I'm Gonna Eat You Alive II

or what about all these nightmares?!

Apparently a lot of people did not like the dream sequences, it is often suggested that they are only there to serve as teasers for some future movies or some allusion for the initiated, the true comic fan who knows every single storyline ever. This might be true but to me these dreams made a lot of sense within the narrative of the movie.

These dreams or nightmares were rather an important device to me, similar to the soliloquy or the monologue in theatre these nightmares told me a lot about Bruce Wayne's/Batman's motivation or state of mind - and  I'm really glad that screenwriter and director chose such a cinematic way to convey it.
The first vision, dream or memory of young Bruce Wayne being lifted up by bats already sets the tone. What should be a happy vision of bearing the child back to the light is called a lie in voice-over. Thus the genesis of Batman becomes a fall rather than an ascend.
The next nightmare was in my experience during two screenings a quite shocking one, a lot of people like Bruce Wayne gasped, some even screamed because they did not see it coming: There is, in Martha's grave, a demon and one that is shockingly alive and frightening. Bruce Wayne's initial trauma. The fact that he witnessed his parents' death.
Finally the third nightmare told me two things. First of all Bruce Wayne's fears concerning Superman. There is this devastated wasteland, a desert that once might have been a thriving city.  Ergo Superman definitely has the physical might to bring about such destruction. And then there are these Fascist troopers kneeling to Superman and worshipping him like a god. These are two threats that if Bruce Wayne takes them for real or possible he needs to address now, for as his nightmare shows him, at some point it might be too late. These are Bruce Wayne's concerns and yet there is still this look that intrigued me so much. This unconquerable look of hatred, disregard and contempt is his attitude to Superman. In this state of mind he would never ever listen to anything Superman says even if it cost him his very life, he would absolutely stop at nothing. Oh boy, he's got his mind set on the kill. Being long past the possibility to talk or listen, he would not respond to Superman's accusations. So all in all Batman will and must seek the confrontation and he will kill.