Chapter 844: Duke Quotes

On the set of The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale wasn't quite as humble as he had been during Batman Begins, but he didn't throw his weight around, either. Having worked with Duke on two consecutive films, Bale knew exactly what kind of director he was dealing with. He understood that his own status on this crew might not even match the assistants who had been following Duke for years.

Bale was right to think so. If a blowup like the one on the Terminator 4 set happened here, Duke certainly wouldn't fire his cinematographer or anyone else on his crew. He would fire Christian Bale, even if it meant recasting the role.

Overall, communication between Duke and Bale went smoothly. After all, Duke was leagues above Terminator 4 director Joseph McGinty Nichol.

"Ever since losing his love, Rachel, Bruce Wayne has felt deeply isolated," Bale said. "Harvey Dent's death and the ensuing chaos only trapped him further. He constantly blames himself, wondering if his choice to become Batman is what caused all this tragedy."

Christian Bale looked at the script in his hands as he discussed his character with Duke. "His faith is beginning to waver, leaving him physically and mentally shattered. But how much longer can he endure this kind of torment? Will these events truly haunt him for the rest of his life? If this continues, will it lead him down a path of total self-destruction at any moment?"

Duke's understanding was that after so many years in seclusion, having given up the mantle of Batman, Bruce Wayne had actually sacrificed both of the identities he once held.

"By returning to Batman this time, we are creating a man who has lost his purpose," Duke said. "He has no mission, and he no longer has the unwavering goal he once fought for."

Sitting behind his desk, Duke looked at Christian Bale. "When it comes to shaping Batman as a character, my starting point and consistent driving thought is that, wealth aside, he is a superhero with no superpowers. His uniqueness ultimately stems from his extraordinary motivation and absolute dedication. Those two things are what make him great."

"One major trait of this character, and something people often overlook, is his immense wealth."

Closing his script, Christian Bale picked up where Duke left off. "Very few people can fully comprehend the resources available to such a wealthy man. The rest of it, from an emotional standpoint, is actually quite easy to understand."

He thought for a moment before adding, "I'll gradually grasp the scale of the character's emotions and naturally portray his different states at each stage. I'll also do everything I can to find and study his true feelings. Bruce Wayne is no longer young. He's plagued by many doubts, so this kind of performance requires incredible nuance."

Duke nodded in agreement.

Although his temper had grown, Christian Bale's work ethic was unquestionable. Ever since receiving Duke's notice earlier in the year, he had been bulking up, building muscle, and undergoing the necessary combat training with Jimmy Carter.

Not long after Bale left, Duke had someone call over Gal Gadot, who was doing her own combat training in the gym.

Physically, Gal Gadot was a perfect fit for Selina Kyle, but acting was her weak point.

"Have a seat, Gal."

"Thank you, Director Rosenberg."

Once the Israeli actress sat down, Duke didn't waste time with small talk. He jumped straight into the topic of her role. "I need to find a balance between this classic image and a highly credible, easily lovable personality. You have to naturally combine these different facets of her character so there's no sense of fragmentation. They must coexist without contradiction, creating a dynamic where Catwoman and Batman bring out the best in each other."

Sitting across from him, Gal Gadot nodded eagerly.

"What truly affects Bruce Wayne isn't Selina Kyle herself, but the loneliness he feels after so many years."

After thinking for a moment, Duke continued, "He meets an interesting, fascinating woman right inside his own home. He suddenly realizes that he has still been searching all along, even if he wasn't consciously aware of it... He lost everything that once brought color to his life, and he needs to interact with normal people."

Duke asked her, "Anna already gave you the character script. Have you read it? What are your thoughts?"

"I've read it."

Recalling the script, Gal Gadot spoke as she gathered her thoughts. "I think Catwoman's outlook on life and morality is entirely gray, and it's exactly this gray morality that strikes a chord with Batman. From a slightly bizarre perspective, Catwoman's aura perfectly mirrors Batman's, and the two achieve a subtle yet spot-on harmony. Selina Kyle is always faintly mocking him, which sparks a certain chemistry between them. Given Batman's own dark, brooding nature, his interactions with Catwoman act as a bright spot, lifting much of the oppressive, dreary atmosphere."

"Not bad." Duke nodded in approval. "If you have any questions, you can come ask me at any time."

Although he didn't particularly like Gal Gadot as a person, Duke never showed favoritism or bias when it came to work.

Another important character was Bane. Since Dwayne Johnson had only just passed his audition and hadn't formally signed his contract yet, he naturally couldn't receive the complete character script. Duke was in no rush.

Though Bane wasn't as widely known as Catwoman, the heinous acts he had committed against Batman made him a truly infamous figure in the eyes of all comic book fans. Both physically and psychologically, he posed the maximum possible threat to Batman.

This character also had another distinct trait: a massive contrast between his voice and his physique.

In Duke's words, Bane was highly articulate yet possessed the build of a gorilla. So, apart from showcasing his excellent eloquence, his overall image was still quite imposing and majestic.

Then there was the old butler, Alfred. In the film, he would deliver a cruel truth: right now, Gotham City had brought Bruce Wayne nothing but pain and disaster.

In some ways, Alfred's viewpoint was correct. He analyzed the situation from the audience's perspective; he was their representative and spokesperson.

He wasn't unyieldingly strong like some others. His reactions were exactly what any normal person would feel in such circumstances.

While Duke prepped the film, Warner Brothers' promotional and marketing engine was already charging ahead, just as always. Since it wasn't the right time to reveal too much about the movie or its characters, Warner focused its marketing blitz on Duke himself. After years of market validation, they had seen firsthand the sheer size and purchasing power of the Duke fanboys.

Orchestrated jointly by Warner Brothers and Penny Kalis, several of Duke's past statements were compiled into "Duke Rosenberg Quotes" and posted online. On Instant Sharing in particular, they became a viral sensation the moment they appeared, with everyone scrambling to repost them.

This list of "Duke Quotes" truly represented some of Duke's genuine thoughts.

"I would rather make a film that a thousand people desperately want to see than a movie only ten people consider to be high art."

"Most comic books nowadays read like softcore porn. I still miss the traditional ways of storytelling. You know what else I miss? Superpowers. Why is it that now everyone can alter their body's ions and molecules? It's like one lightning strike and suddenly everyone can become Doctor Strange. And the girls in comics are wearing less and less, and they all look like they've had breast implants. I know I sound like a stubborn old man, but it's the truth."

"I make movies for the diehard fan inside of me; I make movies to give myself strength; I make movies to experience the characters' lives; I make movies to explore the things that normally terrify me; I make movies to do everything that film fans fantasize about doing when they see a story."

"I love fantasy films, I love action movies, and I love sci-fi. I'm fascinated by things that wouldn't actually happen in real life because they act as footnotes to real life. But at the end of the day, what interests me the most is the adventure and thrill that cinema can bring."

"Every time I kill someone off on screen, I find it refreshing, relaxing, and enjoyable. Please don't call me a 'character killer'—Shakespeare did this way more than I ever have."

"I originally thought I was put on this Earth solely to make movies. But that same year, I watched Star Wars, and I realized, oh, George Lucas has already done everything I wanted to do. My being on Earth had no meaning at all; I might as well just wait to die. It wasn't until many years later that I finally mustered the courage to truly step into the film industry."

"This era is chaotic and disorganized. With everything I create, I hope audiences can see how humanity struggles and fights to live decent, noble lives in such an era. It is a grueling process. We often fail, but we never give up. To me, this is the most important message I will always insist on conveying."

"I've been under an immense amount of pressure over the past two years. It's like I was originally a sketch artist, and now they're asking me to paint in oils—with hundreds of millions of dollars riding on every single decision. Sometimes I really just want to forget it all."

"No matter how much people talk about the benefits of leaving things on a cliffhanger, I want everything to be a complete experience in my films. If I dig a hole for you and then just abandon it, fuck me."