Why did Bruce Wayne have sex with this character?

Question

I just watched The Dark Knight Rises and I think I may have missed something.

Miranda Tate shows up at Wayne Manor while Bruce is trying to get inside and they immediately start making out and having sex.

Was there anything earlier that indicated they were attracted to each other? Why did Bruce sleep with her?

Earlier when he crashed Tate's party he insulted her and kissed Catwoman.

This didn't really indicate to me that Bruce was smitten with her.

Answer 1

IN THE NOLANVERSE

In the Dark Knight Rises, (also called the "Nolanverse") Bruce Wayne decides to have sex with Miranda Tate.

• Tate was someone Bruce Wayne, Lucius Fox and Alfred Pennyworth considered worthy of taking over Wayne Enterprises to protect it from hostile takeover.
• A woman whose background check did not even cause a ripple with the Board of Directors of Wayne Enterprises as a potential candidate to lead the company.
• She was both able to present herself as a person of intellect, breeding, scientific and business acumen despite the fact she was really the excommunicated daughter of Ras Al' Ghul, the Head of the Demon, the deceased leader of the League of Shadows.
• This, from my perspective (except for her hidden agenda) makes her an extraordinary woman worthy of the eye of a discerning gentleman such as Bruce Wayne.

If we are to consider all possibilities:

• It could be that Miranda Tate/Talia Al'Ghul's motivation was as simple as reducing Bruce Wayne's emotional and mental defenses.
• She may have also decided he was totally hot and may have just wanted to have sex with one of the most eligible bachelors of his day and age. Okay, she was far to calculating for this to be a likely idea (see comic reference below) but it could happen.
• She considered it an opportunity for a further destruction of his psyche later when it was revealed who she was?
• He was certainly surprised and made himself vulnerable thinking she was a friend until she slipped a knife between his ribs.

At the point in the movie Bruce Wayne and Miranda Tate are about to have sex:

• Bruce has lost his easily accessible vast fortune and had his car towed,
• He had just lost both his best friend, confessor and father figure, Alfred
• He was at a moment in his life where he was at the nadir of his current existence.
• He was a man who had been eight years without any social or sexual interactions,
• He may have been redirecting his sexual interest in Selena Kyle who he clearly experienced some tension, toward an attractive woman who was showing interest in him and all but threw herself at him.
• The electric company just turned off his lights. This pretty much sealed the deal on the physical tension and both were likely seeking release for their own reasons.

IN COMICS

In the comic continuity, Batman has a son with Talia whose name is Damien:

• Damian Wayne is the current martially-trained but socially-maladjusted Robin.
• Talia's reasoning was to have the child of a man her father considered to be worthy of succeeding him as the Head of the Demon.
• Since Batman continued to refuse to serve Ras Al' Ghul, Talia, who claimed to (and may actually) have feelings for Bruce, decided the best step was to raise the next Head of the Demon themselves using Batman's unwilling DNA. (No Bat-condoms available in that belt?)

Batman and the new Robin. Did I mention maladjusted?

Answer 2

Though this is not addressed explicitly in the movies, your comment did give me some insight into this. I believe the scene was multi-layered and showed us something of the nature of deception in the film. You asked why did Bruce Wayne do this? -- but relations are a two-way street, so one must also ask, why did Miranda Tate do this?

I analyze the scene this way:

We saw Bruce Wayne making love to Miranda Tate. We did not see Batman making love to Talia al Ghul, at least not in those roles. And remember, both are trained in the League of Shadows and not subject to ordinary lapses.

I believe it's possible that both of them had ulterior motives: Bruce Wayne perhaps to ensure he was not seen as the unapproachable Batman; and Miranda Tate to get more of an inside position in Wayne Enterprises, so she could move closer to her own goal.

But at yet another level: both Bruce and Miranda are at the core human beings with human failings like pain, revenge, anger, despair. One must conclude that lust is also a failing they share. Perhaps they can sublimate their desire in most cases. But when each of them met another perfect specimen - both are in superb physical condition and of above-average looks and intelligence - well, maybe they couldn't or didn't want to resist. Yes, this is dangerous. By remaining within their Masks as Bruce and Miranda they could partake of the sensual experience yet remain psychologically insulated.

So in contrast to my earlier comment, I think that the scene was intended to depict the layers of psychological barriers each of the characters carry.

Answer 3

Because in that kiss, he got horny and was a stupid idiot not to see that Miranda Tate was a shady biatch.

Plus he thought she could be his fresh start.It wasn't love because he didn't know Miranda Tate well enough. It was a spur of the moment mistake (Lol cuz that word actually got used in the aftermath of the sex with MIRANDA.) A flipping mistake.

Bane also says later right after Bruce tells Selina, "You've made a serious mistake." Bane says, "Not as serious as yours, I fear."

Hinting at both walking into a trap and sleeping with Miranda- part of her plan to weaken his body before he fights Bane.

Bruce also did feel some sexual tension with Selina but thought Selina wasn't interested in him.

All in all, Bruce may be a genius but when it comes to women, he's thick as a brush. (Refer to the meaning of Bruce's name)