About the ending? I'm pretty sure anybody who has seen the movie knows for sure since IT'S SPELLED OUT PLAIN AS DAY!!!
I had to explain all this to my wife and oldest boy. One of the big character motivations for both Bruce and Selene was escaping their lives (as Batman and a jewel thief, respectively) and starting over. Not dieing for Gotham or going to jail. Bruce saw his way out and by taking it was finally able to move on and live. It's a beautiful ending really.