Marion Cotillard Says She ‘Screwed Up’ Her Awkward Death Scene in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’: ‘I Didn’t Nail That’

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/marion-cotillard-screwed-up-awkward-death-scene-dark-knight-rises-christopher-nolan-1236301963/

30 comments

  1. > “I didn’t nail that scene,” Cotillard said in an interview with French media. “I didn’t find the right position. I didn’t find the right way… I was stressed. Sometimes it happens that you screw something up. So that, I screwed up.”

  2. Easily the worst scene in the trilogy. I always wondered if Chris Nolan wasn’t on set that day or why he’d allow *that* take in his final cut. I don’t love Cotillard as an actress but I’ve seen her put in much better performances even in a different Nolan film.

  3. From a team that demand excellence its crazy the actor, director, AD, and editor said “good enough”.

  4. Release the Cotillard cut, I want to see the takes they didn’t go with… if that’s the one they did go with!

  5. I’d have to agree. Just recently finished the film the other day and it was definitely weak and took me out of the scene. I’d even argue that she was miscast entirely in that role.

  6. Could have been 30 takes and they chose that one. It’s down to the director to call it when he gets what he needs

  7. Lmao ok I had felt gaslit by how bad it was. Ty for admitting it. 

  8. Bless her, it was pretty bad but she’s still a great actress and she everyone knows that.

    Tbf, DKR had a few tiny awkward moments that was telling, like the “robin” reveal “you should use that more, ROBIN (insert smirk)”, lmao.

    But I don’t fault Nolan too much honestly because I’m sure they had a few other ideas with before Heath past away. Although the spectacles were fantastic, it still felt a little rushed somehow for such a long runtime.

  9. This is the editor and the directors fault. I’m sure they shoot more takes than this one. This take was chosen and the final product was approved by multiple people.

  10. She also said that they had plenty of shots of the same scene and Nolas chose the worst one.

  12. “So you’ve come back to die with your city?!”

    “No, I came back to stop you”

  14. Batman nailed that.

    IN AN ORDER THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU!

  16. Ok yes but tdk rises is a hilariously bad movie in general.

    There are a few fun scenes with bane but the vast majority is ridiculous and cringey.

  18. I remember giggling when I saw her death scene in TDKR. I thought the whole room would be laughing with me but most people in my theater didn’t react.

  19. Well… arguably Chris should’ve directed the scene a bit better. You know, like a take 2?

  20. I think because Heath Ledger was so amazing in these movies it’s easy to overlook that the entire franchise is silly and awkward. It’s astounding how Christian Bale is like ashamed of Newsies when he was less silly in that.

  21. Every time I see a death scene in a movie I turn to my wife and say..it was better than Batman

  23. I remember watching it in the theater and a guy behind me burst out laughing by how unexpectedly awkward it was.

  24. In her defense, Nolan should have picked any other take than the one that made the final cut.

  25. I still remember how EVERYONE in the theater burst out laughing during that scene. It seemed like a parody of a death scene and this is an oscar winner we’re talking about…

  26. I am always AMAZED how fucking bad that acting was in that particular scene. Like WHY christopher WHY

  27. Christopher Nolan, who I think is an amazing director, had the final day. TDK trilogy had some really fantastic moments, and some serious duds and flubs. But the buck stops at him. I appreciate her stepping up like this, acting is a process and it can’t be easy to nail it every time. Ultimately though, the director is has the final say and he is known for doing very few takes or even one-taking it.

  29. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit if they only did 1 take for this.

  30. Uhm she does know theres a BUNCH of people who shouldve been like hey people dont die like they do in cartoons lets figure this out people like oh i dont know THE DIRECTOR

Comments are closed.