How Heath Ledger Redefined The Joker in The Dark Knight
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- This video essay analyzes Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. In 2008, no one knew what to expect from Heath Ledger. This video investigates the influences Ledger used to create his version of the comic book villain The Joker and how he improvised to make the little details of the character so memorable.
PATREON: / justanobservation
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Music used:
"Aquarium" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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"Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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In the Hall of the Mountain King by Grieg
Imagine A New Darker You by
Landing On a Dark Planet by Doug Maxwell (Media Right Productions)
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:00 Influences
7:18 Improvisations
#heathledger #joker #batman - Zábava
The truth is that when you look at Jack Nicholson’s Joker, you can see Jack Nicholson, when you look at Joaquin Phoenix’ Joker, you can still see Joaquin Phoenix acting. When you look at Heath Ledger’s Joker, you only see the Joker.
💯
I disagree, i see 3 different jokers, 4 counting Leto's joker. Maybe its because i havent watched very many of their other movies, maybe its because i havent read the comics or watched the cartoons, who knows.
Not a fair comparison as we witnessed Nicholson and Phoenix's character morph into Joker whereas Ledger's Joker was already Joker before we see him for the first time on screen. This was the hardened Joker who no longer had any semblance of his former self.
@@kingofallworlds very true
True. I see that.
This is one of the only performances I have ever seen where I don't see an actor. I just see the character in every aspect of his manner
FACTS!
Did you see "The Mechanist"? If not I highly encourage you :)
So true. At first I was like no way that’s Heath Ledger, no effing way. I just didn’t see it.
i wanna see heath ledger act without the make up to dissociate him from the character
There are people like Walter White, Tony Montana and Vito Corleone with actors like that too. But Heaths is surely one of the best
The fact that nearly 15yr later and we're still talking about it shows just how amazing Heath was.
I wish he knew how universally and historically acclaimed he would be for this role. It's a shame we only had one single interview of Heath talking about his role in the movie.
It feels like this movie came out just a handful of years ago.
I dont think Joker's role could have been made any better and i don't think anyone could top Heath's performance
In my opinion, Heath Ledgers Joker is the best villain portrayal in movie history. To be able to redefine such an iconic character is genius. RIP Heath.
The only better movie villain I can think of is Hans Landa but that's just my opinion. Heath Ledger's Joker is certainly a solid choice for #1.
💯
@@dh3913agreed. Would also throw DDL as Bill the Butcher out there too
No ... because if he was still alive nobody would bother with his performance. His Joker is dull and boring, the oscar win is a joke! Philip Seymour Hoffman deserved that Oscar more than Heath.
@@marchionessamoretto7326you are an idiot clearly. Heaths performance was always going to be among the best ever created.
Heath dissapeared and the Joker emerged. The finest portrayal ive ever witnessed. A character that was genuinely terrifying.
He was scarier than Freddy Krueger, Pinhead, The Tall Man and Michael Myers.
@@Ironcabbit Why you didn't mention jason
It's snowing on Mt Fuji.
@@dxsyan694 because the world isnt compelled by your own decisions. Only yours now go to bed.
@@lordfarquar9215 Hey bro why so rude i just ask a question ok bro have a nice day :)
I was 16 when this movie came out and I remember seeing it for the first time and thinking, even then: "people are going to be talking about this performance forever". Here we are almost 15 years later, and it still hurts sometimes to remember how sudden his death was, and to wonder how much we missed out on by losing him so soon.
He isn't dead. He will live through this character forever and ever.
He would have went on to make so many incredible films and roles, he was so young like I’m 27 now probably the same age as he was when playing the Joker
U were you could barely have wiped yourself wtf you be on here clouting fam
@@Doggy07 ?
ya its weird this movie doesnt show its age
Saw it in theaters. The Joker was so immersive, you felt like no one was safe, even the people in the theater, even though it was just a movie. It was so powerful, it broke the 4th wall all by itself.
Oh I was very uncomfortable watching him , like I felt unsafe. Like you would in a horror movie. What a brilliant performance! Those people that say he was given the Academy Award because he died , are insulting to his greatness!
This captures the experience of seeing it in theaters.
The TV scene with that chaotic camara movement, the yell when he says: "LOOK AT ME!" and then quickly switches into his normal tone, is amazing. Not to mention the LAUGH he pulls out at the end which is absolutely astonishing. It is the eff JOKER.
I remember being in the theater and it went completely quiet when he yelled Look At Me. I mean a packed theater completely in shock as to what they were witnessing
i would give anything to be able to see that scene in the cinema. i was only 2 years old when the film came out :/
I saw it in the theatre too.
We were all completely silent.
I was enthralled. I loved every second of it.
One point to make about this scene. This scene was directed by Nolan. After ledger's performance in this first scene Nolan was convinced to let Heath direct the remaining joker video tape scenes but this first one was Nolan.
Yep
The one thing I think is most overlooked about the loss of Heath is the potential work he would’ve eventually done BEHIND the camera. I imagine had he not passed we would’ve been treated to a great acting career followed by an all-time great directing career. The thought of a film he both acted and starred in leaves me in wonder and simultaneous sadness.
Agreed
I think he directed a Modest Mouse music video - can’t remember which one it was (Whale Song?)
Why are yall focusing on his death instead of his life?
@@dalordjuvinilej7770
Because it was only in death that the mainstream public realised the potential that he had.
It is very sad thinking about his death.
Especially considering that he never saw the finished film, let alone how well received it would become.
In a way, it does add an enduring sense of mystery behind the performance since its impossible to see him behind the character. We also don't have much footage of him talking about the film since he passed before it could be completed.
If he was alive today, I guarantee that he would be barricaded with requests to recite his lines and take part in parody sketches.
The fact that Ledger gave this brilliant of a performance when he was only 27 is mesmerizing and heartbreaking. Every time I see his Joker, it makes me wonder what could have been if his life wasn't cut so tragically, unfairly short. You left too soon, Heath, but I hope you're at peace now, wherever you are.
Of the three Nolan Batman films It's The Dark Knight that's by far the best. Heath Ledger does a performance you never get tired of.The same shock value never seems to wash away. Going so deep into being the Joker must have been a huge mental burden.
Must of been great fun..he really got into creating it himself..he as a actor could do whatever he wanted
But it was a job
I don't know man... Its my favourite too... But damn Bane was a menace
@@skyreapery2n164 Bane's performance was sadly choked by his mask
Yes it does, EVERYTIME you watch.
The 1st batman movie was the best.
The very best depiction of the Joker, a true madman, insane to the bone. Heath went above and beyond for this role. May he rest in eternal peace.
The sheer amount of forethought and effort put into it is mind boggling
That's how phoenix should be
Phoenix is not a real joker to soft no character like this guys
lol ur tweaking. He’s a really good joker as well it’s just a different story. Wait till the next movie
Agreed
After years of appreciating this performance I thought I had nothing left to learn about it or appreciate from it.... Thank you for proving me wrong!! Fascinating stuff. Keep it up
That’s the great thing about art, there’s always a different perspective.
Peace and wholeness fam
Same!
I feel exactly the same way, so much I didn’t notice before or simply just didn’t give much thought.
Well said
Totally agree !
Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is one of the greatest performances of all time and I honestly think it's impossible to top what he did.
An absolute masterclass in acting. You just wanted him to be in every scene. His death after such an incredible performance only adds to the mythos of the whole thing. RIP Heath.
You missed how in control the joker really is. He doesn't drink any alcohol, he tosses it and pretends to drink. He's not unhinged. He's completely in control and calculative through the entire movie.
Thus the nature of psychotic behavior.
@Jody Tollefson
It's not, actually. As was mentioned by Willarious The Therapist, psychopath (if he's not dumb) usually has a strong sense of self-preservation. The Joker, on a contrary, don't give a shit about his life - and maybe even want to stop it. Therefore he's NOT a psychopath.
The same video stated that The Joker represented emotional avoidance as a part of PTSD complex. Instead the situational avoidance, when he would be... Avoid chaos, The Joker embraced it, became a Chaos incarnate. Which is ironic, because chaos is actually unearthed order - in our case even more strict that an order itself.
And when the Joker said "Do I really look a guy with _The Plan_?" - it is truth. Insane terrifying truth, because his idea basically is a belief that your plan will inevitably crumble into itself in the worst possible moment - _and his duty is helping to crush your plan..._
@@malikmubashshir6143 look at him in the Police Car, sticking his head out the window...like a Dog. He's a bored Dog wrecking the house because his owner left him alone for too long. That's how I view the character.
@@Asmo_Lay Psychotic and psycopath are not the same thing
@@victordeluca7360 Psychotic makes less sense than psychopath.
I didn't want this video to end. That's how good the content is
Same lol
Tremendous video about this tremendous performance
haha i totally get you.
Same.
Yea Heath Ledger playing the Joker was just so extraordinary
To me, the most interesting thing about the character is that he wasn't the least bit chaotic. He always had a plan. And more importantly, he had a very specific agenda, to prove that human fallibility made people irredeemable, and to prove that he was right to be evil. But chaos isn't evil, as the movie proves.
The Joker succeeds in stripping Gotham of law and order. But what lies underneath, in the end, is something the Joker didn't expect. He never could have imagined that by stripped the world of rules, he would find not his own monstrousness reflected back, but a reverence for life he couldn't understand. My favorite part of Heath's performance was that moment where his grandiose plan for the two ferries falls apart, because his absolute certainty that all people are as evil as him just isn't true.
There's nothing less chaotic than certainty, and nothing more vulnerably to disillusionment. He lost all his power in that moment, and Heath played it perfectly.
I totally agree!!! He played everyone like he was a man with no plan, yet all the while he was always a two steps ahead. This is also why I enjoy Joaquin Phoenix version because that Joker truly was a man with no plan
@@elluchadork Tried watching that one, but it just seemed a bit too self-indulgent and negative.
So the Joker living in chaos was also living a lie. Perhaps chaos and lies are two sides of the same coin. In a place where there is no order there is also no truth.
@@smhollanshead But I think there was an order to his world, the order of "eat or be eaten." It's just his order didn't account for people choosing empathy over life. If he truly embraced chaos, he wouldn't be battling for Gotham's soul, because games of win or lose have rules. Chaos embraces unexpected good as well as unexpected evil. The Joker was pure negativity. That's not chaos. That's evil, for lack of a better word.
@@rottensquid can chaos sometimes be good and and sometimes be evil? Can someone who embarrasses chaos have an agenda? Where does truth lay in a world of chaos? In a world of chaos can anything be predictable? Is chaos the natural order of things?
One aspect to me that I feel is always overlooked is the particularity of the "LOOK AT ME" line. Ledger delivers the line in a more barrow tone voice than compared to the high pitched playful voice he used throughout the rest of the film. I think it's an indication to the fact that the character of "The Joker" himself, uses a comically high pitched voice to mask his real voice.
Like he was about to lose it completely and then and there slaughter the wanna be Batman, Brian.
baritone* if that helps
@@TheKazragore it's baritone ffs
@@nonholographic Whoops, my bad.
@@nonholographicI thought it was barrel toed
I was so furious about this decision at the time. After watching a million times over…I’m convinced it’s the single greatest performance I’ve ever watched.
It surprised us all. Heath was seen as just a “pretty face” at the time.
This performance exploded our minds. I’m so great we were part of this generation that got to see such a performance
*one year edit*
I didn't realize how offended some people would get from this comment. Being accused of undervaluing Heaths performance is ludicrous. I, for one, believe it does him a disservice to think this aspect of the character was based on some prosthesis failure and not an intentional detail added by the actor.
I really wish more people could appreciate this aspect of the character.
The smacking of the lips and darting of the tongue is a condition known as tardive dyskinesia. This is a side effect of some antipsychotics, pointing at the fact that the joker has been treated for a psychosis at some point.
I'm told that Heath started doing the lips and tongue movements as a reaction to the discomfort of the prosthetics inserted into his mouth to produce the scars. The director loved how unsettling it looked, and it stayed in the movie.
@Pie Or Cake the version of that story I heard was that the glue for the prosthetics on his cheeks didn't really agree with the joker makeup, so when he's licking round the scars he's actually pushing em back on
Cool detail here.
"I really wish more people could appreciate this aspect of the character."
And you're certain more people don't appreciate...how?
Yours is just another iteration of the insipid, become totally obnoxious "So underrated" trope that genuinely has me on the verge of becoming nauseated every time I encounter it.
@@ThomasFromTN so you'd prefer that I use language that makes me sound like an obnoxious douche rather than just use plain language? I really, truly am sorry for annoying you with my trope (see what I did there).
I'm sure that tardive dyskinesia is not a widely understood condition and that many viewers don't actually know what it is or what causes it. However, as a medical professional, I found this to be one of the more subtly genius aspects of the role. It points to the fact that the joker has likely had a life long battle with psychosis and likely has had multiple psychiatric conditions diagnosed and treated.
RIP Heath and thanks for one of the greatest acting performances in history
The scene where he’s hanging upside down and talking to Batman in the dark knight was so incredible. Amazing performance.
I was 17 when this movie came out. I remember seeing posters for it at the theaters and thinking how dumb the name "The Dark Knight" sounded. I had no idea who Nolan was or that this was even a sequel to Batman Begins.
I was at work, as it was summer time. Everyone at work was talking about it and we all made plans to go see it after work as a group.
I completely forgot that I was watching an actor. I had to turn to my girlfriend at the time and ask her who was playing the Joker and she couldn't remember either. I wish I could recapture the feeling I had the first time I saw this amazing masterpiece.
What makes his performance truly incredible is that it’s incredibly faithful while also being wholly original at the same time. You can tell he did his homework but wasn’t going to settle for a simple interpretation. He made it his own.
Its very rare to see a true 100% transformation but Heath Ledger pulled it off like an actor God.
I remember the 'feeling' of seeing Heath appear in the 'I thought my jokes were bad' scene. I was gobsmacked and in awe all the way through that scene. I couldn't believe how good it was. His makeup and look was just mesmerising and I was just blown away. Ledger knocked this performance into the stratosphere, it was utterly flawless.
Ledger is definitely my favourite live action joker. He makes the joker SO much more villainous.
I absolutely hated the notion of Heath playing the Joker when I first heard it. His performance though was so captivating and creative, it blew my mind. I've watched this movie many times just fast-forwarding to his scenes, he's that good. I completely agree it's one of the best cinema performances ever.
You're not the only one - the casting choice was highly criticized when the news dropped. Of course, based on what people had previously seen, they had a hard time believing Heath could play such a dark character. But that's why we shouldn't prejudge, especially when the actor has shown talent, even if it is in wildly different roles.
Fun fact: He licks his lips cause his prosthetic keeps falling off so he has to wet it. But that just adds more to this character
the makeup made his lips dry out.
I’ve heard psychiatrists remark that this behavior was indicative of his having been on antipsychotics because tongue protrusion is a side effect of being on these drugs. Hence they would quickly surmise that the Joker had schizophrenia. I wonder how many of them heard that Ledger did this because the prosetic scar tissue would slip when he was talking.
The finest acting performance I've ever seen in a comic book movie. Heath Ledger was utterly mesmerizing with his portrayal of the Joker, and richly deserved his (tragically posthumous) Oscar award. Gone but definitely not forgotten.
there is one performance of a comic book movie that is equal if not better. and its harder to pull off.
christopher reeves in superman one.
doing superman justice is harder to pul off
watch reeves scream here.
czcams.com/video/5DJ1_sklHHk/video.html
it was soo perfect that henry tried to siulate that scream energy in his depiction of superman and henrys attempt failed miserably in comparison
the depths he went just to give us pure raw character is just phenomenal
I've always thought that the meat locker scene has a totally different energy than the rest of the movie. I never really thought too much about it, but finding out that it was shot and directed by Ledger (as the Joker) it all makes sense. I'd love to know just how much Ledger improved and how much of his input made it into production design (details of props, sets, costumes, etc). He had a real intuitive sense for film.
You know, he did like to make videos in his free time. Yep, he was a vlogger before vlogging was a thing😂
And he directed that bizarre Modest Mouse video. King Rat. Check that out.
Finally I thought I was the only one who noticed this. The energy in the meat locker room was so raw (no pun intended) Heath did phenomenal work throughout the movie but his Meat Locker scene actually left me in shock at different moments. Simply Incredible
By far one of the greatest acting performances of all time. I remember before this came out everyone thought it was ridiculous Ledger was playing the Joker. Completely transformed himself in this part like you rarely see in a film. Redefined the comic book villain and movies are trying to recapture this performance to this day. Heck they even made a whole Joker movie trying to recapture the magic.
I remember, looking back at seeing the cast and being like "wait, heath ledger as the joker? He seems a bit young for the role... I wonder what they'll do." and then on seeing the film, you don't see Heath at all. Just the joker, his performance isn't a performance, he became the joker, and to a hauntingly perfect degree. I recall reading stuff about people telling him that the role is cursed, and everyone who's ever played the role lost a little of themselves, but... well, I guess he made the biggest sacrifice of all, to give us not just a role or a character, but the real deal, the joker himself.
I was like, the rom com guy is playing the Joker? Then look what happened. One of the most amazing performances of all time, possibly the most terrifying Batman villain we have ever seen and ever will see in a movie.
@@SouthernRam I think part of what made the performance stand out was only after the movie was over did you realize "oh shit, that was the broke back, rom com guy." At no point during the movie does heath ledger's name enter your mind. I think Nolan introducing him to the audience with a mask on helped with that. The joker was already established by the time we see ledger's face.
I remember the flack, as well. I didn't understand why, but I do remember others thinking Heath was going "backwards" somehow by doing this character. 😑
And it will always be a failed attempt to try to recapture ledger joker .
Respect to all the other actors(big or small roles), who still remained in character despite knowing the fact that Heath Ledger, as Joker, is doing or saying speeches and moves which aren't scripted. Like, they kept doing what they supposed to do as scripted even though knowing that the opposite actor is doing/saying stuffs which was never meant to be.. 👌❤️
now that you said that, I haven't watched any documentary disclosing how many takes did they make to film all those joker scenes? because with such extreme character being played in such extreme acting, it would not feel the same for everyone involved (especially those directly involved with the joker character in the acting) when they have to be done repeatedly...
I think they get used to it after his first improvised action, yet I agree they helped make it happen.
His dedication to perfection is admirable. RIP Heath Ledger, you were one of the all time best.
The end gave me chills. RIP Heath
"This town deserves a better class of criminal. And I'm going to give it to em" A shame his life was taken at only 27.
TAKEN is definitely the correct word
He was 28 when he died.
I said it in another video, but the way that Ledger growls "look at me" was one of the most powerful cinematic experiences I've had. I watched it in the theater when it came out...and when he did that, the feel in the room.....changed. I don't know if it was because it was evocative of terrorist videos at the time or what, but people were laughing a little prior to that. But after? Tense, scared, silence.
I watched it in theaters and I felt this same sentiment
Same. I think when that happened people realized this wasn’t Nickelson…. This was a completely different animal, literally.
I can't get enough of watching Heath Ledger's Joker. Definitely one of the best performances I've ever seen.
You pointed out the predatory side of the character something extremely haunting. We’re too focus on the chaos that we neglected to observe the predator within. Kudos for excellent comments.
Awesome analysis for a great performance. I always saw Alex's behavior in Joker, that crazy and feeling of freedom while destroying someone else.
Nice choice for your profile pic lol
Heath Ledger’s performance stuck with me for months, I unintentionally have all the lines memorized from the pencil scene, he is my all time favorite villain in cinema. Also Heath did lick his lips a lot partly because every time he talked his scars would peel off, so they decided to add that to the character
I honestly never knew he improvised so much. Great video!
Everything was perfect in Heath's performance. From physical acting range to the vocal play, he truly gave his life for this role, literally, that was leaps and bounds from his past roles prior to this. The writing and direction also helped immensely, resulting in a well deserved universally beloved Joker iteration that set such a high bar for all that follow him
That observation about him dragging his eyes off gamble was bone chilling. You did am awesome job with this. +1sub
That is the very moment joker decide to kill gambol . He is the obstacle.
A beautifully constructed video and conversation. Amazing how so many people keep coming back to Ledger's performance.
Great video. Heath's version won't ever be touched, it was breathtaking. One of the all time great performances.
Amazing to see Heath's imaginative preparation for the role - Alex de Large, Tom Waits, hyenas.
Still can't wrap my mind around the fact that that is Heath Ledger. No, I can't match it. In the best and most chameleon type performances, you can still see the actor as he or she presents himself to the public, but here? Damn. Heath Ledger IS the greatest actor of all time and he was taken from us before the world would've inevitably realized it after a full career of his performances.
This is what I didn’t love about Joaquin’s Joker. I could still see Joaquin. It was his same voice, and the mannerisms weren’t as worked on. He played an excellent mentally ill man, not the joker
I agree 🤙🏽
@@Jay23445 You are a puppy, so of course you agree.
@@unitedstatesofamerica9948 This and Brando in The Godfather are the greatest acting performances in the history of cinema
@@Jay23445 Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon
Maggie Gyllenhall had never seen Heath in his makeup (unsure if this was by creative choice) before the fundraiser scene. They did it on the first take, and he freaked her out with his look, mannerisms and touching (which she didn’t really expect) to the point that she was actually unnerved. His acting was so great he actually pulled others up with him by forcing them to really react to his character instead of just “playing a part”.
I still can't bring myself to watch this movie again because I was so disturbed by Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker... That essence of chaos featured in my dreams for weeks after. That's how powerful his performance was.
One of the aspects that I’ll always remember about this joker is how no strings attached he feels about everyone except Batman, and even then it’s more of him only respecting him. Despite laughing and tormenting people throughout the movie, he never once feels like he’s satisfied no matter what he does leaving you to wonder what he’ll try next to one up. He holds no grudges against anyone, only does what he does because it happens to throw the city into chaos further. They try to find identity to link him to anything on why he would do this, and he even gives two different stories on his scars, but he’s something above revenge at that point. He just picked his valuable targets because he knows that people would panic over them, relation to him be damned. He’s as uncaring, unpredictable, and brutally overbearing as a natural disaster and that’s what would make a scary villain.
Couldn't agree with you more!
He is shown to hold the grudge with Gamble.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels on youtube. J.A.O.'s analysis/insights on whatever topic he covers is top notch. keep up the great work.
this whole video and analysis of Ledger's performance made me appreciate him as an actor even more. Well done!
Ledger's rendition was brilliant on so many levels.... it is one of those rare cases where the actor so envelopes the character that it is no longer the actor but the actual character who is alive in context of the film. It reminds me of how awestruck I was at Kilmer's Doc Holiday and Day-Lewis portrayal of Lincoln. One of the finest acting performances I have ever seen.
This analysis is exactly why he deserved awards and shows how incredible of an actor he would’ve became
Heath Ledger delivered a cinematic performance of a lifetime!! Arguably cinema's greatest villain portrayal. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Great video. I've seen countless unpickings of Ledger's performance and yours opens up new angles I have not seen before 👏👏
I only wish we couldve seen more of him. RIP Heath. He deserved a long and good life
superb actor. He would of brought so much more to the third film. RIP
Excellent analysis of one of the finest performances of all time, R.I.P - Heath, a huge loss to the world 😢
didn't think i could love ledgers joker anymore then i already did. he portrayed him so brilliantly which sadly led to his demise. your video was also brilliant in helping the audiance fully understand his chaos. keep it up!
With most great performances I sometimes think there’s someone, somewhere out there that could’ve done as good of a job or maybe even better than the actual actor in the movie, but I truly believe there’s no one else that could’ve done this great of a job. He set the bar so high I don’t think we’ll ever see a better joker, not in this lifetime. He’s irreplaceable.
Jack Nicholson is still alive.
I remember when I heard the Heath Ledger had been cast as Joker. To say I was skeptical is mild. I couldn't believe that Heath could pull it off because everything I'd seen him in before was so radically different. He was always the good-hearted pretty boy. When I saw the movie, I was absolutely blown away. It was the best portrayal of the Joker I had ever seen. I had never seen a villian with so much depth but had no redeeming qualities. He was like a wild animal yet was driven by a clear but perverse philosophy. I don't know if anyone would ever want to try to play the Joker again because Heath's portrayal was so powerful in how it redefined the character.
Exactly
For real! They should just stop using the Joker character all together because nobody will ever even come close to how Heath Ledger nailed it!
This is by far the most in depth analysis of Ledgers performance in the Dark Knight. You've really knocked it out the park with how you've related many of the influences back to him. :)
Great breakdown and thank you for your time working on this brother.
Great breakdown of his performance. I had no idea how much work he put into the role. And all the subtle things that made it great that I never realized. Truly one of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen
I saw this in theaters and it blew me away. It was by far the best movie I have ever seen in theaters. No one can top this performance of the joker.
The "LOOK AT ME" line is one of the most memorable lines to me. Anytime I think of this movie, I immediately think of that line. His tone is so haunting and terrifying.
Excellent observation and deducing the scenes perfectly! Keep up the good work!
Real kudos to Heath's performance. There is a thin line between "Acting" and "Over-acting" which Heath never crossed with his splendid performance and that's what makes him the best performance of all time ❣
When he yells look at me in the hostage video, it always gives me chills
Same. Reminds me of my dad, and I'm sure it reminds other people of their dads, too
R.I.P to Heath my god bless his soul his joker was perfect it was a fantastic performance that gave me chills knowing that he stayed in a room for a month shows how dedicated he was
The bit with the lip-smacking was purely practical; the prosthetic around his lips would start to feather and rather than go back to make up to have it reapplied, he merely licked it back down.
It's a tribute to Ledgers skill that he made it part of Jokers schtick and have nobody notice it was to get a scene done more quickly and with less fuss!
Interesting video, new perspective.
There are 2 performances to me that are the most incomparable in cinematic history. Both of these character's don't just play a roll from a script, they become the character, completely. The justify in their performances what the art of true acting is. Complete immersion of one's self not of script but of whom they portray. The first being Billy Bob Thornton in "Slingblade". First of all the fact that he wrote, directed and acted in this incredible movie is mind-boggling. Next, his complete immersion in Carl is breathtaking from the first scene. No makeup yet he was completely unrecognizable. His motion's, sounds, deep and intelligent responses, unintentional comedy and intense darkness. He is the outright definition of all humans...light and dark. The angel on one shoulder and devil on the other. The essence of a devastating childhood on a boy who already is in battle with his thought's. The complete outcome of what happens to the boy who becomes a man. An emotional and incredible cinematic journey. I thought it would never be beat. Then comes Heath Ledger as the "Joker". Every portrayal of the joker past, present and future will be compared to his. His portrayal wasn't so much a villain as a madman fed up with society from both end's of the spectrum. His brilliance of locking himself in his room to seize upon and create something new and brilliant out of something having been done in everyway since 1940 is no easy feat. Not only did his portrayal surpass all other's but it will always be the one eternally comparing all others to. There are no sufficient words to describe his role as Joker, none. What a loss.
The real tragedy is that Heath ledger died before he could know that he delivered one of the greatest performance in contemporary movie history.
This channel is incredeble, most of my favorite youtube channels sometimes talk about stuff I don't enjoy very, but you talk about Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Godfather, and now THE DARK KNIGH, all stuff I love very much and are very close to my heart.
Once again, fascinating video! What I always liked the most from the improvisations category is when he attends Bruce Wayne's fundraiser and goes through the appetizers. I love how he picks up the snack but only eats the tomato, not the shrimp. Next he picks up the champagne and throws it all away before drinking.
It's such a small thing but it really emphasizes once again the characters contempt for luxury and wealth, while simutaneously showing of his unpredictability, love for chaos and rebellion against established conventions.
And did you notice that Bruce Wayne throws his champagne over the railing, much in the same way the Joker does? I always thought that was a cool coincidence, like both of them are turned off by alcohol because it dulls the senses.
On a platform with surely tens of thousands of analyses on Heath Ledger’s Joker, you manage to insert some fresh and insightful commentary. Nicely done!
Great eye for the small details that most would of missed well done mate explained to perfection.
I was a teenage kid when i first saw the movie. My english wasn't that good to fully understand the dialogues but somehow Heath Ledger's performance felt so uniquely fascinating. Years later after re-watching the movie several times I started to grasp the real contribution he has given to this character.
Thanks for your awesome analysis. You brilliantly explain what makes Heath Ledger one of Cinema's Greatest Actors. Who by his Memorable Performance, makes the Joker one of the Best Antagonist in Cinema.
Heath Ledger's performance of this character made me a fan of the joker.
Before his performance, the joker character didn't hold much weight with me.
It was a, yeah ok, kind of attitude towards it.
Very outstanding performance by Heath Ledger.
Sad that he's no longer with us.
Peace to him.
One of the best spot-on analysis with plenty of intense details.
You see all kinds of praise for his performance, but this is a refreshing analyses of what made it so great.
amazing commentary: thank you for detailling it in a different way.
That ‘ look at me!! ‘ when I watched it for the first time had me a goosebumps. You know when you watching a horror movie and that scary ghost’s voice comes out ? That’s how scary ledger voice was
i love the analysis, one of my favorite character portrayals in cinema!
One note i might add, a little detail at 8:08 he doesn't even swig the champagne, he tosses it over his shoulder. It's a gesture that is almost unnoticeable and i love that
your channel is becoming one of my favorites. i always look forward to whatever you have to put out. excellent stuff mate! you should do a video essay on travis bickle or an essay about comparing colonel kurtz to capt willard.
It's important not to get too focused on any one actor's take on this character, brilliant though it may be.
The fact is, if you look at Nicholson's campy, flamboyant Joker and Ledger's grim, nihilistic one, looking at the whole history, they're both totally true to the character.
I never cared for Nicholson’s Joker.
Ledger’s was a fresh and “realistic” take. Scary as hell and totally grounded.
Batman really is a horror story
@@jm7967 I don't know your age and I'm not casting aspersions but if you're < 35 then Nicholson's Joker will seem almost quaint, the way Romero's seems. But decent "comic book movies" were almost unheard of back then (Superman being perhaps the only good one before Burton's Batman) and there was a certain campiness expected in the performance. That Burton took Batman somewhat seriously was a revelation as only Superman had done that before (and that had a fair share of camp). So it was expected that Nicholson would play Joker with a fair amount of theatrics and it's unlikely audiences would have accepted a more realistic villain from a comic book movie back then. I think Jack pushed Joker as far as he could have in '89 without audiences rejecting the performance. If he had gone full Jack Torrance, audiences would have stayed away in droves.
By the time this movie came out in 2008 the subject matter was treated far more seriously due to a number of good movies (Spider Man, Spider Man 2, X Men 2, V for Vendetta, Hellboy, Blade and Batman) and thus Ledger could push the expectations of a villain to new heights. And boy did he - it remains the defining portrayal of the character and probably always will.
@@waltblackadar4690 yeah Nicholson was amazing for the time. His mannerisms his use of the gun and his laughter was all spot on. Ledger and is amazing too ut you can forget Mark Hammel's Joker. In my mind that is the joker.
Nicholson's cartoonish performance has been rendered unwatchable by Ledger's brilliant take on the character!
Heath Ledger, as Joker is and will alway be one of the best acting I have witnessed! PERIOD!!! The Joker is Heath!
It's Not Acting he became the Joker and it killed him A taste of the dark side Albeit..
Such great observations. Made me appreciate this performance even more than I already did ... which was a lot! Ty.
That was *such* a magnetic performance by Heath. Whenever the Joker is on screen, everything about the performance just shouts, 'watch me and don't stop watching me'. It's just so engrossing and captivating. PS: one of my favourite little Joker moments in that film is when he's standing on top of the giant pile of cash and then he slides down it to meet the other characters on the ground. He slides down as a child would, with a kind of carefree reckless abandon. The style and motion in the way he does it shows that the Joker is having *fun.* He took on the mob and is taking over a city, but he's also playing, like a child does. He's relaxed to the point of it being psychologically strange (obviously fitting for the Joker).
Never knew about the Tom Waits aspect of Ledgers take on Joker and holy crabapples was it similar to Waits in that interview.
His Joker was what made me fall in love with character, with Batman, with comics as a whole. I was a kid when I watched the movie for the first time, and his terrifying but utterly fascinating performance was what pushed me towards the Batman stories, something that not even such great cartoons as Btas or JLU was able to do (I only got into and was able to fully appreciate them after getting "hooked up" onto Ledger's brilliant performance.
That was an amazing video. I love the psychological breakdown
Another great analysis from our beloved YT movie channel. Great work. Expecting other great videos from you.
Heath Ledger’s Joker performance is not only the best performance in this movie, it is the best performance I have ever seen!
this video enlightens a greater understanding about acting itself. this video is not only entertaining but also useful.
This is the best Ledger Joker analysis I’ve ever seen, well done!