Depending on when you were born, your opinion of who put forth the definitive portrayal of Batman likely varies. For those who grew up in the 80s and 90s,Michael Keaton’s seminal turn as the Dark Knight has likely stood the test of time as your favorite Batman performance, while those born after the turn of the millennium are likely partial to that ofChristian Bale’s.
Whichever side of the Bat-argument you may find yourself on, there’s no denying that both actors – in their own ways – have contributed to the legacy of the Dark Knight with a bevy of iconic moments, particularly moments that perfectly represent the purest essence of the Batman character: from leaping off gothic skyscrapers to confronting infamous iconic Gotham City rogues, from a good old-fashioned beat-down to flexing intellect as the world’s greatest detective.
Having already tackled Michael Keaton’smost iconic momentsas the Caped Crusader, it’s only fair that we do the same for Christian Bale’s beloved portrayal of Bruce Wayne inChristopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.
Batman Begins
Confronting Falcone in the Bar
While not yet donning the iconic cape and cowl of the Dark Knight – hell, he hasn’t even gone through training at this point – Bat-fans get their first glimpse of the undying courage, and overflowing rage, that courses through Bruce Wayne’s soul as he confronts Gotham City crime boss Carmine Falcone in the comforts of his own criminal hideout.
“I don’t need protection!” … “Protection for them!”
After the disaster that was 1997’sBatman & Robin, the Caped Crusader was in desperate need of a reboot – stylistically tonally, thematically, etc. – and Christopher Nolanprovided exactly that, particularly in the first act ofBatman Begins, sending Bruce Wayne to the far corners of the Earth to hone his skills against lowly criminals and trained assassins alike. During one of these impromptu prison sparring sessions, the security guards are forced to intervene, telling Bruce it’s for protection. Not for his protection, of course, but for the protection of the many dangerous criminals he was laying the smackdown on.
Burning down League of Shadows/Saving Henri Ducard
Faced with a decision of what type of hero he wants to become, Bruce Wayne’s decision to burn down the League of Shadows and save the life of Henri Ducard is the moment he transitions from an ordinary man with an irrepressible grudge to a superheroic icon in the making.
Buying the Hotel and Swimming in the Fountain
At his core, the legend of Bruce Wayne is one of tragedy, at he is ultimately a man more comfortable leaping off buildings and beating criminals to a pulp than he is in his own skin – his Bruce Wayne mask is more of a front than his Batman mask, as evidenced by his need to put on a performance of what he thinks a billionaire should act like.
“I’m Batman”
Does this onereallyneed an explanation? Every Batman simply must, at some point, announce that they are, in fact, Batman, and Christian Bale crushes his.
“SWEAR TO ME!”
For better or for worse, it’s virtually impossible to discuss Christian Bale’s take on Batman without discussing the now-infamous “Batman voice”, which seems to become more indiscernible with each passing film. While not as gruff inThe Dark KnightandThe Dark Knight Rises, Batman’s growl as he tells Harvey Bullock to swear to him is our first glimpse at what would eventually become Bale’s famed Bat-voice.
“Not who we are underneath, but what we do that defines us.”
On its surface, the idea of a man in his late 20s leaping across rooftops to beat criminals to a pulp isn’t necessarily the sanest of ideas. But that’s not the point of The Batman, is it? No, the idea of the Batman goes far beyond the surface – he’s not a figure, but an idea. He’s not defined by who he is or how he looks, but what he does. This moment encapsulates that as Batman not only saves Rachel Dawes' life, but let’s her know who’s the man behind the mask in the process.
“I never said thank you." … “And you’ll never have to.”
The closing lines ofBatman Begins– coupled with the immaculate Joker tease, inarguably one of the great cliffhangers in comic book movie history – perfectly distills the entire essence of the character down to its purest form with just ten simple words. While all of Gotham, forever, will owe Batman a ‘thank you’, being thanked is also the last reason he decided to become the Dark Knight in the first place.
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The Dark Knight
Joker Interrogation
An argument can be made that not only in the GCPD face-off between Joker and Batman Christian Bale’s most iconic Batman but that it’s the most iconic moment in the history of Batman-centric cinema, as the combination of Heath Ledger’s otherworldly performance as Joker and Batman’s sheer force of will creates a concoction that’s perhaps the perfect, purest distillation of both the Batman character and his legendary relationship with the Joker.
Killing Harvey Dent
More than his legacy, more than Rachel, more than his own life – Bruce Wayne loves and wants to protect Gotham City by any mean’s necessary. And while killing remains firmly against his moral code, in that fateful moment with Gotham’s future hanging in the balance, Bruce acted upon instinct and did the only thing he could to save the city, even if that meant becoming the villain himself.
