THE DARK KNIGHT

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
JULY 22, 2012

“This city deserves a better class of criminal. And I’m gonna give it to ‘em.”

— The Joker (Heath Ledger), “The Dark Knight”

Going on record to say that one actor could make or break an entire film feels like a complex statement to make. I mean, even to say that a particular director has enough power on set to make or break a movie is entirely unprecedented, with all the hands that are involved in making films these days. But after viewing “The Dark Knight,” it has to dawn on you that without Heath Ledger as The Joker, the movie would not reach the level of success it does.

Credit, of course, must also be given to the supporting cast and crew, including director Christopher Nolan, whose initial vision rebuilt this superhero franchise from the ground up. Nolan brought to life a comic book adaptation that is not only loved by fanboys but by regular people who have never stepped foot in a comic book store or seen any previous superhero film.

Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan prove themselves as genius storytellers, building moments and suspense unlike anyone in the industry today. With very few physical battles, the Nolans use The Joker’s sick humor and unsavory intellect to create a series of sick games for Batman to work his way through, and never once do the Nolans make things easy for anyone. Every surprise is as epic as the previous one, and by the end of the film, you forget that more than two hours have gone. I greatly respect Christopher Nolan and his continued vision, proving that the art of cinema (and revolutionizing it) is not yet lost.

One cannot deny Nolan’s talent. Nor can you deny the knack of all the great actors involved. Christian Bale proves himself the best Batman of any series, surpassing Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer (and yes, George Clooney). And Aaron Eckhardt provides a decent showing as Gotham’s D.A., Harvey Dent. His arc, handled perfectly, eventually leads up to the most realistic version of Two-Face ever created. The role of Rachel Dawes, Katie Holmes’ character from “Batman Begins,” is filled wonderfully by Maggie Gyllenhaal, a perfect recast, in my opinion. And the returning veterans provide some of the best supporting work in any superhero genre, including return performances from Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine. But without an equal villain to match, “The Dark Knight” would be just another sequel.

The role of The Joker was out of the realm of what audiences had seen from Heath Ledger. He started his career (oddly enough) as an uncredited “orphan clown” in the 1992 film “Clowning Around.” But his first significant appearance was in the 1999 teenage comedy, “10 Things I Hate About You”. He would continue through Oscar-nominated films like “Monster’s Ball” and “Brokeback Mountain,” but taking the villain role in the Nolan-Batman venture was unlike anything that had come before. Even more impressive is that director Christopher Nolan would give Heath Ledger full reign to create his character, which involved Ledger locking himself away in a hotel room to experiment with voices for the psychopath clown.

From scene one with The Joker, Heath Ledger is almost unrecognizable. I even recall people questioning whether it was actually Ledger and his voice behind that painted clown face during the marketing of the film. Throughout the movie, Ledger amasses a performance beyond what I could even comprehend as perfect and unquestionably delivers the most incredible performance in any movie in my lifetime. Top that with a fearless score, above-average visual effects, and a creative arsenal of toys for the Batman, and you’ve got a near-perfect film on your hands.

So, to say that “The Dark Knight” and all its glory laid in the palm of one man (Heath Ledger) gains more and more ground the longer you look at it. If Ledger had died before the conclusion of the production, could you imagine anyone taking his place and the film remaining as successful as it is? Something magical happened with Heath Ledger as The Joker; for that, “The Dark Knight” became one of my favorite films.