Author: Brett Fujioka
I thought it was a joke (honestly, no pun intended) when Warner Brothers announced Heath Ledger’s role in the upcoming Batman film, The Dark Knight, as the legendary super villain The Joker. I didn’t know how to cope with this information. The Batman franchise recently picked itself back on its feet. Why would they entrust Wizard Magazines’s number-one rated villain to someone who seems-at first glance-unsuitable for the role? However, when I thought it over, I slowly began to approve of Ledger’s casting as the Joker.
When I told my father about this, he said that Heath Ledger was perfect, because the Joker was a fruit. I asked him how many gay guys dress like the Joker, to which he rescinded his remark and said that he was a pimp.
Virtually every other devoted Batman fan has made at least one or two other pejorative remarks concerning Ledger’s performance in Brokeback Mountain. If you’re going to get into that, then you may as well criticize Batman’s relationship with Robin. I know that no other Batman fan wants to go there because it just gets too embarrassingly kinky.
Personally, I don’t doubt Ledger’s aptitude. It takes a lot of prowess to spit on one’s hand for lube in front of the camera and retain a straight face. Ledger is a native Aussie, but managed to imitate a consistent cowboy demeanor throughout the movie. Hearing a sound byte of Heath Ledger in character for the teaser trailer of the Dark Knight further affirms my argument. He just might pull it off.
Due to the forum on the Internet, the cast and crew of The Dark Knight can finally listen to the fans’ concerns. With the exception of those infatuated with Jack Nicholson, every Batman fan I’ve heard from is hoping for a darker, scarier Joker. They’re anticipating a Joker who’s more about insanity, death and mayhem and hoping for less emphasis on punch lines and circus humor. Fans want a more morbidly insane Joker.
Time and again, I’ve heard people voice the desire to see Jack Nicholson reprise his role as the Joker. You’d think that people would want something new. It’s not like Jack Nicholson’s Joker is dead. If you want to see him again so badly, then watch the 1989 rendition of Batman.
More so, it would be suicide for Heath Ledger to mimic Tim Burton and Jack Nicholson’s take on the Joker. Thankfully, judging by their interviews, Nolan and Ledger are veering away from Jack Nicholson’s style and inventing a villain of their own, while at the same time sticking to the source material.
Heath Ledger allegedly received a copy of the comic book one-shot Batman: The Killing Joke as a reference. Likewise, Tim Burton previously used the same comic as inspiration for The Joker’s silver screen debut. This influential comic focuses primarily on the Joker’s insanity, which later evolved into the character’s primary trait. Nolan himself seems intent on adhering to this, while at the same time offering his own spin on the villain.
Others have expressed some dislikes towards the Joker’s stylistic redesign. Judging from the images I’ve seen, the Joker’s face is no longer bleached white through a chemical accident, but is clearly smeared with self-applied make-up. The comic book Joker’s physical mutation, which led to his insanity, was a crucial point of his origin, one that the new movie seems to stray away from. Instead, the Joker’s permanent smile takes the shape of an actual red scar slashed along his face.
However, these changes actually serve a point. Chris Nolan is reportedly aiming for a more realistic depiction of the Batman franchise while discarding some of the previously more fantastic elements. It’s a sound decision, given that Batman is one of the few superheroes who lacks superpowers. If Nolan wants to ground his movie firmly in reality, it may make its occurrences more believable to the audience.
The Dark Knight has the potential to continue the Batman franchise or to break it. So far, it seems promising. Viewers should purge any memory of Heath Ledger’s role in Brokeback Mountain-otherwise, they’ll ruin the movie for themselves. I’ll presume everyone going to see it is a Bat Fan in one shape or another, so why would you do that yourself? Just give Ledger a chance. Nearly 20 years ago when the first Batman came out, fans expressed the same doubts over Michael Keaton’s casting as the caped crusader. Many people now argue that he gave the best portrayal of Bruce Wayne. For all we know, the same thing may happen to Ledger.
Brett Fujioka is a senior ECLS major. He can be reached at bfujioka@oxy.edu
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