The Batman sees Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne during his second year as Batman, where he crosses paths with several iconic characters, like Catwoman, The Penguin and The Riddler. At the start of the story, Batman claims to be Gotham’s vengeance, using fear as his primary weapon in the attack on Gotham’s crime and corruption. However, by the end of the story, he transforms into something greater and becomes a symbol of Gotham’s hope, right after being electrocuted, which actually plays a significant role in this transformation within the structure of the film.
During Batman’s first altercation at the start of the film, he takes on a violent gang that assaulted a civilian. Batman tells them explicitly that he is vengeance, and throughout the film, it is implied this is his explanation as to who he is and what he is doing. He earned a reputation for being vengeance, and the concept even becomes synonymous with him and his symbol. Unfortunately, it appears to have been an inspiration to Edward Nashton to create his own secret identity in order to deliver his own version of vengeance across Gotham City.
While taking down Riddler’s goons at the convention center during the film’s dramatic climax, Batman is confronted with this reality when one of them repeats Batman’s claim of being vengeance. It forces Batman to revaluate the impact he’s having in the city and how that contradicts his intention to help the city. By acting as vengeance, he has not saved the city from corruption and crime but inspired a new kind of criminal. This leads him to the understanding that he has to become something better in order to have the desired impact in Gotham he so desires.
This is where the electrocution comes into play. It’s right after the goon’s revelation that Batman witnesses a large electrical wire snap and dangle close to the water where helpless civilians are stranded. To save them all, Batman swings onto the wire and cuts it loose, neutralizing the larger threat. Also in doing so, he gets electrocuted and falls into the water below, almost looking like he’s going to dye in the process.
He’s not down for long and returns to the surface alive. His next act is to save the new Mayor, as well as the old Mayor’s young son, thus kicking off the start of his new image. The electrocution thus symbolizes the death of Batman’s vengeance and his rebirth as a symbol of hope. With this rebirth, it’s understandable why he doesn’t vanish into the shadows after the fight; he helps with the evacuation and civilians.
During the evacuation, there’s a great bookend moment where a civilian Batman saves reaches out to him in gratitude. It’s the polar opposite of the film’s beginning fight when the civilian is afraid of Batman. These bookends are made possible because Batman is electrocuted; therefore, the changes to Batman’s character are visually represented in a way that sells the growth that has happened over the course of the film. Batman’s vengeance persona had to die in order to be reborn as Gotham’s symbol of hope.
Read Next
About The Author
