Christian Bale Discusses DARK KNIGHT RISES Ending - Was it a Dream or Real?
The ending of The Dark Knight Rises sparked a lot of discussion among fans. If you don't recall, Alfred sees Bruce Wayne alive and well in Italy, in a setting that Alfred hoped he would see him in. Some fans think that Bruce blew up with the bomb and that the final scene was a dream. While others believed that the hero did survive, and that Wayne went on to live a peaceful life. I've always believed that Bruce survived, and that what Alfred saw was real. There are valid points that have been made for each side though.
So what does Christian Bale think of the ending? In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bale shares his thoughts on how the series ended, and you can hear in his voice that he's still passionate about what he and director Christopher Nolan created. When asked if it was a dream sequence or if it was real, this is what the actor said:
"[Alfred] was content with me being alive, and left because that was the life he wanted for him. I find it very interesting, and I think that with most films I tend to say... it's what the audience thinks it is. My personal opinion is, no, it was not a dream. That that was for real, and he was just delighted to finally have freed himself from the privilege... ultimately the burden of being Bruce Wayne."
Like he said, though, it's up for the audience to decide what they it is. So if you still think that Bruce died in the explosion, then so be it.