Marion Cotillard has admitted fault for the most heavily ridiculed scene in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). As the last movie in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, it was the last chance to see Christian Bale’s Batman in action. Fortunately, it was a mᴀssive success, ushering in $1.1 billion worldwide and securing an 87% score on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. Nolan has since gone on to direct other hits, including Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017), and Oppenheimer (2023). He is now reportedly working on an adaptation of the classic work, The Odyssey.
Unfortunately, Nolan’s final Batman movie faced some significant criticism. Viewers ridiculed Talia al Ghul (Marion Cotillard)’s death scene, and even Cotillard admits that it was flawed. During an interview with France TV, Cotillard discussed her character’s maligned death. She took responsibility, explaining that she “was stressed” and “screwed up“. Check out her quote below (via ComicBookMovie.com):
I couldn’t find the right position. I was stressed. Sometimes it happens, we screw something up. And this, I screwed up.
Talia Al Ghul’s Death Scene Controversy Explained
Cotillard Originally Defended Talia’s Death Scene
A loyal ally to Bane (Tom Hardy), Talia was a former prisoner who managed to escape the Pit. She posed as a typical civilian who sought to help to save Gotham. Instead, she gave her life to ensure that a bomb would destroy the city. Her death should have been impactful, especially given that it came shortly before Batman’s final sacrifice. Instead, the drawn-out scene drew nothing but mockery. The death itself was unconvincing, as Talia gave a long speech that ended with an exaggerated collapse, as if it was a telegraphed scene in a sketch comedy.
Throughout much of The Dark Knight Rises, Talia was simply known as Miranda Tate.
In a 2016 interview, Cotillard defended her performance, arguing that she did the best she could. She even questioned why the editors chose to “keep that take“. Despite admitting that it was a poor scene, she believed that the audience generally overreacted to a flawed but still satisfactory ending. Her more recent quote represents a significant change of opinion from her more defensive 2016 argument, per ComicBookMovie.com:
“We’re all in the same boat, and if sometimes it gets out of control, then everyone is involved. Sometimes there are failures, and when you see this on screen, you’re thinking: ‘Why? Why did they keep that take?’ But either you blame everyone or nobody. But I thought people overreacted, because it was tough to be identified just with this scene. When I’m doing the best I can to find the authenticity in every character that I’m playing, it’s tough to be known just for this scene.”
Our Take On Marion Cottilard’s Death In The Dark Knight Rises
Both Of Cotillard’s Arguments Were Right
It is hard to deny that Talia’s death was poorly done. It is not something that should ever reach the final cut with an esteemed director like Nolan behind the camera. Still, Cotillard was right that one scene should not define her career. She has played major roles in Inception (2010), Highlander, and La Vie en Rose (2008). Cotillard also won the Oscar for Best Actress for her work on La Vie en Rose and earned a nomination for Two Days, One Night (2015). An actor that renowned does not simply lose all of her skills for one small scene.
Everyone involved shared some responsibility.
The widespread ridicule of Talia’s death was not wholly undeserved, as it was a poor performance. Still, Colliard was correct to argue that everyone involved was partly at fault. Nolan could have offered better direction, the editors could have chosen another take, and Colliard could have offered a more believable performance. Everyone involved shared some responsibility. The Dark Knight Rises‘ shocking death should have been less absurd, and it is no one person’s fault.
Source: ComicBookMovie.com
