The Dark Knight Rises preview: What is Bane saying? A line-by-line guide

“Eh? Pardon? Can you repeat that please?” This is not, I’m guessing, the main reaction Warner Brothers hoped to receive at this week’s much-heralded previews of The Dark Knight Rises. It has, however, become a talking point among Batman fans the world over.

For those who haven’t been following the story quite so closely, the dramatic opening scene of The Dark Knight Rises - next summer’s conclusion to Nolan’s hugely successful and acclaimed Batman series - is currently being screened at IMAX cinemas. Scottish fans will get the chance to see the six-minute preview next week, before screenings of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol at Glasgow Science Centre and Cineworld in Edinburgh.

The idea, Nolan has explained, is to demonstrate how much the experience of watching The Dark Knight Rises will be enhanced by seeing it on a giant IMAX screen. That’s nice of him, although it may have slightly more to do with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol needing a bit of an extra push, given that Tom Cruise hasn’t had a big hit in a while. After all, we already know Christopher Nolan’s Batman films look good on an IMAX screen - the audacious opening scene of the last one, The Dark Knight, proved that.

The good news for Nolan and Warner Brothers is that reaction to the footage has, on the whole, been extremely positive. Except, that is, for the Bane problem.

Playing the new movie’s chief bad guy, Tom Hardy cuts a very different figure to the suave spy he played in Nolan’s last film, Inception - here he’s bald and beefed up, with a mask covering his face. The mask is certainly scary. The problem, it seems, is that many cinema-goers can’t make out a single word he is saying.

Well, we aim to be helpful, so with the aid of - cough, splutter - a bootleg of the preview filmed by someone else entirely (which may well have vanished from the internet by the time you read this), I’ve pretty much figured it out. I had to watch the footage about eight times in a row, but I’m now in a position to provide a line-by-line guide that, if you wish, you can print out and take along to next week’s IMAX screenings.

Now, I’ve tried to do this without putting in too many spoilers, but one or two are inevitable I’m afraid. So here’s the obligatory SPOILER ALERT. If you want to use this guide but avoid spoilers entirely, the best solution may be to read no further at this point but simply print out this whole article and not read it until you’re in your cinema seat next week, wondering what on earth is going on. How does that sound? Ok, here we go:

The scene: Something very dramatic and exciting is happening, on a REALLY BIG screen. Look out for one of the cast of Queer as Folk. He plays a pivotal role. It’s a wee while before Bane utters his first line. Here it is.

Bane: Well perhaps he’s wondering why someone would shoot a man before throwing him out of a plane.

(Sorry, I told you there were minor spoilers).

Man from Queer as Folk: At least you can talk. Who are you?

Bane: It doesn’t matter who we are. What matters is our plan. Don’t tell you who I was until I put on the mask.

(Not quite sure about this bit. It’s oddly phrased. Then again, Bane is a psychopath, so perhaps he also uses eccentric diction)

MFQAF: If I pull that off will you die?

Bane: It would be extremely painful..

MFQAF: You’re a big guy

Bane: ...for you!

MFQAF: Was getting caught part of your plan?

Bane: Of course. (NAME REMOVED TO AVOID SPOILER, but it’s obvious in context) refused our offer in favour of yours. We had to find out what he told you about us.

(NAME REMOVED TO AVOID SPOILER): Nothing, I said nothing!

MFQAF: Well congratulations, you got yourself caught, sir. Now what’s the next step in your masterplan?

Bane: Crashing this plane, with no survivors.

More dramatic and exciting things then happen. Possibly involving a plane. I wouldn’t like to say.

Bane: Head straight for the bus with the records, mama.

(It’s just possible that I’ve misheard this bit, even after eight listens. If you’re reading this, Christopher Nolan, it might be an idea to rerecord this line in particular. Unless Bane really is instructing his henchman to head straight for the bus with the records. And calling him Mama.)

Accomplice: Have we started the fire?

Bane: The fire rises.

Bane: Calm down Doctor, now’s not a time for fear. That comes later.

(This last bit actually sounds more like “Pass Wim’s wee bag.” But “That comes later” seemed more likely somehow.)

Enjoy!

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