Do you believe that Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle lived happily ever after-- or is the Batman dead, and that moment in Europe just a fantasy of Alfred’s?
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I think it’s real. There’s no reason to believe it isn’t.
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It’s real
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I think Alfred’s having an allergic reaction to the horse meat he unwittingly ingested
that exact question is what makes the scene one of the great moments in DC film history–Nolan leaves it to the viewer to decide if Bruce gave his life for Gotham, or did Batman
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I agree so much, @manifest. It’s a perfect ending to the story of a man who becomes a symbol and legend
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It’s real and it’s spectacular 
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I don’t buy the idea of Batman ever truly being happy or content with his war on crime being over, I’ve always loved the ambiguous endings of Nolan’s movies. I’ve personally always considered it being Alfred’s wishful thinking.
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I like to believe that Bruce remembered what Alfred said earlier about the cafe so he showed up there to show Alfred that he was okay and had finally moved on with his life. After all, one of the things we find out in the ending sequence is that Bruce fixed the autopilot on The Bat.
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Do we think JGL became Batman or a new hero that made use of Bruce’s toys?
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@manifest That would’ve been better accomplished if we only saw Alfred raising his glass, and maybe some obscured figure. Instead, we saw both Bruce and Selina (whom I don’t believe he really knew, nor knew Bruce would be with), so a lot of the ambiguity is dashed.
It was written to be the end, and as far as a bookmark end goes it was handled as well as it could have been. The Batman legacy lives on even without Bruce who can live the life Alfred had always hoped in some capacity. Reminds me of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. A storyline conclusion that doesn’t end the franchise, but gives you an outlook on what the character’s closure would be.
yeah I personally don’t attribute much ambiguity to that scene–to me, Bruce is alive, travelling with a companion, and could be mistaken for someone content with life–but I also think those things represent Alfred’s only wish for Bruce: that he find peace, and by visiting the cafe every year, Alfred finds his own solace by imagining the ideal life he always wanted for Bruce Wayne, who died protecting Gotham, in anonymity
I don’t think Bruce being alive is very ambiguous - he had fixed the autopilot. However, I also don’t think that Bruce letting Alfred see him and Selina at a cafe means everyone lives happily ever after lounging in European cafes - it just means that Bruce gave Alfred peace of mind. To me, that’s where the ambiguity lies.
As far as a movie/trilogy ending goes, the scene provides closure and peace like many epilogues. As far as the idea that Batman is eternal, the scene provides a peaceful interlude. What happens next is in the minds of the viewers. Personally, I don’t see Bruce forever stepping away from Gotham, even if he just comes back to help mentor the next generation of heroes.
The Bat does not simply die.
The Bat Rises and Forever Returns to be Brave, Bold and Triumphant.
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He faked his death to find peace in a new life and let Batman become a martyr legend or something.
He became Batman after leaving Gotham for almost 10 years as he was suppose to but was only active as Batman for months before retiring for 8 years then faking his death months after his comeback. Yeah wow
Totally hated the ending of DKR.
- he leaves the cave to John to continue his mission. The cave has nothing but an elevator!!
- said base of operation is right under a brand new ORPHANAGE!! What type of animal puts their secret lair under an ORPHANAGE!?
- And Bruce ends his mission because he falls in love!? WTF! His promise to his parents was he wouldn’t let what happened to them happen to anybody else! He totally turns his back on that promise so he can move to Paris and live with Selina!? Bruce doesn’t want the “and they lived happily ever after”.
Bruce seemed pretty interested in living happily ever after when he fell in love with Andrea Beaumont in Mask of The Phantasm.
To add to that, Bruce was so in love with Andrea that he pleaded on his parent’s grave for a sign that prioritizing Andrea over his vow to them would be okay with them.