The biggest plot hole in 'The Dark Knight' that has bothered fans for years has an anticlimactic resolution
- One of the biggest plot holes in 2008's "The Dark Knight" revolves around the Joker.
- 53 minutes into the film, it appears as if Batman leaves party guests at the mercy of the Joker when he dives out a window to save Rachel's life.
- According to the film's novelization, that isn't the case.
- Once Batman jumped out the window, the Joker simply left the party in a getaway car.
Over a decade after its release, there's one massive plot hole in 2008's "The Dark Knight" that continues to make Batman fans scratch their heads every time they watch.
If you've watched the film countless times, you likely know which one we're talking about.
About 50 minutes into the film, the Joker and his gang crash a Wayne fundraiser for District Attorney Harvey Dent. After the Joker tosses Rachel out a window, Batman dives after her and the two crash atop a taxi cab.
Cool. Back to the Joker, right?
No.
What happens in the film: The Dark Knight appears to leave innocent people with a madman
Instead of returning to the party, the film cuts to a scene with Commissioner Gordon the next day after Rachel asks Bruce if Harvey's safe.
Though he says yes, he has zero proof. Bruce merely knocked Dent out and stashed him hurriedly in, what appears to be, a pantry. Someone could have found him, especially if Dent woke up in a daze banging to be let out. (When he was incapacitated, Dent had no knowledge the Joker was coming for him.)
Viewers are left to assume one of two things. Batman either left a crazed, murdering clown with a bunch of innocent party guests or the Joker just decided to give up and leave empty-handed.
Are we to believe the Joker just up and left the party when Dent was waiting to be found?
Yes. Yes we are.
What happens in the book: The Joker actually ran off and Batman let him go
You may not have realized it, but Dennis O'Neil wrote a novelization of "The Dark Knight" to accompany the film's release. (You can find it here on archive.org in digital form with a free trial.)
The book clarifies a few of the film's perplexing moments, including what happens to the Joker after Batman's fall in one succinct sentence.
"Batman and Rachel stood almost completely hidden under a shop awning and watched a black SUV speed away. Almost certainly the Joker's getaway car..."
That's it! The Joker bounced and Batman just watched him get away. Instead of pursuing the SUV, Batman turns to Rachel to ask if she's all right.
That doesn't sound like something Batman would do
You're right.
Why would the vigilante look the other way? Well, one simple explanation is that if Batman caught the Joker that early in "The Dark Knight," the film would be over.
The Joker would be in jail earlier than he wanted to get caught and Dent and Rachel would likely still be alive and planning their wedding.
Allowing the Joker to leave the party enabled the story to continue even if it didn't make the most logical sense. After all, we saw in the film's opening moments the lengths Batman would go to in order to stop Scarecrow from driving away in a parking deck. Bats didn't see him driving off and decide, "Oh, well. He's too far gone. Next time!"
He decided to drop a few floors onto the roof of his getaway car to bring him to justice.
By all means, it's tough to believe the Caped Crusader would simply allow the Joker to make a similar getaway later in the film.
The novelization's explanation is extremely anti-climatic, but at least you no longer have to wonder if the Joker was left to terrorize Wayne's guests every time you watch "The Dark Knight."