Brilliant...Disturbingly Maniacal....but Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2008)

The best performances are those that are understated. And the best scripts are those that do not beat you over the head with some idea or point. Their greatness lies in the fact that the viewer must totally immerse him or herself in the story and the characters and are left to draw many of their own conclusions.
Whether you believe Heath Ledger is worthy of an Oscar or not, there is no denying the brilliance of his performance. In fact, all of the actors have turned in brilliant performances that stay within the realm of subtle brilliance. We will turn to the Joker in just a moment.
As with the on screen performances, the performance of the script wirters, editor, director, and all those who led technical brilliance to this film are of equal quality. The script is haunting and allows the actors to explore the depths of their characters fully.
*** Spoiler Alert ***
However, the performance of the Joker character, as portrayed by Heath Ledger, is one of the most maniacly creepy evil performances to come to the screen in a very long time. And the true genius of the performance is that he does not resort to over-the-top tactics to accurately portray the villainous nature of the character. It is actually quite the opposite. It is the subtle, controlled, almost calm nature of the performance that makes the character seem over-the-top.
The beauty of the Joker is that his character not only portrays evil in its truest sense, without guilt, without remorse, and without concern for anything but the evil acts. What adds an extra dimension to the 'Dark Knight' Joker is that he is able to bring out those characteristics in others by manipulating fear, anger, and remorse of the poor citizens of Gotham.
And the beauty of the story is that no only the week and average are succeptable to the manipulations of the Joker, but the very best people of Gotham (including our caped hero) can fall victim to the evil Joker.
While the movie is indeed 'Dark', and does have many dark overtones, in the end good triumphs over evil as the citiznes of Gotham show that they will not be manipulated by Joker and will overcome his evil nature.
This movie is disturbing as it exposes the weaknesses of indiviual men, and man in general. It demonstrates how those in power can use fear and other equally twisted mehtods to control people. And also how those who are truly good, can be perceived as evil in while they serve to protect us.
*** End Spoiler Alert ***
The Dark Knight is truly fantastic. It surpasses the original film as it takes a completely different direction and tone. This movie delivers near perfect performances, a high quality script, and superb technical value. It delivers on every level throughout the running time. It is one of those movies that you can not turn away from, even if you find the content disturbing.