“There’s a storm coming, Mr. Wayne … you and your friends better batten down the hatches. Because when it hits, you’re all gonna wonder how you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us.”
This line, spoken by Catwoman, spoke to me the most in The Dark Knight Rises — it reminded me so much of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Though it has lost steam since it’s founding, OWS is a movement that has spread all over the United States. It consists of liberal, left-wing Americans. The Occupy movement is against America’s capitalist system and those who prosper from it, i.e. successful capitalists like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and instead believe in a communist state where everyone is economically equal and dependent on government to solve nearly all problems.
They believe that they are the majority, the “99 percent”, fighting against the corrupt minority, the “1 percent,” which consists of corporations and the rich. They also believe the “1 percent” to be running the government with a wealth-driven iron fist.
The Occupy movement is an angry movement, and at times very violent (i.e. Occupy Oakland), but they direct their anger in the wrong direction. The United States government is the “1 percent” and the American people, including the rich and corporations, are the “99 percent.”
Government is run by corrupt politicians, not by corporations, and when it grows to a size like ours today it becomes an agent against growth and prosperity for entire societies – for the rich, poor or simply well-to-do.
During the movie, villain Bane said, “The powerful will be ripped from their decadent nests and cast out into the cold world that we know and endure. Courts will be convened. Spoils will be enjoyed. Blood will be shed. This great city — it will endure.” This quote sounds very similar to OWS’ own chants. Not that OWS protestors wish to kill people (though there have been many deaths, injuries and clashes with police during OWS protests), but the idea of bringing down the powerful/wealthy from their “decadent nests” and enjoying their spoils — or a redistribution of wealth — seems like something OWS wouldn’t hesitate to execute.
The Dark Knight Rises also points out the true problems that lie in the communist/Marxist societies that OWS-minded people support. After Bane successfully took the city, everything was in shambles and there was no such thing as private property or wealth, which Catwoman immediately recognized and despised. She was avid on Bane’s plan to destroy the wealthy and instill a communist rule until she saw the results of his revolution: pure destruction of society. That’s the essence of Communism, as the history of the former Soviet Union could prove. Communism allows for no advances in any field and society remains in a state of suspended animation where no one can better themselves or live their dreams.
The movie seemed to turn OWS’ own beliefs against them, especially since the good guy, Bruce Wayne/Batman, is a very rich person and a strong capitalist. If OWS had its way in the world of The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce Wayne would not have been able to be Batman and Gotham would be exactly as it was after Bane broke Batman.
The OWS theme seemed to linger within The Dark Knight Rises, even if that wasn’t director Christopher Nolan’s intention. That made it one of the “scariest” and most depressing films I’ve seen because of the parallels I drew from it concerning OWS and communism. But, it was refreshing to see a Hollywood movie that showed the dangers of communism and the beauty of capitalism. For that I give Nolan and his team kudos.
Politics aside, the movie was well-made, well-cast and simply well-done.
Andrew Jensen can be reached at [email protected]