A clown has never been creepier

Rating: 9/10 (28 July 2008)

I haven't read the Batman comics. For me, Batman began with Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale. So I'm not sure how certain characters (the Joker, Harvey Dent) were supposed to be as taken from the comics. I only know what I saw, and boy did it blow me away! A clown has to be the saddest, most depressive being on earth and Heath takes that and brings it to another level.
The clown gloom turned now into pure evil. He lost any shred of identity and achieved the perfect freedom. I loved all the different scenes where he mockingly explained how he got his scars. He probably had a million stories. I loved the boundless sick satisfaction when he told Batman he had nothing on him. Some people commit suicide when they reach this level of freedom of mind. The Joker commits chaos and tries to bring chaos to people governed by rules and humanity. The ultimate challenge is Batman and probably his main excuse for still being alive.
I don't recently recall being in awe of an character as I as was of the Joker. Certainly, Dr. Lecter and Hans Gruber have their share of evil but they were also charming, charismatic and had their own reasons for living, which made them a bit more humane. The Joker doesn't have such "redeeming" qualities. He doesn't have a purpose, or the pleasure or the pain derived from achieving or failing to achieve it. In his own words, he just does things.
The movie itself is solid, but the voice-over at the end is too explicit and hurts the movie's perfection. In my opinion Batman Begins doesn't have such a clear flaw, but nevertheless I liked the Dark Knight better. The acting is top notch all around.