Utilizing IMAX cameras for major action sequences, cinematographer Wally Pfister captured a sweeping, high-stakes scale that made Gotham feel vast, cold, and immediate.

The film’s climax isn't a fistfight; it is a moral decision. Batman chooses to take the blame for Dent's crimes to preserve the city's hope. He becomes the villain so the city can have a hero. It is a sacrifice that gives the movie its title and its heartbreaking weight.

: The escalation of crime and the arrival of the Joker.

Batman (Christian Bale), Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman), and the new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) form an alliance. Dent is the "White Knight" Gotham needs—a man who can do what Batman cannot: operate in the daylight. Batman plans to retire, hoping Dent cleans up the streets.