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When Bane attacks the Stock Exchange in The Dark Knight Rises, it's daytime. But 5 minutes later, it's pitch black night. Is this a mistake?

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It was a deliberate directorial choice, so it wasn't an accidental continuity error

The script states the Stock Exchange scene is in the evening

INT. STOCK EXCHANGE - EVENING

A frenzy of trading on the packed floor...
two Traders sit on a shoeshine stand in the lobby.

Yes, it's still light outside when they leave and start the chase, but it's intended to be the end of the working day and the subsequent scenes are after sunset, in the middle of a city with high buildings blocking the sun.

Is it a little jarring how dark it is in the scenes immediately afterwards? For sure, yes. Is it a continuity "error"? That depends on your definition. The script specifically states that it is dark:

               ROOKIE COP
What's going on with the lights?
The Veteran Cop looks back - streetlights and headlights are
dying one after another. The darkness is chasing them - the
darkness hits them.

Nolan chose to shoot and edit it this way, it's not accidental. Does the edit which makes the scene feel continuous contribute to that slightly jarring contrast, yes.

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    The market closes at 4:30, which means it’s gotta be winter. In December sunset is around 4:30 in NYC - it doesn’t seem to be that cold in the movie though. But either way it’s a very minor oversight if it’s an oversight at all. Aug 5, 2022 at 0:48
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    That assumes Gotham's stock market has the same hours as New York - but yeah - its a minor oversight. Nolan clearly wanted night for the scene.
    – iandotkelly
    Aug 5, 2022 at 0:57
  • @ToddWilcox: Alternately, Gotham might be at a more southerly latitude than New York and have milder winters and later (winter) sunsets. Aug 5, 2022 at 11:50
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    It's definitely winter in this movie, and not a mild one if it's cold enough that the harbor freezes over. (It's a major plot point that they make people try to leave the city by crossing the ice on foot.) Aug 5, 2022 at 13:46
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    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotham_City -- Gotham is essentially Jersey City if we're talking about latitude. That means sun would set at 1632 at the earliest google.com/search?q=sunset+time+jersey+city+dec+21+2021.
    – jcollum
    Aug 5, 2022 at 20:17

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