Dark Knight Rises Themes

The film The Dark Knight Rises is very phallocentric and masculine. It also focuses on and uses gothic themes to present and challenge the fears a current age person has in today’s society. Its use of gothic themes creates a setting that helps amplify and enhance these fears. The setting has a gloomy atmosphere, urban decay. A sense of an underworld is created through dark tunnels and hidden secrets, this also gives Gotham City a labyrinthine quality. The film also uses aerial shots of the city, which emphasises the urban landscapes and how a person is very small compared to the city, and also creates a sense of isolation and builds on the sense of a labyrinth. The name Gotham City is a play on the word gothic and further plays on these themes.