An epitaph for the ages

Rating: 10/10 (19 July 2008)

The Dark Knight is a movie that really needs no review. You know you're going to see it no matter what the critics write. You've probably seen it already, the box office draw is that strong. Yet write one I must, if only for the purpose of commenting on the performance of the late Heath Ledger as The Joker.
It's not because he's dead that I've in some way elevated my esteem for his performance, but this is really one of THE best of our generation. So much so, in fact, that it almost works to the detriment of the movie as a whole almost. Ledger's portrayal of the face-painted psychopath is so electric, that the movie seems to shift into a lower gear when he's not on screen.
You simply cannot take your eyes off him. The wildly darting eyes, the flicking tongue, the maniacal walk, the cackling laugh.. it's pure candy for the senses. All of which serves to make the tragedy of his passing that much greater. One can only wonder how many incredible performances he took to the grave that we will be denied. For every scene that I found myself reveling in Ledger's Joker characterization, there was also a twinge of sadness that there will never be any more to enjoy. If Nolan continues his Batman franchise, there can be no stand-ins for this Joker's enormous shoes.
In contrast, Bale's repeat performance as Batman seems almost stiff, and those turned in by the remainder of the top notch cast all seem struggling to play catch-up. Of course, there really isn't a bad acting job in the bunch. Freeman, Caine, Gyllenhaal, Oldman and Eckhart all never hit any sour notes, it's just that they share screen time with an actor whose role and its portrayal literally makes the movie his own. If they'd titled this The Joker, The Man Who Laughs (even though that's been done), The Killing Joke, or anything Joker-centric, that would probably have been a more apropos titling choice.
There's a scene  a great one among many  where Ledger's Joker, addressing a gathering of mob bosses, is accused of being insane. His response is a surprisingly low key but forceful "No I'm not. no,.. I'm not." It's the way he says these three simple words, repeated twice with a pause, that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and a brought a grin to my face. Three simple words that hit like a sucker punch to the gut, and perfectly encapsulate a character, performance, and a life.