We are now into 2023 and the world has moved on from Heath Ledger's depiction of the Joker in 2008 comic book classic the Dark Knight, just as the viewing audience moved on to him from Jack Nicholson's performance of the character in the original Batman.
Joaquin Phoenix became the talk of Tinsel Town after he played his own incarnation of The Joker in Todd Phillips' standalone Joker movie. He would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, as for the first time in cinematic history, the world's most famous comic book villain was put centre stage as the main character.
For many people, however, Ledger's groundbreaking performance as The Joker will go down as one of the greatest in history and arguably one which allowed for comic book movies to be taken a little more seriously as acting auteurs began lining up to take on roles for DC and Marvel.
Though it would be simplistic to say that Ledger gave his life for the performance, the mental and physical turmoil of playing the character was said to have impacted the actor greatly both during and after the shoot.
On 22 January 2008, Ledger was found dead in his apartment in New York City, having suffered an overdose from a series of prescription medications.
The aura and mystique surrounding the Joker only intensified after Ledger's passing, and he was subsequently awarded a posthumous Oscar for the film.
What makes Ledger's performance as The Joker so good?
Ledger plays The Joker in the Dark Knight. The arch-nemesis of Batman, The Joker attempts to bring chaos to Gotham City by targeting its residents, the Caped Crusader himself, and even organised crime.
The Joker's lack of motive makes him a truly unique villain not only in comic book movies but in cinema in general. He does not want money, he does not want power.
In the words of Alfred Pennyworth - "some men just want to watch the world burn".
The Joker becomes infatuated with Batman to the point where he eventually gains a slight motive - simply to prove that the alleged most moral person in Gotham City, Harvey Dent, could be corrupted.
It takes a lot for a villain wearing clown makeup to be taken seriously. While Nicholson was outstanding in his own version of The Joker, he pulled off his performance in a way only Nicholson could. Charming, menacing, selfish, violent.
A complete revamp of the character was needed as fans became excited at the tease of The Joker's involvement in the Dark Knight following a conversation between Batman and Commissioner Gordon at the conclusion of Batman Begins.
Then, we saw our first glimpse of Ledger, and it was mind-blowing. The man who had captured our hearts in 10 Things I Hate About You had been transformed into a stunning, terrifying, infatuating monster.
The character himself has a few explanations as to how "he got these scars".
Whether it be via self-mutilation, or at the hands of an abusive father, none of the scenarios presents the character in any other way but as a psychopath.
It seems cliche to say, but what makes Ledger so engaging is the little things. The walk, the tongue randomly sticking out, the lawless hair.
The Dark Knight may be an action movie, but its undoubted highlights all surround conversations that take place with Ledger at the centre.
While The Joker can indeed be a humorous character - just look at Ledger's ad-libbed congratulations for Gordon's promotion - he is indeed a true, scary villain.
He uses knives to murder people, as in his own words, "guns are too quick".
Though there is certainly a bittersweet element to the revelations that Ledger spent a month inside a hotel room in New York City, in character, writing in a Joker diary, the sheer commitment simply has to be congratulated, even if the repercussions of such method acting proved extremely detrimental to the actor.
What have people said about Ledger in The Dark Knight?
Nolan told the BBC of Ledger's performance:
"He would sort of give me hints about what he was going to do. We would talk about it a bit. And I would try and be an audience for him and sort of engage with him, what he was doing. But a lot of it was about unpredictability, and I think he wanted to play his cards close to the chest. He would very gradually reveal to me the 'voice' and the way he was going to do things - but not in one go, like, 'Here's the Joker.'
"We watched him sort of develop it, with the wardrobe and the makeup, and I kind of got to be a part of that creative process, which was great fun, but on-set, there were always moments like that clapping or things he would do with his voice. His voice was so unpredictable. He created this bizarre pitch. I've seen a lot of people try and imitate it since. But we never quite knew if he was going to go high or if he was going to go low. You never knew what that guy was going to do, and that's what was terrifying about him."
What is Ledger's best scene?
Ledger's best scene, and the best scene of the movie as a whole, involves an interrogation between The Joker and Batman. The Dark Knight finally has his man in custody, but he is slowly manipulated by his nemesis both emotionally and psychologically.
Watch the scene below:
Did Ledger win any awards for his performance?
Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight.
Related Movie
Dark Knight, The
Action / Crime
2008 • 152 minutes
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