Sneak Peak At Ledger’s Joker

Prev Article Next Article

by shindig

May 5, 2008 | 12:36 PM EDT

The first clips of Heath Ledger’s last performance are making their way into cyberspace. Trailers for ‘The Dark Knight’ have begun appearing all over the Web.

From what I can tell, Ledger’s performance is stunning. Spooky. Riveting. And knowing what happened afterward, a little uncomfortable. It’s going to be difficult to keep reality from intruding on the fiction.

Sure, the Batman franchise has always had a dark side. It’s been that way since Tim Burton re-envisioned it with Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton. But that was a fun dark side, appropriately over-the-top and cartoonish. It never interfered with my enjoyment of the popcorn and other tasty treats from the concession stand.

But this. It’s going to be hard to swallow. Ledger seems too grounded. It doesn’t feel like he’s in a cartoon. And that makeup is absolutely freaky. It’s understandable why he had trouble shaking it off.

Not that I think the filmmakers shouldn’t release it. It wouldn’t be fair to Ledger, nor anyone else involved with the project like Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, or Maggie Gyllenhaal. Michael Caine’s dry take on Alfred looks particularly hilarious, like John Gielgud in ‘Arthur.’

I just wonder whether I’ll be able to laugh.

Prev 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6

Image Gallery: 121 Images

Heath Ledger Remembered In New York

Prev 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6

• Login to add a comment

  First time posting? Instant sign up 

  Email

  Password

  Member name

  we'll never send you stuff you don't want

  
  
  

  max 12 char, no spaces

  Confirm password

  min 4 characters, no spaces

  
  
  
  

  same as above

  Comment