In The Dark Knight Rises, this quote is spoken by Miranda Tate (Talia al Ghul). After Talia stabs Batman, she monologues the big reveal of who she really is and who is really behind the mayhem happening in Gotham. She describes her patience in waiting to exact revenge on Batman for killing her father as the slow knife that takes its time and waits years without forgetting.
I’ve written a few posts about holding onto anger and seeking revenge. While the thought of destroying someone who has wronged you can feel satisfying, allowing yourself to marinate in them can be self-destructive. It changes who you are if you refuse to let go of it.
In this movie, Talia masquerades herself as philanthropist, Miranda Tate and gets close to Bruce Wayne (Batman). She becomes a board member and CEO for Wayne Enterprises and becomes someone Bruce can trust. They share an intimate encounter one night, and it is here where we see for the first time that everything may not be what it seems with Miranda. Bruce traces his fingers on a scar Miranda’s back has that the audience has seen before. Bane has a similar one, and it is from a branding iron used by the League of Shadows.
To get revenge and finish her father’s mission, Miranda had to build her life around this persona she created to get close to Bruce. She needed to gain Bruce’s trust for him to give her access to the reactor. To meet her objective, she had to live and breathe her mission. And then when she was ready, she betrayed Batman by trying to kill him. This is level of deception was done quietly and did indeed cut the deepest for Bruce.
The moral of this story is that if you spend your life seeking revenge for the wrongs that were done to you, it comes with great personal sacrifice. As hokey as it sounds, the best revenge is living your best life. Have enough self-worth that you don’t forfeit your own life, to destroy someone else. Let karma take care of it.
