The Dark Knight (12A): A Review

Before I went to see this film, I cleansed my mind of the media’s speculation on particular events surrounding its release, particularly the glorified hype over the late Heath Ledger’s rather eccentric performance as the Joker. It went to the point where the protagonist of the movie, Christian Bale had taken a back step in the eyes of the media and had in fact almost faded into the dark night (small joke). It was all about Ledger and for a while it did make me wonder: Was Heath Ledger’s performance over hyped due to his untimely death? Would it have been different if he were still with us? Brandon Lee (pictured, who in The Crow spookily looks a lot like the Joker) was a primary example whose contribution had been given legendary status unfortunately after his death. So, was Ledger’s performance really worth shouting about? Does The Dark Knight as a film deserve its record breaking glory? I wanted to go see for myself- leaving behind all that’s been talked about.

After leaving the cinema, I was left with a little choice of words and somehow the only word I could summon up to describe the experience of watching it was: Awesome. I’ve seen all the Batman films and have enjoyed watching them but I’ve never really considered myself a fan of the famous rodent vigilante. Batman Begins (2005) was the first Batman film that showed how Batman was made and for those who aren’t comic literate like me, it made the character deeper and so much more appealing because he wasn’t just a man in a bat suit- He was a man with a past. I found that the film gave the character substance and us a chance to see how he came about. As the previous Batman Films gave little in the way of Batman’s history, Batman Begins was a new start that gave the character so much more depth and integrity.

After The Dark Knight, I’m finding myself more inclined to becoming a fan of the franchise (there’s something I never thought I’d say!) Bale, as ever, was extraordinary as Batman and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne. As for Ledger, there is no doubt about it... he stole the show. He absolutely captured the very essence of the Joker giving him a sense of immortality in that he almost didn’t seem human. This was present through his animated walk, the frequent lizard-like licking of his lips, his jester’s tone and of course his morbid facial art that accompanied his many disturbing expressions. According to Bale, Ledger was inspired by Sex Pistols star Sid Vicious (pictured)who soon became the embodiment of the Joker. Ledger was surprising in his role as the Joker because he managed to get the audience laughing with him. He was amusing to say the least and ironically a lovable villain. Throughout the film he makes sardonic jokes about how he got his permanently smiling sinister scars. The first time he explains his heartfelt story of how he got the scars, I found myself sympathising with the psychopathic villain. Later on in the film when he shares another completely different story about the history of the scar, we learn that he his simply toying with his victims’ perception of him and reminds us, the audience, that he is just being himself: a Joker.

I have to say that Jack Nicholson as the Joker was not a patch on Ledger’s representation of the Joker. Don't get me wrong, Nicholson was good but Ledger was just sensational. I found that Nicholson was playing Nicholson with makeup whereas Ledger played a disburbingly comical psychopath who didn't need makeup to justify his Joker. If you took off Nicholson's makeup, we'd just have another Jack Nicholson movie. If Ledger were to take off his make up, I still think he'd be a convincing Joker. There were times where I found myself laughing out loud at Ledger's Joker and it seemed that I wasn't the only one in the cinema who took a liking to the villian. There are not that many villain’s around these days that can actually win the audiences over to this calibre. Through his dark comedy, he made us forget the tragedy of his death while onscreen and this is all the proof we need to believe that he deserves every bit of the praise he is getting from the media.

Having seen all the Batman films (including the very first TV series) I would say with much confidence that Christian Bale is my favourite all time Batman and on that note Heath Ledger is now my all time favourite villain. Films like 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and Brokeback Mountain (2005) show Ledger playing a more human character whereas in The Dark Knight we see Ledger in an out-of-this-world role and it just shows that his talents had no boundaries. Like, Brandon Lee, Ledger was a young actor with growing talent whose journey had been sadly short lived.

Lee died just before he could complete The Crow and Ledger died before he could complete The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). The film follows the leader of a traveling theater troupe who, through a deal with the Devil, takes audience members through a magical mirror to explore their imaginations. Ledger's role has been recast with Johnny depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell portraying physically changed transformations of Ledger's character as he travels through dimensions. Ledger, like Lee, was just getting started and although Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight mark some of his greatest work, we will never know his greatest work. Just like we will never know Lee's greatest work after he left us with The Crow. And that’s the real tragedy.

One thing that I did find rather unsettling was during the end credits of the movie when Ledger's tribute was displayed. After a few credits had passed the screen read "In memory of our friends Heath Ledger & Conway Wickliffe." Conway Wickliffe, 41 (pictured) was a stunt man for The Dark Knight who died whilst filming in Sept 2007. He was on a camera truck filming an unmanned special effects car, when it struck a tree. Until the ending credits, I had no idea who Wickliffe (father of two aged four and twelve) actually was or that he died during the making of the film. News of Ledger's death was plastered everywhere, TV, the newspapers and even on the radio. There were international documentaries surrounding Ledger's death- but where was Wickliffe's mention?

I just thought it was quite sad that until the ending credits to The Dark Knight almost a year later, no one really knew that Wickliffe even existed. Of course, the ultimate tragedy with Ledger is how he died so young. But Wickliffe's death was a loss nevertheless. 41 is still very young and he was a father, a husband and a successful stunt man for films like Casino Royale, Children Of Men, Black Hawk Down,V For Vendetta to name a few. You can't expect any compassion from the media for they will always lust after celebrity gossip before anything else but it still makes you wonder about where we all stand. The tribute itself doesn't actually appear until some credits have already passed. It was a shame that by that time the cinema had already been cleared. I stayed because I couldn't believe that the film wouldn't pay tribute to Ledger knowing how much he had contributed to it. I was relieved when they did... eventually.

Anyway, back to reviewing! The Dark Knight is a must-see. The film is quite long but the time just flies by due to everyone’s powerful performances onscreen. Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart and even Micheal Caine (who I am not generally that fond of) were all brilliant, and when everyone’s brilliant, you have to give credit to the director. Christopher Nolan has done a wonderful job with The Dark Knight and as his films just get better each time, we wait with much anticipation for his next instalment from Gotham City. It is alleged that Johnny Depp could be playing the infamous Ridler in the next Batman film. Personally, I can’t think of anyone better for the part. Jim Carrey successfully added the annoyance factor that is essential to play the Ridler but he was lacking that special something. Perhaps Johnny Depp could be the answer to Ridler? We’ll just have to wait and see.

"When I die, my money's not gonna come with me. My movies will live on for people to judge what I was as a person. I just want to stay curious"
Heath Ledger-18th Nov' 2007
(Interview for London's Sunday Telegraph magazine).