James Gordon (Gary Oldman)

James Gordon is portrayed by Gary Oldman in Nolan's film series.

Batman Begins Time Frame
The film partly concerns Gordon's rise from beat cop to Sergeant and, by the end of the film, Lieutenant. He did his best to comfort the ten-year-old Bruce Wayne after the murder of his parents, when he was a young man, and Wayne later recognizes him as one of the few honest police officers in the city and would always remember his kindness as it gave Bruce the strength he needed after his parents' death. Seventeen to eighteen years later, after being promoted as a detective-sergeant on the force, while working late on his office, Bruce, wearing a ski-mask, visited Gordon's office, to ask Gordon about Carmine Falcone's criminal operation and the police inability to stop the notorious crimelord. When Bruce threatens Gordon with a common office stapler, which was thought to be a pistol, Bruce suggested that they form an alliance.

This is kept secret from all other police officers, with Gordon proving pivotal in Batman's defeat of Ra's al Ghul by driving the Batmobile to destroy the Gotham monorail tracks and prevent the madman from vaporising the water supply. James Gordon's involvement in saving Gotham results in his promotion to the rank of lieutenant. He developed a Bat-Signal with the department's spare searchlight to summon Batman in times of need. Gordon called the Batman to announce his promotion on the force, his appreciation to the Dark Knight, and also to discuss a criminal whose identity is a mystery. The criminal has committed an armed robbery and double homicide, with an apparent taste for theatrics, leaving a calling card: a Joker playing card.

The Dark Knight Time Frame
During the second film in the Nolan series, Gordon is the leader of GCPD's Major Crime Unit and has been working with Batman and newly elected DA Harvey Dent to apprehend the new leaders of Carmine Falcone's gang. This is his main concern before the Joker comes into the mix and puts out hits on Commisioner Loeb, Judge Surrillo, and Harvey Dent.

Gordon manages to get to Loeb's office in time and block it off, but the Commisioner drinks a glass of whiskey that is laced with acid; killing him. Judge Surrillo is also killed by a car bomb on the other side of town, but Dent is saved by Bruce Wayne as the Joker comes to kill him personally at a fundraiser. Gordon is seemingly killed taking a bullet from the Joker meant for the Mayor at Loeb's funeral, a fact that Gordon exploits to work undercover and set up a plan to capture the Joker. With Loeb's death leaving his rank open, Gordon is then promoted to Commisioner after the Joker is apprehended. But things only get worse as time goes on. While the Joker is in prison, his thugs then kidnap Dent and Rachel Dawes and take them to two separate locations rigged with bombs and tubs of gasoline. Batman hears about this and tortures the Joker in the interrogation room to find out where they are, but the mastermind switches the locations; Batman then goes after Rachel while Gordon goes after Dent, meaning they were actually going after the opposite person. When Batman discovers Harvey instead of Rachel, he hesitates out of fear, but rescues him only seconds before the building ignites and catches the left side of Dent's face on fire. At the other location, Gordon is not able to save Rachel and she is killed when the building explodes.

Dent, now scarred horribly on his left side, takes Gordon's family hostage after the Joker convinces him to take his frustration on those responsible for Rachel's death.

While Dent holds Gordon's son at gunpoint, Jim pleads relentlessly to have him let his son go. But Dent flips the coin, only to be tackled by Batman. Dent falls to the ground motionless, but Batman holds onto the building's siding and hands Gordon's son back before the police storm the location. Batman tells Gordon to blame all the people Dent has killed on him as he flees into the night.

Gordon is seen during one of the last scenes in the film, destroying the Bat-Signal while being surrounded by a group of cops who now hate Batman due to the murders that he took the blame for.

Friendship With Batman
Although he does not condone vigilantes, Gordon sees that it is necessary to operate outside of laws in the crime-filled Gotham City, especially since most members of Gotham's police department are mired in corruption. Before the emergence of Batman, he was increasingly jaded and disillusioned of the corruptions around him, disdaining his fellow officers even as he acknowledges that he cannot do anything about it, both due to his own refusal to be a 'rat' and a lack of anyone he could actually tell. The arrival of the Dark Knight gives the police detective the hope he needs to build a better Gotham for his wife and children. After being promoted as a lieutenant, he is determined to clean the department up from within. The detective is still clueless of who Batman is, or that he is one of the people who inspired the Dark Knight to be what he is now. At the end of the Dark Knight he is one of the few people who knows about Batman being innocent and that Dent was responsible for the murders Batman took the blame for.

Vehicles

 * In Batman Begins, Gordon uses the Tumbler to destroy the suspended rail carrying the subway carriage Henri Ducard is on.
 * Gordon takes the Gotham City subway to and from work, but when involved with a case, he will usually ride along in a squad car with another police officer.

Behind the scenes

 * In the recently revealed trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, Gordon is hooked up to life support while telling Bruce Wayne that Batman needs to return due to a new evil rising. The trailer also implies that he is somewhat aware of the connection between Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Web Site Links

 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_Begins
 * http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/
 * http://www2.warnerbros.com/batmanbegins/flash/index.html