Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is considered one of the most exceptional superhero films in cinematic history; however, it’s not immune to criticism. Despite the trilogy’s overall acclaim, some viewers have expressed disappointment with the fight choreography in Nolan’s Batman films. They contend that the intensity and the clarity of the film’s combat scenes leave something to be desired.
During an interview, even Nolan admitted that some scenes deliberately created a degree of chaos in some of the fights. The visionary director explained that the intention behind this was for the fights to be experienced more subjectively through the eyes of the characters within the film instead of an objective perspective by the audience.
Tom Hardy’s Trouble With Fights Scenes In The Dark Knight Rises
As a central figure in the tumultuous action of The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy faced his own challenges with the film’s fight scenes. Portraying the role of the menacing and formidable Bane. The antagonist to Bale’s Batman, Hardy was required to engage in high-intensity combats, taking on multiple opponents at once. To accurately portray Bane’s physicality, Hardy underwent extensive training. He told Empire,
“When you’re training in a rehearsal room you go, ‘Okay, I have a contact with seven people.’ This guy I chin, this one I slip and I punch, this one I pick up and suplex, this guy I kick in the face, and this one, he stops a hammer with his head. And then I meet Batman.”
However, Hardy discovered the challenging reality of translating rehearsed fight scenes into seamless execution on set, where all his opponents looked the same. This presented a particular difficulty for the actor as he had to distinguish between his opponents while maintaining the intensity of the fight scenes.
Fighting Christian Bale Became A Nightmare For Tom Hardy
Despite being choreographed, fight scenes can result in real-life physical injuries if improperly executed. Christian Bale revealed that he and Tom Hardy suffered some bruises while filming their scenes as Batman and Bane, respectively. Bale once revealed to MTV News,
“You just have to commit, and you have to trust that you’re with another actor who’s gonna commit just as much. You have to give everything every single second because those are the only takes that can be used. And when you give everything, sometimes you end up causing pain. Tom’s a tough guy, and I took a few blows as well. And it’s part of the job.”
Despite the difficulties, both actors understood that such risks are part and parcel of their profession and were able to handle them without any significant issues. The Dark Knight Rises was released in July 2012, bringing the highly acclaimed series to an epic conclusion.
The Dark Knight Rises is available for streaming on HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Cheatsheet
