Christian Bale talks ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

(Written for Lost In The Multiplex)

Christian Bale has been talking about where the final chapter of Chris Nolan’s Batman trilogy will take his character of Bruce Wayne this week, as confirmation is given that the sequel will take place eight years after the events depicted in The Dark Knight.

From the sounds of it, Bale will be going to some very dark places, posing the question to his fictional alter-ego, “How long will you let the pain and loss define your life?” when talking to Aceshowbiz.

“Walking around chasing bad guys is very heroic and attracts attention, but at the end, it all accounts for a means to deal with the pain of a huge loss,” he says.

The Dark Knight Rises’ set-up will find Batman in a grim place, pushed to his limits physically and mentally by the arrival of the monstrous Bane, who will be played by Tom Hardy.

“We agreed that Bruce Wayne is absolutely sincere as Bruce Wayne,” he continues, “and as Batman utterly sincere but Bruce Wayne, the playboy, is a pure façade. It’s a lie he has, somehow, to control one side of [his] soul that’s not really under control. In fact, only Alfred knows who he is. It’s time for Bruce Wayne to face the pain that has always stirred his life.”

Bale is also coming to terms with having to part with the famous black suit, with The Dark Knight Rises being the final chapter in Nolan’s Batman trilogy. “It’s like saying goodbye to an old friend,” he admits. “When you have the opportunity to be a character so many times, you develop another relationship with him, a more profound one.”

He then went on to describe filming for the film as one of his richest experiences so far. “Shooting in seven different locations chosen by Nolan was a pleasure. It’s really a privilege to work [on], especially with the extraordinary troupe of actors, who always manage to meet Chris’s expectations.”

The Dark Knight Rises will be released on 20th July, 2012, and also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson and Michael Caine.