"Massive" is the only word suitable to describe the scale of the filmmaking
as a pivotal scene for "The Dark Knight Rises" is filmed at Heinz Field --
while the 11,000 members of the Pittsburgh crowd will no doubt be replicated
into 60,000 using CG, the rest is the real deal. We are sitting in a real
stadium, there are three real Tumblers -- the same armored vehicle that Batman
drove in the first two films, only painted in camouflage instead of black --
motoring out onto the field, and the turf itself is divided by several elevated
sections and pits that indicate something momentous is going to happen
below.
"What happens in this scene is, and this is the total top line rather than
giving you the whole thing ... basically, Bane comes and subverts it," explains
Thomas. "He takes this moment to tell Gotham what his plan for them is." She
hints helpfully, "There's going to be quite a lot of explosions during the
game." We later hear that the shot has to go just right, since it can be done
only once without requiring a difficult and time-consuming reset.
Since "TDKR" is set during the winter, the crowd has been instructed to dress
in coats, hats and gloves -- not exactly comfortable as the August sun blazes
down on the stadium. To keep everyone happy, the Tumblers wheel around in an
impromptu show while prizes are given out and contests are running throughout
the day. But it certainly seems like the locals are happy to be there -- they
cheer on command as assistant director Nilo Otero cues them to, and later change
those cheers effortlessly to screams of fright and panic as Bane makes his
entrance.
That entrance is announced by today's singular visual effect: Some 55
explosive charges will detonate on the field as the Rogues and Monuments run a
play, and if you've seen the trailers by now, you know that the final visuals
will show the entire field collapsing, swallowing players from both teams whole,
as a lone Rogues receiver (played by Hines Ward) just barely survives by
literally outrunning the explosions. On the screen it looks spectacular, but
even on the field, without the full effect, the sight is quite electrifying.
The players rehearse their moves while Christopher Nolan and crew run through
the setup for the shot over and over again (much of "TDKR" -- much more than "The Dark Knight," is being shot in
IMAX with the format's huge cameras), and finally it's time to go. The ball is
launched into play, the team members zig and zag as the crowd cheers, and
without warning, dozens of explosions and pillars of smoke erupt across the
field in a loud, earthshaking fusillade. Stunt people dressed as football
players fling themselves into the pits dug around the field, the crowd reacts in
fear and horror, and the air is filled with the aftermath of the explosions as
huge columns of dirt are blasted upwards. Nolan yells "cut" and the shot is a
success.
But we're not done yet, as later, Bane at last makes his entrance. Dozens of
mercenaries circle the field, pointing machine guns at the crowd, while the
Tumblers also hover menacingly. Tom Hardy strides out in a coat, mask in place
over his face, and picks up a microphone from near the body of a dead referee.
He addresses the crowd -- his words are deliberately muffled so as not to give
away much -- and ends by saying, "This is the instrument of your liberation," as
a large spherical object resembling the electro-magnetic pulse device used by
Ra's al Ghul in "Batman Begins" is wheeled onto the field.
Hardy is an imposing presence, and the strange way in which he speaks from
behind his mask somehow adds to his eerie, ominous personality. "I think we've
retained what works for this universe and for our world," says Thomas about how
Bane has been adapted from the comics for this film. "He's definitely
recognizable. But then there are some things that we've changed, because I think
they wouldn't have fit into Chris Nolan's version of the world." (Ironically, a
horrible, goofy version of Bane showed up in "Batman & Robin" 15 years ago.)
Even before the day is done, photos and videos from inside the stadium will
begin to show up online, taken by extras in the stands. They're a credit to the
level of interest in the movie, although Thomas admits that the public
fascination has been a challenge. "We've definitely been surprised by it," she
says. "Certainly with this film because of the property and because of the
success of 'The Dark Knight,' there's definitely a whole different level of
interest based on the tie with that. But also, every time we make a film, every
two years, what's interesting to me and what I find fascinating, is that
technology has changed. Twitter wasn't a big thing even on 'Inception,' and it
certainly wasn't on 'The Dark Knight.' It just seems to me that there's so much
more ... people communicate in a whole different way now.
"On 'The Dark Knight,' if someone had taken a set photo, it might end up
online maybe the next day or maybe a couple days later," she continues. "But
now, I'm literally looking on the computer and, half an hour after we've shot
something, it's everywhere! It's crazy! And I think it's a bummer, personally. I
love that people are interested and excited, but I'd prefer people waited for
the movie."
It was nine months ago that she uttered those words to our group of
journalists, and now all this time later, there are less than two months to go
before "The Dark Knight Rises" opens, and we still don't know what the movie is
about. But we do know this: Based on what we saw that day in Pittsburgh, and
what we've seen in the trailers and photos that have emerged since then, it's
all too possible that Christopher Nolan and his cast and crew have not just
matched "The Dark Knight," but perhaps surpassed it. Nolan is going big, folks
-- we've seen it with our own eyes.
"The Dark Knight Rises" is in theaters, Friday July 20.
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Geeking Out On...J.J. Abrams Directing 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars'
Video by:
Description:
J.J. Abrams' 'Star Trek Into Darkness' is set to open this week, then begins the task of directing a new 'Star Wars' film for 2015. Check out this episode where Kurt argues why he's the man for the job and how it's enough already about the lens flares. Also, a few other "double dippers" in the dueling franchises as well as a few others.
