Disturbing, Dark, Sadistic, AMAZING... Yet still a sad ending for a brilliant performance

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2008)

I have never written comments on movies before, but this one was so good in all aspects that I could not help it.
The story could not be written or told better, and the effects were so real, there was no feeling of being robbed by CGI. The score and cinematography were flawless.
All that being said, the absolute best piece of this masterful film, was the acting. Christian Bale performed to his regular brilliance, Aaron Eckhart did great justice in his portrayal of a "White Night", that gets caught up in a moment of weakness and anger, and Oldman, Freeman, and Caine rounded out a stellar cast.
But we have to set all of these performances aside, as it was Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker, that stole the show. Never has such a sadistic and utterly insane character been played in such a way that you can't help but be hypnotized by it. He had such a presence, that even while he was not in a scene, you could not wait for him to make his entrance. He played this role so convincingly that up until I left the theater, I completely forgot that an actor was playing the part. I am still in awe of the fact that Heath Ledger was so talented, that when you saw The Joker, you did not see Heath Ledger, but instead a madman that had no rules and no boundaries, and of course a few scars and face paint.
It is truly sad that we lost such a talented Human being, with the ability to play a part in a way that no one could ever emulate. He saved his best performance for last (not to mention the best villain portrayal ever), and my sympathy and best wishes go out to his family and friends.