One of the boldest choices Nolan made was skipping the immediate aftermath of The Dark Knight . Instead of showing us a Batman on the run, dodging police in a high-octane chase, the film opens in a state of stasis. The Dent Act has cleaned up the streets, organized crime is eradicated, and Batman is a pariah, retired and broken in body and spirit.
The central theme of the film is the necessity of suffering for growth. Bruce Wayne begins the film as a broken recluse, physically and emotionally shattered after eight years of isolation. Reclaiming Humanity: The Dark Knight Rises
The middle act of Rises is its secret weapon. Stripped of his suit, his fortune, and his allies (Michael Caine’s heartbroken Alfred, Morgan Freeman’s stranded Lucius Fox, and Gary Oldman’s beleaguered Gordon), Bruce must confront the truth he has avoided for eight years: he wants to die as the hero. He is terrified of living as a happy, ordinary man. One of the boldest choices Nolan made was