I should have written this blog this morning at 3:00 am when my emotional journey was fresh in my mind and my feelings were hot off the press, before tragedy and horror tainted my views and shocked a nation. Let it be known that what happened in Denver is horrific. It is awful. It is horrifying. Make no mistake that this shooting is terrifying and appalling and leaves so many people with questions of why this happened and what the world is coming to now. However, as much as my heart hurts for the families of the victims and as much as I pray for the law enforcement officers working around the clock to enact swift justice, let it be known that despite the tragedy in the news today, The Dark Knight Rises moved me. It ripped me out of my seat and called me to action. It took me on an emotional journey and it taught me life lessons.
It is no secret I love the cinema. I never believe a movie is just a bunch of reals of film, special effects and sound. To me, a movie takes a viewer on a voyage – and in my favorite movies, the voyage teaches you something and leaves you feeling all jacked up and emotional.
That said, the final installment of Mr. Nolan’s work did not disappoint me. I am rocking 3 and a half hours of sleep today and a pure adrenaline rush at what I got to experience between midnight and three in the morning. I can’t go over three hour’s worth of pure awesomeness here, but I loved so much about this movie. I also don’t want to reveal any serious spoilers so I will just say I loved that there were so many twists and turns that nothing about it was predictable, even in the final seconds. I loved that everything was wrapped up nicely in a beautiful gift box adorned with crystals and shiny ribbons and handed to me in the most incredible ending of a series I have ever seen. I loved that Bruce Wayne spent less time in his costume and more time healing his soul.
The messages were astounding. There was a message of imminent hope. I was reminded that family is not just about the blood that runs through your veins but also about the people who care about you and take care of you. I learned that sometimes, you keep your face covered and your identity anonymous not out of power or a quest to remain mysterious, but rather out of the core-reaching desire to protect the ones you love. I learned that sometimes we have to sacrifice our own best interests for a greater good. I learned that happy endings can happen. I was inspired by the message to stand up for ourselves and what is right. I was reminded that everyone deserves love, and it’s never too late to find it. I learned that even the ugliest of sins can be forgiven and even the most disastrous of lives can be turned around. I learned that sometimes we do what is right and moral not because it means we always win, but because is just the right thing to do to be at peace with ourselves and whatever higher power we believe in. I learned that sometimes, words are not needed, and a simple smile and a nod lets the one person you have left in this world know that you are ok, the stars finally all lined up, and you can both move on and be happy with your new lives. The Dark Knight Rises, for me, can be summed up in one word: inspirational.
On the east coast my BFF sat and watched the film a few hours before I had access to do so and in her words, “I cried like a baby and felt joy in my heart….Seriously. I wanted to jump up and fist pump the air and scream, “HELL YEAH!” I couldn’t agree more. I felt excitement, I felt shock and fear. I felt love and compassion. I felt empathy and I felt myself cheering on the characters. I felt sadness and I engaged in out loud laughter. I clutched my chest in moments and I let tears fall freely in others. I felt sadness and I felt immense delight. I think my fellow comrades at the midnight premier must have agreed with me because there were sniffles and clapping and excited whooping and hollering.
To borrow a particular moment that my heart was with Bruce Wayne in the movie, rise, rise, rise, rise. Rise against oppression. Rise against hate. Rise against useless violence. But whatever you do, do NOT rise against this movie.
Until we meet again Mr. Bale…it has been an amazing 7 years.
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