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"It's not who you are underneath...but what you do that defines you."
Rachel Dawes, Assistant DA
Young Bruce Wayne had a happy childhood until he accidentally fell into an abandoned well
on the ample estate his parents owned. The well was connected to undergroung caves that
were inhabited by bats, millions of bats. They swarmed about him while he awaited rescue
and he developed a phobia! His father got him out of the well and tried to cheer him up by
saying, "Why do we fall, Bruce?...So that we can learn to pick ourselves up!"
Not long afterward the mother, father, and Bruce were at the opera. Many figures wearing
dark costumes were in the play and this reminded Bruce of his fear. He grew uncomfortable
because of his phobia of bats and asked to go home early. When they left a mugger robbed
them and killed Bruce's parents! He was an orphan very early in life but stood to inherit
a vast fortune that had been amassed by five generations at Wayne Manor. We can hardly
imagine how lonely life must have been for him. He had only the loyal butler, Alfred, for
a family. No details are given for the rest of his childhood.
Fouteen years later the killer, Joe Chill, who had been caught the same fateful night of
the shootings, was scheduled for a parole hearing. Some talk of a deal was in the air
because Chill had agreed to testify in a major anti-crime crusade waged by the DA's
office. Bruce thought it was unfair that Chill might get a reduced sentence or even get
out at all because of the terrible injustice against his parents. He was planning to shoot
the man. But a female henchman of crime boss Carmine Falcone beat him to it. This saved
Bruce from becomming a murderer and also robbed him of his revenge! Indignantly he went to
the lair of the underworld in Gotham City to express his dissatisfaction and defiance of
the crime lord.
He confronted Falcone and said he wasn't afraid of him. Falcone said that Bruce didn't
understand fear. He pointed out that there was a judge and two off-duty policemen at the
nightclub. He pulled a gun on Bruce and told him he wouldn't hesitate to blow his brains
out in front of all these people. He could get away with it because Falcone had the
authorites in his power. He told Bruce that you can't buy that kind power. It's the power
of fear! These words made no impression on Bruce at the time but he would find later on
that they were quite instructive! Fear would become a major theme Batman would use against
the corrupt!
After being dismissed by Falcone as an insignificant pest, Bruce traveled the world
seeking his identity. He was angry and confused. He often clashed with authorities in
strange lands. He wound up in a prison in the Orient. Desperate to assert his firece
independence, he once fought and defeated six fellow prisoners. This landed him in
shackles in solitary confinement. He could have perished there but for a stranger named
Henri Ducard, who had heard of Wayne's abilities and was curious. Actually he was more
than curious; he was a recruiter for a mysterious organization. Ducard held great power
because of his contacts. He pulled some strings and got Wayne released.
Naturally Wayne was grateful and could not resist an invitation to meet his benefactor at
his headquarters. Ducard told him of a rare, blue flower that grew in the eastern slopes (
they were in Tibet.) He told him to pick one of these flowers and take it with him on his
climb to the mountaintop. Ducard said that if Wayne could make it to the top with the
flower, he would be introduced to the head of the Order that Ducard worked for.
He arrived at the monastery completely exhausted and met Ducard. Immediately the
environment became hostile and he was attacked by Ducard and several other assailants
watched, as if he were an intruder. He was knocked unconscious. Ducard commented that
Bruce was "afraid of something and it's not me". He mused "what are you
afraid of, Mr. Wayne..."
He revived after this rude initiation and was then treated with more respect. He was
introduced to Ra's al Gul, monarch of the Order. The organization was called the League of
Shadows, whose origin nearly coincided with the dawn of man. Ducard trained Wayne in
Ninjutsu and other martial arts. As they fought on a frozen lake, he summarized the
purpose of the League. They claimed to have shaped civilization by monitoring human events
and pruning where necessary.
The League of Shadows evaluated civilizations for merit and sat in judgement if merit was
lacking. It destroyed cities and societies who were corrupt. It viewed with utter contempt
the actions of philanthropers such as Bruce Wayne's father to try to redeem society by
finding the good in it and bringing it out. These attempts were viewed as weakness. The
criminal fraternity exploits society's tolerance and pity. Ra's al Gul told him that
Gotham City had been chosen as the next target to fall.
Ducard took the flower, crushed it, and put the powder into a metal bowl with a fire under
it. He directed Wayne to inhale the smoke that issued from the bowl. I do not recall the
blue flower being given a name in the movie so I shall name it for this intro. I'll call
it Delerium. Perhaps Wayne thought the Delerium would give him a mystical experience or
great strength. Far from it!
Delerium was hallucinogenic but it had a more insidious effect. It conjured up from the
subconsciuos one's worst fears! Unknown to Bruce, Delerium was to become the League's
latest weapon. If Delerium were refined and used on a group of people, mass hysteria would
result. Believing that they were fighting for their very lives, they would accomodate the
League of Shadows by destroying each other! This was how the League would purge the evils
of Gotham.
Bruce's fear of bats was evident after exposure to the drug. But he was required to
continue training and testing of his abilities while under the influence! He did quite
well. Only one final test was needed to qualify him to lead a team of executioners upon
Gotham. Chillingly resolute, the League of Shadows was poised to carry out its mission
with military efficiency! He was shown a farmer who had stolen his neighbor's land and
murdered him. Bruce was to exact justice -- justice with a sword!
Bruce hesitated to kill the farmer who had done him no personal harm. He was to kill this
man based solely on the accusations of the League. Perhaps there was a nagging realization
that if Gotham were destroyed, his girlfriend, Rachel Dawes, would be sacrificed also,
along with other innocent lives.
If he executed the farmer, there would be no turning back. He would have endorsed their
ruthless methods and sealed the fate of Gotham City. He refused to kill the farmer.
Instead he rejected the League of Shadows and fought the Ninjas. This was an unexpected
action. They were caught off guard. During the brawl a fire broke out. Ra's al Gul got
killed and the monastery burned to the ground. Bruce had fought well with his new skills!
In an act of mercy Bruce saved his mentor from falling off a cliff. Little did he realize
that he would face Ducard's wrath later.
Bruce returned to Gotham City. He had been trained in Ninjutsu, the art of stealth. He
would use his training to evoke fear in the criminal. He would be like a predator hunting
them down. He was resolved to use theatrics, deception, mystery -- whatever it would take
-- to fight crime. He wanted a symbol, something elemental, something terrifying!
He went to Wayne Tower and declared that he wanted to learn more about the company that
his family had founded. He asked to be put into the department of applied sciences. There
was a sheer adventure of discovery as Bruce explored the doldrums of Wayne Enterprises
R&D. He was led by Lucius Fox into a world of fascinating technical details. As new
inventions and new technologies were unveiled, Bruce formed an ever-clearer vision of what
he wanted to become and how to do it! He applied them to create a symbol of resistance
which would be feared by criminals. He created Batman as an individual who makes a
difference !
Rachel Dawes is played by Katie Holmes. Some of the reviews which follow express unkind
comments on Katie's face. I do not share those negative opinions. I feel that Katie Holmes
is very pretty and have only the highest compliments to pay for her role in Batman Begins.
Batman Begins Trailer :
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Batman Begins
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