Batman Surveys
It’s easy to forget that The Dark Knight was actually about Batman. With such a strong and compelling supporting cast, we often forget about some of the Bat’s highlights in the film.
One of the lesser discussed scenes, but perhaps the most beautiful cinematic shot, is Batman surveying his surroundings from a high-rise building – in this instance, Chicago’s Sears Tower.
The color scheme is gloomy but gorgeous as it captures the atmosphere. There’s a sense of dread in the air, and it’s up to the Dark Knight to put a stop to it.
Bale revealed to GQ that he decided to pull a Tom Cruise and do the scary scene himself:
“We were shooting in Chicago one day and I overheard a couple of the stunt guys talking about a shot that needed to be set up, with Batman hanging off the edge of the Sears Tower. They wanted a stunt guy to do it but I was like, ‘What? No, no, no. I am doing that.’ I had to wrestle a bit with the producers but eventually I twisted their arms.
A few days later I was standing 110 storeys up, looking out over Chicago, on the edge of one of the tallest towers in the world, with a helicopter about two inches from my bloody face. Did I have a safety rope? Yeah, just don’t tell anyone. But it was a thrill; it got the heart going – especially when the wind picked up and I was leaning all the way out over the edge. I mean, you can’t play a superhero and not enjoy it, right?”
