Christopher Nolan is considered one of the most meticulous directors in modern cinema. From Inception to Interstellar to Oppenheimer, his films are often synonymous with quality, attention to detail and complex scripts. Nolan’s films are often synonymous with quality, attention to detail and complex scripts. That’s why it’s hard to believe that a genius like Nolan isn’t exempt from making mistakes, and there’s one scene in particular that film fans haven’t been able to forget… because it’s so bad.
We’re talking about the infamous death of Talia al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), a scene so strange and poorly executed that it became a meme. Now, more than a decade later, its star, Marion Cotillard, has publicly admitted that it was her fault and that she ruined the moment.
A stain on Nolan’s record?
It’s been 13 years since that moment, and if you don’t remember that moment, we’ll sum it up for you: In the final stretch of The Dark Knight Rises, Talia al Ghul’s character (played by Cotillard) suffers an accident in a truck and, before dying, she pronounces her last words… in the most exaggerated and unconvincing way possible. Her “last breath” seems more like a parody than a dramatic moment.
Years later, the actress admits that she couldn’t find the right position, she was stressed and feels that she ruined the scene, but what she can’t understand is why they didn’t throw out that take and film another one, the actress ended up regretting this fact “I think people overacted because it’s hard to be identified only by that scene. When I do my best to find the authenticity of each character I play, it’s hard to be known only by that scene.”
Parodies were quick to come, and some even created one to point out how ridiculous the moment looked. A Tumblr page called People Dying Like Marion Cotillard was even created, where users mockingly imitated her performance.
But how could something like this happen in a film by Christopher Nolan, a director known for his perfectionism?
Did this affect the film?
Not at all! And while none of us can explain this slip-up, The Dark Knight Rises was a hit that grossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office and was part of a trilogy that redefined superhero cinema and redefined a new role for Batman in cinema (although it never reached the level of 2008’s The Dark Knight).
What other Nolan films do you recommend?
In addition to the two mentioned above, we are going to propose a real marathon of movies and popcorn:
- Inception (2010) is a science fiction masterpiece that will make you never sleep the same way again.
- Interstellar (2014) became unforgettable for many viewers, as did Memento (2000), which was the film with which Nolan landed in the film industry.
- Other films that you can’t miss are Tenet (2020), in which Nolan pushed time travel to the limit, and Oppenheimer (2023), which was one of the favourites at the Oscars!
Talking about awards, Nolan received recognition at the Oscars, and the posthumous award for Heath Ledger for his portrayal of the Joker was notable.
Looking back, we can’t understand why they didn’t repeat that scene, which ended up becoming a real meme. Nolan, for his part, has remained one of the most respected and recognized filmmakers in Hollywood, and his legacy is probably set for the ages. What will his next film be?