"Dark Knight Rises" in the eyes of a Dabawenyo viewer

In the Dark Knight, the middle film of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, the cape crusader is framed up for the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent and is regarded as a fugitive.


In Dark Knight Rises, the final installment to the trilogy, eight years have passed since Batman went into hiding and the death of heroic Dent pushes Gotham to enact the anti-crime Dent Act. subsequently cleaning up the city.


By this time Bruce Wayne has become a hermit of sorts, his Batman alter-ego is unwanted with a tarnished reputation while the  Gothamites are cozying up to the rule of law finally enveloping their city. However the emergence of super villain Bane and his elite thugs makes the hero's re-emergence imperative and is the setting of the most epic Batman movies I have seen.


Christopher Nolan's take on a  much realistic, darker and edgier Batman, starting with Batman Begins (2005), Dark Knight (2008) and 2012's Dark Knight Rises perhaps wipes away the trashy memories of Joel Schumacher's Batman (Batman Forever, Batman and Robin) in the mid 90s. 


Combining impressive special effects/production design/cinematography, A-list acting and a well-written storyline, Nolan's epic trilogy is well concluded by this Dark Knight Rises. Despite the running time of 2 hours and 45 minutes you could have wanted for more and wished for another follow-up flick.  


Nolan's realism is essayed on the trilogy, particularly Dark Knight which is actually a commentary on the US war against terror, while Dark Knight Rises takes inspiration from the Battle of Fallujah (the hanged special forces commandoes, Bane's thugs controlling the city) in the raging years of the Iraqi insurgency.


And this realism puts much relevance on the Dabawenyo viewer who could find uncanny parallelisms on Nolan's Gotham with Davao.


In early 2012 the City was struck by a series of robbery incidents perpetuated by motorcycle-riding in tandem criminals. There were 38 robbery/shooting incidents recorded- a whopping 233% increase from 2011 crime statistics in the same period (Jan.- Feb.)


It came to a head when a young nurse was robbed, shot and killed in broad daylight. Many Dabawenyos screamed for blood particularly calling for the return of the vigilante Davao Death Squads or perhaps "The Punisher" to cleanse the streets of returning criminals.


Gotham had Batman, while Davao City has "The Punisher". Batman has cleansed Gotham many times and PERHAPS so did our brand of justice "Davao style."

Gotham's Dark Knight

Davao City's The Punisher

Gotham's Bat Signal

Davao's subliminal "bat signal?"

A while back during a filmmaker's party in Manila I had a mini-discussion with a female filmmaker, she asked us why are we proud that our Mayor (Rody Duterte) have cleansed the city of criminals particularly so it was done extra-judicially.


Then I told her our history, our bloody past during the 1980s when the city became known as "Nicaragdao." When cops were assassinated daily (that included one of my uncles) criminals roamed the streets and dead bodies were dumped on vacant lots. And  how we became one of the country's most peaceful city is everyone's guess.


In Dark Knight, Gotham was under attack by Joker and his minions nearly overwhelming the Gotham Police force, it took an extrajudicial measure by Batman (illegal eavesdropping) to turn the tide.  While in DK Rises, the outlawed hero is forced to return when the police and the government were again overwhelmed. 


The only difference perhaps is that Gotham's Batman is a non-lethal superhero, while the DDS vigilantes are remorseless killers as according to statistics more than 800 criminal suspects were killed in the city during the past decade attributed to the vigilantes.


However in The Dark Knight Rises, the Dent Act, which gave more teeth to law enforcers to fight crime had cleansed Gotham of its criminals and in Davao City, the police were able to neutralize the riding-in-tandem robbery gangs. Both successes done without resorting to vigilantism.

Gotham police, overwhelmed

Davao's Finest, undermanned 1,500 cops for 1.4 million Dabawenyos

In Davao City, the "Gothamite" dilemma is real and evolving. We won't be facing Joker or Bane but the criminals would be as deadly and ruthless just the same. However the ultimate  "short-cut" cure is also just as dangerous as it is morally wrong.  


And just as Gotham, Davao City will have to ponder this reality  the next time criminals would foolishly wander around it's peaceful streets.

Guys, you think its time for the DDS's to comeback and clean Davao City?
-Facebook comment on the news regarding the shooting/robbery of Zenaida and Chanelle Adlaon


“Please give us your police ample time to do the job"
 - Davao City Police Office Director Senior Supt. Ronaldo dela Rosa in response to the call for the return of the vigilante hit squad.


"I don't push for vigilante killings but if it happens, I would not be surprised," 
- Mayor Sara Duterte on calls for the return of the vigilante hit squad.


Jim Gordon: Now this evil...rises, The Batman has to come back.
Bruce Wayne: What if he doesn't exist anymore?
Jim Gordon: He must... He must