By Susanne Robbins
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Q -What attracted you to the character or Rachel, the woman caught between two very attractive guys?
MG - I was a fan of Katie's and I liked what she did with this character. Once I knew I had her blessing, I kind of thought the only way for me to do this is to think of Rachel as a whole new woman. I would have been horrible if I tried to imitate her or if I was tied to choices that she made, so I had to make up my own. When I was approached about this I wasn't looking to work. I had a three month old and I wasn't reading any scripts at the time. But I am such a fan of Chris Nolan, and the actors in the movie were so amazing. It was pretty hard not to take it seriously for the possibility of working with them. I told him I really wanted to do it if she could be a real woman.
Q - What about Rachel's dilemma of choosing between these two guys? She is after all one of the few who really knows who Batman is.
MG - I thought the most difficult thing to choose is that she loves both men deeply. I think she is trying to figure out during the movie which of these two honorable men is going about trying to change the way of the world more effectively. Harvey Dent, he is following the system and using the system to try and make things better. Then Bruce Wayne as Batman he is more radical, he needs to be in the mask in order to change things. I think it is hard because she respects both men and they way they are going about making Gotham a better place.
Q - What were your memories of working with Heath?
MG - I think that he does something in his movie that is really extraordinary. I think it is hard for even the greatest actors to find themselves in a stride that is as free as he is in this movie. I could feel that when I was working with him. Even when the scene was so dark and scary, he was so free he made it so much fun.
Christian Bale - YUMMY
Q - What was it like on the top of the Sears Tower?
CB - Oh fantastic and that was not a stunt that was an experience. I mean come on there was no way they were going to let me jump off the tower. I had a cable and could have fallen a short way. I figured when am I ever going to get the opportunity to stand on top of the Sears Tower and look out over Chicago.
Q - Did you find the suit less Claustrophobic than the original.
CB - Oh yeah, I mean look I am not going to complain I am playing Batman for god sake's I can put up with it. Just as the character has evolved so has the suit. There are a 110 parts to this suit as opposed to three. With the original suit I found I was fighting against during the fight sequence. The suit was not designed for the type of fighting technique that we used, where as this suit is made for it.
Q - How much darker is the character of Bruce Wayne in this movie?
CB - I don't know about darker I would say he is more mature. He is always the dark knight with Batman he is never a white knight. He has the wisdom and he wants to make good and that is associated with the White Knight. But he has this suit and he looks demonic, and bats are associated with the devil, and with hell. That is the whole point, he wants to overcome his own fears and use them against his opponents. He has this great rage inside him which is the dark knight, but countered by the values which were instilled in him from his parents. He wants to hold true to those values.
Q - Is the Joker sort of a dark mirror image of Batman? Or talk about how he is taunted by the Joker.
CB - He is provoked more than ever by the joker into the temptation of breaking his one cardinal rule which is he will not kill. I think it is wonderful how Chris Nolan has been able to make this amazing roller coaster movie. With the joker you have the arrival of the ultimate freak. Many people are accusing Batman of attracting that type of person. But a formidable foe because he doesn't seek money, his own reward is the pleasure of being in the moment of chaos and destruction. He is a very intelligent character, clearly batman has a dilemma he can break his one cardinal rule and potentially save many more lives.
Q - Where you surprised by the way Heath played the role?
CB - I wasn't surprised by it, I worked on a film with Heath called "I'm not there". I had spoken with him before we started and I had spoken with Chris about Heath's ideas for the character. So I sort of knew we were going to be getting this sort of different portrayal. Also in the way our Gotham is not looking for caricature's we are not looking for actors to be giving a nod and a wink at the audience. I can't help but be impressed beyond belief with what he did to make such and iconic villain. I have no idea how if Chris decides to do another movie how he is going to improve and make a better villain than what Heath came up with. He is kind of a punk rock, Clock work orange, anarchist who is intelligent as well. He despises hypocrisy and he is holding up a mirror to Gotham and declaring it to be utterly hypocritical.
Q - Have you talked about a third one and would you be up for it?
CB - That will depend on Chris and that will be his decision. Clearly I hope that he would, I find that we have a very intriguing ending. I like the idea of the challenge of a third because there have been a number of sequels which have surpassed the original, however with my limited knowledge I can't remember how many times the third has surpassed the original.
Gary Oldman
Q - Did you enjoy coming back and reprising your role as Commissioner Gordon?
GO - One of the reasons I came back was because of Chris. I mean you have met him, his skill as a director aside he is a very nice man he never seems to tire. He always knows exactly what he wants. He did write me a very nice role with a great character arc.
Q - People talk about Harvey Dent being the through line for the story but I actually think it is Commissioner Gordon.
GO - He's the glue that keeps it together with the hurricane all around him. He is a moral, incorruptible guy. That though goes back to Chris he is the road for me. He has built the road and all I have to do is drive the car and follow it.
Q - Did you get a chance to work with Heath much?
GO - Yea we have a couple of scenes together and we would talk on the set. I mean there are those people, when I first acted with him, I just thought this kid is good. And you know that you are in the presence of something really special. I have said this, it is almost like he is tuned in and he has his own frequency he is on a radio station that we can't hear. I never feel like I am watching and actor, I always feel like I am watching the joker. There is no vanity about that role.
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