The Dark Knight - Inaccurate Quote?

[Jonesy161]

So within The Dark Knight movie, near the end, Commissioner Gordon says a line that is one of the world's favorite quotes from any movie (although I find it confusing and other quotes to be much better/meaningful). The quote goes...

"Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight."

My curiosity about this quote is if it was inaccurate or did anyone take a look at what it meant? What I'm interested in is the beginning sentence, just the "Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now."

Gotham NEEDS a hero, they NEED someone to keep the streets clean, keep the people safe, keep justice in the shadows where the law has trouble reaching. They DON'T deserve Batman, they treated him like dirt, they blame him for everything that goes wrong, etc. So should the quote instead say "Because he's the hero Gotham NEEDS RIGHT NOW, but not the one it DESERVES".

If any of you know the reasoning to why the original quote is stated as is, please enlighten me, I'm honestly confused by it currently. If anyone has thoughts or opinions, I'd love to hear it as well to figure out this quote.

 

[phantomlord22]

it's like um, I deserve so many things right now, but it's not what I need...

 

[Jonesy161]

To me, the quote sounds like a 16 year old saying to his parents "I deserve a car, but I don't need one right now." If I were that dad, I'd be responding with "I'm not driving you anywhere anymore, so you sort of need that car. However, assuming you deserve it and since you said you don't need it right now, tough shit, take the bus from now on."

 

[Jack Spicer]

They have a hero in Harvey Dent and the cover story they made for him. They don't need Batman right now. They do deserve him, however, because he is the true hero, but for the sake of the cover story, he isn't. Harvey Dent is.

 

[Huang]

It means he's not the typical superhero that saves people from robbers, or stops an rampaging train.

It means he's a symbol for whatever the city needs to keep its morals up.

Like when Harvey Dent died, he took the blame, so people wouldn't think of Dent as another deranged lunatic.

They don't need him to be a saviour, but a scapegoat.

Keeping the image of Dent intact makes him a hero, so the city can go on thinking there are still good people in office.
Something Gotham truley deserves after having to deal wih Ra's, Scarecrow, and the Joker.

 

[Jonesy161]

But why do they deserve him? They treated him like dirt. You can't say it's because of the troubles they went through either like the Joker, prisoner outbreak, etc. since Batman was the one that pretty much rescued them all and he still got the rough end of the stick.

This city doesn't deserve him in any way in my opinion. He does it out of justice and to protect the citizens, he cares not of what they think of him. All they deserve is crime.

 

[KillerbYo]

Its not supposed to make sense, why do you think the third movie had a plotpoint called "the clean slate" Nolan hates the internet because when ytou actually look at the manuscript you realise its all just bullshit and imagination.

 

[Gdamon]

Its honestly confusing, but it represents how Batman is different than other hereos who give people hope...

 

[Jack Spicer]

But why do they deserve him? They treated him like dirt. You can't say it's because of the troubles they went through either like the Joker, prisoner outbreak, etc. since Batman was the one that pretty much rescued them all and he still got the rough end of the stick.

This city doesn't deserve him in any way in my opinion. He does it out of justice and to protect the citizens, he cares not of what they think of him. All they deserve is crime.

I don't get the city dirt deal. The city likes Batman. The only people with an issue are the police and the mob. The citizens only hated him after Dark Knight because they thought he killed their white knight, Harvey Dent. That makes sense, but Bruce wasn't really Batman after Dark Knight. In Begins and Dark Knight, the city liked him. Again, not the mobsters or the police, but why should they? The police can be argued against, but still, it's their job.

 

[Huang]

Batman does not care about being loved, he cares about the city being safe.

If the people treat him like dirt in order to feel beter, then so be it. Batman isn't a person, he's a tool to improve Gotham.

He lives his life as Bruce Wayne, who unlike Batman, is the most beloved person in Gotham.

Its not supposed to make sense, why do you think the third movie had a plotpoint called "the clean slate" Nolan hates the internet because when ytou actually look at the manuscript you realise its all just bullshit and imagination.

Having a bit of prior comicbook knowledge, and simpley paying attention helps

 

[KillerbYo]

Batman does not care about being loved, he cares about the city being safe.

If the people treat him like dirt in order to feel beter, then so be it. Batman isn't a person, he's a tool to improve Gotham.

He lives his life as Bruce Wayne, who unlike Batman, is the most beloved person in Gotham.



Having a bit of prior comicbook knowledge, and simpley paying attention helps

Chris nolan is not a comicbookexpert.

 

[Moe22]

The city needed my boi Harvey to be it's so-called "hero". In his short term as DA, he did so much for the general public. After his grotesque transformation the new villain died a dog's death, but to reveal this to the public would basically throw away all trust and safety imposed by Dent prior to his betrayal. That's what I think it means by "Not the hero Gotham needs now", they need a human; someone that can lead them and relate to them. Not someone who hides their identity.
But I'm with you on the "hero gotham deserves" part.