History TearJerker / TheDarkKnight

* Some of it is due to the FunnyAneurysmMoment factor, but fans didn't even like Rachel Dawes, yet [[AlasPoorScrappy they still cried]] at her [[KilledMidSentence cut-off sentence]] when she dies in the explosion.

--->'''Gordon:'''[[TheBadGuyWins The Joker won.]] [[AllForNothing All of Harvey's prosecutions, everything he fought for...undone. Whatever chance you gave us of fixing our city dies with Harvey's reputation.]] We bet it all on him. [[FallenHero The Joker took the best of us and tore him down.]]"

* She's in it so briefly, but the lady playing Gordon's wife gives a fine performance. Her whole role is a tearjerker, from freaking out and yelling at Batman (hiding in the shadows) when the police notify her of her husband's "death", to the moment when Jim comes back and they share a tender moment, to the ending when she desperately tries to protect her children by hiding their faces and screaming "Jim, help him!" as Two-Face holds the gun on her little boy. There should be an Oscar category for "Best supporting actress."

[[caption-width-right:350: I'm sorry, Dent.]]

--->'''Two-Face:''' It's not about what I want! IT'S ABOUT ''WHAT'S '''FAIR!''''' You thought we could be decent men, ''in an indecent time!'' But you were wrong. The world is cruel. The only morality in a cruel world is chance. (Holds up coin.) Unbiased. Unprejudiced. ''Fair.'' His son's have got the same chance she had. Fifty fifty!

--->'''Two-Face:''' It's not about what I want! IT'S ABOUT ''WHAT'S '''FAIR!'''''

* Between the two parts of the end credits, we get this [[InMemoriam dedication]]: "In memory of our friends Creator/HeathLedger and Conway Wickliffe". Wickliffe was a special effects technician for the film, who was tragically killed while filming the Batmobile chase scene.

* Between the two parts of the end credits, we get this dedication: "In memory of our friends Creator/HeathLedger and Conway Wickliffe". Wickliffe was a special effects technician for the film, who was tragically killed while filming the Batmobile chase scene.

* Between the two parts of the end credits, we get this dedication: "In memory of our friends Creator/HeathLedger and Conway Wickliffe". Conway Wycliffe was a special effects technician for the film, who was tragically killed while filming the Batmobile chase scene.

* The part with the bombs on the ferries, when the huge convict and the random, seemingly stoic and pragmatic man are holding the detonators for the bombs on each other's boats. The convict takes the detonator from the police officer and casually hurls it out the window, completely ready to accept his fate, while the man on the other ferry tries to trigger the bomb, looks down at it, and with his hands trembling, he puts it back down. The scene right there is so powerful, human, and heroic for the ordinary citizens of Gotham.

** Bruce's speech about how Rachel was going to wait for him after she died. Alfred smartly takes the letter away from the breakfast tray and burns it. In context of Batman's speech about having faith being rewarded, Bruce would have likely quit being Batman right there and then had he read the letter.

* She's in it so briefly, but the lady playing Gordon's wife gives a fine performance. Her whole role is a tearjerker, from freaking out and yelling at Batman (hiding in the shadows) when the police notify her of her husband's "death", to the moment when Jim comes back and they share a tender moment, to the ending when she desperately tries to protect her children by hiding their faces and screaming "Jim, help him!" as Two-Face holds the gun on her little boy. There should be an Oscar category for "Best supporting supporting actress."

** Seeing [[SanitySlippage Harvey's sanity break]] when he finds out Rachel has died. Harvey, in the hospital bed, wakes up and smiles as he reaches over to grab the coin he'd given Rachel, thinking it means she survived but then turns it over to see the burnt side. The look of sheer, horrifying ''anguish'' on his face, followed by [[SilenceIsGolden the silent screaming]] and shaking breakdown right afterward, hits ''hard''. It's done in almost complete silence, but the minimal soundtrack and Creator/AaronEckhart's acting really sell it.

** Creator/GaryOldman's profamance when pleading Harvey not to hurt his family is also very heartbreaking.
** When Batman shows up, insisting that Harvey doesn't want to hurt Gordon's son and asking him to put the gun down. Harvey spends a moment genuinely showing regret, then yells that it doesn't matter what he wants, it's about what's ''fair''. He truly doesn't want to kill the kid, but feels he must anyway. ''That'' is when you know just how hard Harvey's fallen into madness.

** And Batman [[ZeroApprovalGambit taking the blame for all of Harvey's murders]], even though ''Batman had nothing to do with them''; it was all to preserve Harvey Dent's image as the White Knight of Gotham. [[SadisticChoice It was either spend the rest of his superhero life as a wanted man, or let the credibility of a district attorney turned murderer come crashing down.]]

** "We thought we could be decent men in an indecent time, but we were wrong." That line is so powerful and Creator/AaronEckhart just nails it.

** And Batman taking the blame for all of Harvey's murders, even though ''Batman had nothing to do with them''; it was all to preserve Harvey Dent's image as the White Knight of Gotham. [[SadisticChoice It was either spend the rest of his superhero life as a wanted man, or let the credibility of a district attorney turned murderer come crashing down.]]

--->'''Convict:''' Give it to me, and I'll do what you should have done ten minutes ago.

** Seeing [[SanitySlippage Harvey's sanity break]] when he finds out Rachel has died. Harvey, in the hospital bed, reaches over to grab the coin he'd given Rachel, and turns it over to see the burnt side. The look of sheer, horrifying ''anguish'' on his face, followed by [[SilenceIsGolden the silent screaming]] and shaking breakdown right afterward, hits ''hard''. It's done in almost complete silence, but the minimal soundtrack and Creator/AaronEckhart's acting really sell it.

* The part with the [[spoiler:bombs on the ferries]], when the huge convict and the random, seemingly stoic and pragmatic man are [[spoiler:holding the detonators for the bombs on each other's boats. The convict takes the detonator from the police officer and casually hurls it out the window, completely ready to accept his fate, while the man on the other ferry tries to trigger the bomb, looks down at it, and with his hands trembling, he puts it back down]]. The scene right there is so powerful, human, and heroic for the ordinary citizens of Gotham.
** The huge convict's line before [[spoiler:throwing the detonator out the window: "Give it to me, and I'll do what you should have done ten minutes ago."]]
*** A very subtle one that a lot of people miss: right when the convict [[spoiler:throws the detonator out the window]], he goes to sit down in... not shame, but resolution. A group of other convicts circles him as if to say "it's all right, you did the right thing" and all look as if they are comforting him. That says so much right there...
** The aftermath of the Joker's sadistic choice shows Franchise/{{Batman}} summing up the implications of this for ComicBook/TheJoker's philosophy.
--->"What were you trying to prove? That deep down, everyone's as ugly as you? You're alone."
* Some of it's due to the FunnyAneurysmMoment factor, but fans didn't even like [[spoiler:Rachel Dawes]], yet [[AlasPoorScrappy they still cried]] at [[spoiler:her [[KilledMidSentence cut off sentence]] when she dies in the explosion]].

** Bruce's speech about how Rachel [[spoiler:was going to wait for him after she died]]. Alfred smartly takes the letter away from the breakfast tray [[spoiler:and burns it.]] In context of Batman's speech about having faith being rewarded, Bruce would have likely quit being Batman right there and then had he read the letter.
** As a side note, you can't help but find {{Foreshadowing}} to her eventual decision during her dinner with Bruce and Dent. [[spoiler: Her mention of Caesar as a counter point to Harvey can be seen as her disenchantment with Bruce's role as the Dark Knight.]]
* Batman standing alone at [[spoiler:the site of Rachel's death]], with two firefighters pointing at him as he broods.
** Bruce slumped on his chair [[spoiler:after Rachel's death]]. It's sad enough in context, but what makes it absolutely heartbreaking is the way the shots and Alfred's dialogue mirror the aftermath of his parents' funeral in ''Film/BatmanBegins''. Even after all his training and accomplishments, Bruce is still the same traumatized little kid.
* She's in it so briefly, but the lady playing Gordon's wife gives a fine performance. Her whole role is a tearjerker - from freaking out and yelling at Batman (hiding in the shadows) when the police notify her of her husband's "death", to the moment when Jim comes back and they share a tender moment, to the ending [[spoiler: when she desperately tries to protect her children by hiding their faces and screaming, "Jim, help him!" as Two-Face holds the gun on her little boy.]] There should be an Oscar category for "Best supporting supporting actress."
* '''Harvey Dent'''. Anyone with even vague knowledge of the character from any of the adaptations knows [[ComicBook/TwoFace what's coming]], but that won't save you from ''every scene'' of [[spoiler:his transformation into Two-Face]] punching you in the gut and then spitting on you for good measure. The [[spoiler:horrifically realistic facial burns]] ''do not help''.
---> "You think I wanna ''escape'' from this? There ''is'' no escape from ''this!''"
** When Batman arrives to rescue Harvey at the building he's [[spoiler:about to blow up]] in, Harvey reacts in anguish, knowing that with Batman having come for him, [[spoiler:Rachel will die instead.]] He has to be dragged out of the building screaming, trying to get last words in with [[spoiler:Rachel]] over the phone.
** Seeing Harvey's sanity break when he finds out [[spoiler:Rachel has died]]. Harvey, in the hospital bed, reaches over to grab the coin [[spoiler:he'd given Rachel]], and turns it over to see the burnt side. The look of sheer, horrifying ''anguish'' on his face, followed by the silent screaming and shaking breakdown right afterward, hits ''hard''. It's done in almost complete silence, but the minimal soundtrack and Eckhart's acting really sell it.
** Additionally, when Gordon visits Harvey in the hospital, he notes that although the doctors said he was in pain from the burns, he refused to take any medication. The [[spoiler:death of Rachel]] hit him so hard, that his physical pain felt serene in comparison.
** When [[spoiler:the corrupted Harvey Dent rants at Gordon for failing to save Rachel, he threatens to [[MisplacedRetribution kill Gordon's son]] in response, and uses a coin flip to decide whether or not to actually do it]].
*** When Jim Gordon is desperately trying to [[spoiler:save his son]]:
---->'''Jim Gordon''': I'm sorry! For everything! [[spoiler:Please don't hurt my son [...] Harvey, you're right, Rachel's death was my fault. But please don't punish the boy... punish me]].
---->'''Two-Face''': I'm about to.
** When Batman shows up, insisting that Harvey doesn't want to [[spoiler:hurt Gordon's son]] and asking him to put the gun down. Harvey spends a moment genuinely showing regret, and then yells that it doesn't matter what he wants, it's about what's ''fair''. He truly doesn't want to [[spoiler:kill the kid]], but feels he must anyway. ''That'' is when you know just how hard Harvey's fallen into madness.
---> "It's not about what I want, IT'S ABOUT ''WHAT'S '''FAIR!'''''"

---> '''Harvey''': The Joker chose ''me!''
---> '''Batman''': Because you were the best of us! He wanted to prove... that even someone as good as you, could fall.
---> '''Harvey''': ''([[MyGodWhatHaveIDone a look of horror passes over his face]], then with bitterness)'' And he was right.
** The look on Harvey's face when he says "And he was right" adds another level of gut-wrenching sorrow. This is somebody who has realized that [[spoiler:[[MoralEventHorizon he's gone too far to turn back now]].]]

** When Harvey Dent, a fundamentally decent human being, points the gun at his own head for being one of the people responsible for [[spoiler:Rachel's death]] and says with resignation, "My turn." When the coin comes up in his favor, [[DeathSeeker he actually looks disappointed.]]

** And Batman taking the blame [[spoiler:for all of Harvey's murders, even though ''Batman had nothing to do with them''; it was all to preserve the image of pre-Two Face Harvey Dent]]. [[SadisticChoice It was either spend the rest of his superhero life as a wanted man, or let the credibility of a district attorney turned murderer come crashing down.]]
** Batman realizing the implications of [[spoiler:what Dent did to the prosecution of the criminals, and ''insisting'' on taking the fall for it]]. The protagonist of the series insists on lying and encouraging Gordon to lie because of the harm the truth would cause. This is enhanced by Gordon's speech about how "we have to chase him because he can take it." BittersweetEnding indeed.
** During the montage Gordon takes an axe to the Bat-signal. His reluctance and hesitation speak volumes.
* When Bruce says about Harvey: "Look at this face. This is the face of Gotham's bright future." [[spoiler:He was definitely right. [[{{Foreshadowing}} But only by half.]]]]

** As a side note, you can't help but find {{Foreshadowing}} to her eventual decision during her dinner with Bruce and Dent. [[spoiler: Her mention of Caesar as a counter point to Harvey can be seem as her disenchantment with Bruce's role as the Dark Knight.]]

* Meta Example: Creator/HeathLedger [[AuthorExistenceFailure died young]] of accidental overdose shortly after his scenes were filmed, and never got to see his Joker performance on the silver screen, much less receive recognition for the finished product in his lifetime. The Oscar was accepted posthumously on his behalf by family members.
** "I think you and I are destined to do this forever." [[FunnyAneurysmMoment Knowing that no, they won't...]]

---->'''Jim Gordon''': I'm sorry! For everything! [[spoiler:Please don't hurt my son [...] You're right, Rachel's death was my fault. But please don't punish the boy... punish me]].

---> '''Harvey''': Then why did Joker choose ''me?!''

[[caption-width-right:350: I'm sorry Dent]]

--->"What were you trying to prove? That deep down, everyone's just as ugly as you? You're alone."

** The huge convict's line before [[spoiler:throwing the detonator out the window: "Give that remote to me, and I'll do what you should have done ten minutes ago."]]

[[redirect:TearJerker/TheDarkKnightTrilogy]]

[[redirect:TearJerker/TheDarkKnightSaga]]