The Dark Knight

Even though "The Dark Knight" has one of those typical Batman plots of good versus evil and is somewhat predictable, it captures the audience's attention with actors who totally immerse themselves into their roles. In my opinion, this is exactly what Heath Ledger did in his role as the Joker. I liked the way he interjected occasional humor and sarcasm into the role. One review from the Internet Movie Database states that Ledger took the role of the Joker in a direction he had never been taken before, as a psychotic and demonic killer with no moral attachment to anybody. But the Joker did see Batman as a true value because he was source of entertainment to him. The Joker lived with no rules, but Batman lived only by the rules. The second reviewer from Rotten Tomatoes, claims that Ledger delivers a fearless performance as the insane Joker. Ledger is very convincing when he manipulates both the mob bosses and city officials. The reviewer adds that Ledger creates a very believeable and sinister character to the point that he's annoying to watch when he's continually smacking his lips with glee and uses that stagger in his walk. The textbook discusses the responsibility that actors have in taking on a role. Their goal should be to make the audience believe in the reality of the character. Quoting the book, "they must be able to project sincerity, truthfulness, and naturalness in such a way that we are never aware that they are acting a part." Ledger achieved this in his portrayal of the Joker. His acting was so good it didn't appear to be acting at all. While Ledger's performance certainly merited recognition and an academy award, the entire cast of actors definitely contributed to the success of the movie. Some viewers may argue that the movie plot is just too dark. Their opinion may be based on witnessing the death of good characters such as Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes. There were several cliche statements made throughout the movie that had good messages and insight such as, "The night is always darkest just before the dawn." The one statement that made me smile was, "Madness is like gravity; all you need is a little push." That was perfect coming from the Joker. Also, the references to the two-headed coin had significant messages. People have to make their own luck. Life is always about a 50-50 chance. Like Dent, at the end of the movie, the coin was shiny on one side but burned and tarnished on the other side.


www.rottentomatoes.com
www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/