The Batman Detail That Has Fans Looking Twice At The People He Saved
"The Batman" is truly an original perspective on the iconic DC Comics character. Fans haven't seen anything like this in live-action before — a movie that focuses on Bruce Wayne's (Robert Pattinson) initial years as Batman. Sure, an argument can be made that Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" focused on an early Batman, which it did, but it was an origin story. With "The Batman," director Matt Reeves told Esquire that he didn't want to cover the overdone origin. Therefore, fans meet a Bruce Wayne who has already established himself as Batman in this film — but he doesn't really know exactly what he wants that to mean yet.
A theme throughout the entirety of "The Batman" is Bruce's internal struggle with if he's truly making a difference, and if that "effect" is what he even wants it to be. Initially, Bruce sets out as Batman out of vengeance, and even resorts to calling himself "vengeance" in the movie, with Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) and Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) even referring to Batman as such. It wasn't until the very end of the film after the Riddler (Paul Dano) unleashes chaos and one of his followers refers to himself as "vengeance," that Batman realizes that he wants to set a different example. He then leaps into action to save hundreds of lives during the flooding of Gotham City, noting his desire to be a symbol of hope, to be something more.
This change of heart is actually foreshadowed in small details throughout most of the film, although one detail, in particular, has fans looking twice.
There's a key juxtaposition with the first and last lives saved in The Batman
According to a recent thread on Reddit, fans have started to notice key indicators left by Matt Reeves regarding Bruce's decisions on what he wants Batman to be moving forward. User demetri47 initiated the conversation by noting how at the beginning of the film, Batman explains that he is the shadows, waiting to strike fear into the hearts of criminals, but by the end, he is the "leading light" for the people who are stranded in the flooding. They appreciated how well this was shown, that it represented an arc for Bruce's thoughts on being Batman from the beginning to the end of the movie. However, Drkarcher22 took it one step further with specific details.
They explained that at the beginning of the film during the first fight between Batman and the face-painted thugs in the subway, the man who Batman saves ends up pleading that the Dark Knight doesn't hurt him, while at the very end of the film, the woman Batman rescues will not let go of him because of the support he provides her. The fan notes that they felt this juxtaposition was "amazing."
In a subtle way, this detail shows Batman's resolve without dialogue but more with minor actions and exchanged expressions. This is present in the entire movie between Batman and other characters, but especially at the end between him and the woman who he helps to be airlifted out of Gotham. What's even more amazing is not what this detail says about Batman, but what it says about Bruce.
This detail in The Batman likely says a lot about Bruce's mental state
Although through narration from Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne we are able to understand that his view of what Batman should stand for has changed, the way the first and last people that Batman saves in the film are shown says a lot about the growth of Bruce's mental and emotional well-being. As any fan of Batman knows, the trauma from seeing his own parents die in front of him becomes the catalyst for the way Bruce Wayne lives his whole life — leading him to sink to some pretty dark places sometimes. We are able to see right away through his first few discussions with Alfred (Andy Serkis) that Bruce is in a particularly bad way. He is still consumed by his trauma and his pursuit of vengeance — he's consumed by Batman. Bruce also alludes that he's become nocturnal, and we don't see him get an ounce of sleep in the whole film.
By the end of "The Batman" and that final life he saves, we almost see a smile from Bruce under the mask, a look of reassurance passed from him to the person he's helping. This could certainly foreshadow the way Bruce will be emotionally in a sequel — even indicating that he may be more comfortable being seen as Bruce Wayne. This would lead him to do more in the public eye as Thomas and Martha's son — making peace by honoring their legacy as a philanthropist and as Batman. Only time will tell as more rumors surface about the possibility of "The Batman 2" coming sooner than later.