Themes to think about: Rich vs. Poor. American vs. Foreigner. NYPD vs. Organized Crime. Blind loyalty. The influence of Joker. Time manipulation. Faking death. Love. Trust. 9/11. New York nationalism. Fear. Past lives. Secret Societies. Bridges. Dreams. Does Bane symbolize Osama B(a)in Laden? Does Bruce Wayne mirror George W. Bush? Was it a coioncidence Bain and the Detective were both in Inception. Was this all Alfred's dream? Where was the FBI during all this? Is Liam Neeson immortal in real life or does he just keeping getting those roles? Why did Christian Bale start looking like Tom Cruise at times? To understand the movie keep these things in mind. It's a great movie. Just the right amount of characters.