hope was lost.
We learn that both Batman and Bruce Wayne are searching for the means to an end - a means to end his grief. In the third segment of the Dark Knight Trilogy, everyone who he loves, except Alfred, is gone. He comes to terms with that reality and finds his own happiness.
For anyone who has yet to see "The Dark Knight Rises," there is a lot to learn from the film about decision-making and the just treatment of others. What I get out of it is that your moral compass makes the foundation upon which you stand; the only challenge is making sure that your decisions lay solid. Then, more just decisions can be constructed from a level surface.
- Johnson is a junior from Greenville, Miss., majoring in English writing and sociology.