RA’S AL GHUL GETS SOME FLASHBACK FACETIME IN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

I hope the rumors regarding Bane and Talia are truth.

He really does have a nice little resemblance to Neeson going on there. If the rumored story is the story, a flashback makes sense,creates some connective tissue between Begins and Rises, instead of just having Talia show up and say "hey, remember that dude you killed a couple of years back? That guy who taught you all your shit? I'm his seed, motherfucker!!!"*

 

 

 

 

 

*I would pay triple the price of admission if Talia actually had a line that ridiculous.

 

 

 

 

 

"Dude, I KNOW my dad didn't say anything about wearing a cape and pointy ears. Freeeeak"

Marion could be playing Ra's wife in a flashback. "Once I had a wife... my true love... she was taken from me."

It would be better if he was playing him and it WASN'T a flashback.  Lazarus Pit, baby!

Oh, yeah. Seconding the Lazarus Pit idea. Absolutely, positively, isn't gonna happen though. 

It's weird. The more we know about the film, the less we know. Nolan has to be laughing his ass off at how confused we are at this point.

For all this aura of serious mindedness around him Nolan is freakishly good at handling the hype for his movies. He's a great salesman. He navigates the new media landscape better than any other A list director, by a huge margin.

Does not compute. You don't hire, of all people, Marion Cotillard to play yet another dead wife in what would undoubtedly be a smaller role if such a character were to appear.

 

I thought this too.

And I'm not down with the flashback idea. If so, why not just get Neeson again?

and what if JGL is playing the new Ras al Ghul??

Because Neeson can't play 25 years old?

I really like the sort of Godfather II thing they have going on here, as evidenced by Devin's story at Badass Digest.  Flashbacks to Young Ra's to establish Bane and contrast his upbringing with Bruce's.  (And he also hints that older Ra's may appear...)

Ras al Ghul was the false face of the organization. First Watanabe and then the chunky dude at the end. I was just guessing the Levitt would be the "new" face of Ras al Ghul.

A younger Ducard/Ras could have to do with Talia, and not Bane.

To keep it more "real world" it could be some scientific Lazarus treatment using stem cells and whatnot.

 

 

 

This is why I'm glad this is the last Nolan Batman movie.

 

 

You've lost me. Neeson was always Ra's, "Ducard" was a cover, and Watanabe and the other Asian getleman in the third act were decoys. Whoever Levitt is supposed to be, I'm fairly confident it is not the new Ra's. Alberto Falcone or *someone* that can bring Catwoman into the story is far more likely. By the by, I'm glad they did away with the Lazarus pit. Batman routinely engages with superpowered beings in the DCU, but when it comes to his own title, I've always preferred that he go up against characters a little less fantastical than a centuries old terrorist and owner of the world's most bad ass spa. I like Ra's, but that element of the character has always been something that bugged me long before Nolan came along.

 

If Nolan were to try to do something with the Lazarus pit (he won't, but if he did), I'd kind of have to hate it.

 

I like Nolan's take on the "Lazarus Pit".

 

RAG (like the Bat) is a symbol. Very much like PRINCESS BRIDE's Dread Pirate Roberts, the League of Shadow's figurehead (or Demon's Head, if you will ;) ) can gain a sense of immortality through secretive inheritance. Works fine for me in this cinematic interpretation.

Before he was Ra's... he was Henri.

Before he was Bane... he was Bane in ... prison? Visited by Henri?

Hey, they could always adopt the George Lucas method for Neeson Voiceover Sustitution:

 

RA'S: (V.O.; Neeson's voice) Bruce! Bruce!

 

STILL RA'S, BUT VERY CLEARLY NOT NEESON IN THE SLIGHTEST: (V.O.) Noooo..!

 

 

In all seriousness though, I like that they're clearly picking up the Ra'a Al Ghul storyline from Begins. should bring everything full circle nicely, fingers crossed.

 

 

Exactly.  I always took Watanabe's character to actually be Ra's bodyguard, Ubu.  Besides, the Al Ghul name will be carried on by Talia..............which would make a new figurehead Ra's unnecessary.  Flashback Ra's will be used to set up Talia and possibly Bane.  As for Neeson?  Always a possibility, but would also probably be used to further the story of Talia and Bane's training and/or past.

 

Bah, you know what? I'm going to avoid anything and everything I can about this movie. I did that with TDK (except for the Two-Face concept art. that was just too much to avoid) and I loved it. 

 

I am going to enjoy this one in the dark.

I'd love to see something like TDKR without knowing anything before, never seeing any trailer, not even knowing who's in it, but I'm afraid you simply can't frequent movie websites without catching stuff.

Yeah, you're right. I guess I always just read into that "But is Ras al Ghul immortal?" line he has. I always thought that the League of Shadows was ran by a "Ras al Ghul", and Ducard was the first to use that role as a shield/bodyguard because.....well, he's kind of a selfish prick. I always thought he really was Henri Ducard, and the Ras al Ghul role/title was passed down through the League over the centuries (somewhat like that "James Bond is just a code name" fan theory).......and as I type this out now, I realize how over the top ridiculous that all sounds.

No, that's pretty much exactly what the movie says: RAG is a role/title passed from man to man (or person; can a be woman be RAG?) over the centuries, with myths and legends built up around the name to create fear and dread. I didn't see Ducard as "using" the role in a selfish way, but he allowed Watanabe's character to playact to give him, the real RAG, the freedom to recruit and train.
 

 

So Bane is the anti-Bat recruited and trained by Ducard as an insurance policy in case one of his other recruits goes AWOL? Or did he build Bane out of spare parts in his childhood bedroom?

 

I guess I am the only person ever so slightly disappointed if, and I say it's a big if, Nolan uses a League of Shadows narrative to come thematically full circle. Although I would appreciate the campness if he pulls a JR "it's all an orchid nectar fever dream".

 

Sorry - I don't know why I am being so down on this concept, but TDK for all its concomitant hyperbole came over as a big step forward. If these rumours are true, it just feels like a step back to me.

Maybe Ducard only keeps tabs on Bane; maybe it's Talia who recruits or trains or whatever him. Maybe Bane takes over after the death of RAG/Ducard. A lot of possibilities.

Yeah, this is about the point where I bow out, I think. I already feel like I know a  lot more than I wanted to.

I'm sure they'll have a far better idea than any of the stupid ones we came up with. At least I hope....

 

I'll be waiting for Anne as Talia confirmation and that's all. Trailer1 & 2 and I'm done. No more prognosis, make-up analysis (remember a in deep coverage of a Two-Face glimpse?) or any other TDKR related stuff.

its doable, you just have be able to skim and be able to catch key words and avoid sentences. Its hard, sometimes you catch something you don't want too. Sometimes its fun too, trying to stay in the dark while still participating in conversation :)
 

 

 

Well obviously I'll watch a trailer. Those are governed by what Nolan wants people to know. He cuts great trailers (or oversees them anyway).

 

I just mean the articles that don't have any problem diving into story details. Just knowing that there will be Ra's Flashbacks is something I wouldn't cry "foul" over in terms of spoilers, but I also would prefer not to know going in. That's the sort of detail that will make me inadvertently sit there wondering "when are the flashbacks going to start... oh here they come."