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Wayne Manor
“But it’s not who you are underneath, it’s what you do that defines you.”
Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes)
It is while working in his own batcave, his garage in this case, that Christopher Nolan develops Batman Begins, with David S. Goyer. At the time, the DC Comics superhero was not really on the up and up, worn down by Joel Schumacher’s fluorescent Batman & Robin.
Christopher Nolan intends to return to the sources of the character and make him find his darkness. As usual, when shooting began in March 2004, the director refused to call in a second crew in order to maintain total control. In Iceland, on the Vatnajökull glacier, the film crew builds from scratch a village and the entrance to the temple of Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson). To shape his version of Gotham City, the director shoots on both sides of the Atlantic. The St. Pancras in London becomes the Arkham Asylum, while in Tim Burton’s Batman, the same place housed the offices of the Gotham Globe. Still in the English capital, the Abbey Mills Pumping Station is used as Jonathan Crane’s (Cillian Murphy) laboratory, while the Farmiloe Building and the Garrick Theatre are also used.
When it came time to find the perfect location for the Wayne family mansion, Christopher Nolan’s team had a list of twenty locations but ended up settling on Mentmore Towers. The filmmaker particularly likes the white floors of the building. For him, this old residence resembles a memorial and is particularly suitable for housing the last survivor of a decimated family in his feature film. No overly extensive development is required to allow Mentmore Towers to shine on screen. His gothic side also responds very well to the dark side of Bruce Wayne. Nevertheless, no giant cave under the house! The famous batcave was entirely made in the Shepperton studios, also in England. And if in the film, the mansion ends up in ashes, Mentmore Tower is still standing today.
The first part of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy on the Dark Knight, Batman Begins follows the huge failure of Batman and Robin released in 1997. The reboot received much critical and popular acclaim, even earning $374 million at the box office. The film is still a reference for Batman fans today.
The dimensions of the sets of the Batcave, built in the Shepperton studios, are extraordinary: 76 m long, 37 m wide and 12 m high.
Mentmore Towers
In Buckinghamshire, the former holiday home of banker Mayer Amschel de Rothschild has become a pop culture spot.
When Mayer de Rothschild decided to buy a country house. His wish was to model its architecture on that of the Crystal Palace, an ambitious building erected for the 1851 World’s Fair and designed by Joseph Paxton. He requisitioned the latter and saw his dream come true in the middle of the English countryside. Passed from hand to hand over the years, planned to host a hotel, this magnificent monument has appeared in movies such as Brazil, Eyes Wide Shut, Ali G and of course Batman Begins. Roxy Music, Enya et les Spice Girls y ont également tourné des clips.
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Batman's Batmobile
A superhero must have at least one must-have item and Batman is the one who has the most. Batarang, multi-function belt, grappling hook launcher, but also and above all the Batmobile. The ultimate superhero car, the Batmobile will allow you to sneak around Gotham at the speed of sound, minimum.
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By Damien Duarte
Passionné par la culture pop depuis son enfance, ses références vont de Donald Duck à Batman en passant par Marty McFly. Fantripper dans l'âme, voyager sur les traces de Ghostbusters, James Bond ou des héros de romans comme Cotton Malone fait partie d'un séjour idéal et réussi !