The problem of evil is a recurring cinematic theme entrenched in Christopher Nolan's 2008 superhero film The Dark Knight . The film features a fictional character, the Joker, played by Heath Andrew Ledger, who was an Australian actor and music video director. The movie offers an exemplary account of wickedness aimed at exposing evil in all its savaging manifestations. According to Heit (2011), portrayal of the Joker is no laughing matter as the name suggests, but rather a serious critique of morality. Heath Ledger depiction of the Joker presents a conflicting perception of the problem of evil. The common plot around wickedness in movies involves a mob boss or crime lord who grip on the city instills fear among the populace who watch helplessly as robberies and killings ratchet up the city. The situation is often salvaged by the coming of a protagonist who embodies the virtues of society whose role is to eliminate the threat posed by the villain. In the film The Dark Night, the role of the Joker as the villain presents complexity because they come about as a new breed of criminal not motivated by the material items. This paper contends that depiction of complex aspects of evil and morality by Heath Ledger qualifies them as the best Joker ever.
The article, American Heroes, which analyses the frivolity and horror in comic superhero movies, Tyree (2009) contended that the difference between The Dark Night and its predecessors is in the portrayal of The Joker as well as Batman. For instance, in the story Batman: The Killing Joke, the arch-villain, The Joker, acquires the disfigurement after falling into a chemical plant following a botched robbery. On the contrary, Heath Ledge incarnation is self-inflicted as evident in their mockery of the victims on bogus explanations of “how I got my scars” (Tyree, 2009, p. 31). However, at the end of the film, the viewer learns that the Joker did the scarring to scare people, including other villains. Heath Ledger as the Joker comes about as an emotionally unstable and sadistic figure, but these attributes are not inspired by materialism, which is traditionally associated with robberies and other forms of evils in such films. Actions of the Joker in this case are intended to prove a point, to both fellow villains and the protagonist, Batman. One can argue that the Joker suffers from inferiority complex and low self-esteem, which they seek to address through harmful competition. By eliminating competition in the form of other villains, the Joker ensures that he remains to be the main antagonist, whose motivation is to prove to the protagonist that he can beat them in the planning game. These attributes of the Joker portrayed by Heath Ledger give a new perspective to the definition of a criminal. Heit (2011) observed that Ledger showed no interest in the valuable thing at stake, money. This raises questions about why an evil person cannot be greedy. The Joker perceived his villain role as a sport, “he was not motivated by anything logical, he could not be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with, he just wanted to watch the world burn” (Heit, 2011, p. 177). Therefore, the characteristics of the Joker portrayed by Ledger make villain a unique figure from a criminal perspective.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The argument advanced in this paper centers on how the divergence of the Joker from the good versus evil paradigm expected by the audience, brings out Heath Ledger’s role as the best Joker figure ever. According to the Joker, crime is a joke, a game he perpetuates for its immediacy with little regard for its outcome. Consequently, the Joker subverts the standard by which the society measures evil, the consequences of actions. Heit (2011) posited that the dislocation of the existing cultural norms by the Joker makes it difficult to for them to be situated into this paradigm. The Joker presents a challenge because he cannot be categorized based on actions that do not conform to deeply rooted cultural notions of good and evil. Nevertheless, the Joker’s evil nature appeals to the audience, which begs the question, why? According to Heit (2011), the answer to the question lies in the strength of Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker. The Dark Knight was among the top highest grossing films, implying that it appealed to the viewers despite is evil narrative structure. The transformation of the Joker from showing qualities usually associated with the devil as per the Judeo-Christian moral frameworks, to crystallization of evilness when he diverges these moral binaries, owes much to Heath Ledger performance. The deviation characterizes the Joker’s evil nature, and paradoxically proves their alluring qualities that generate interest for insights into this new phenomenon of villain. Tyree (2019) corroborates Heit (2011) assertions about top-drawer performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker. From his physical attributes, behavior, to actions, Ledger comes about as a unique version of the Joker that advances the secular and less supernatural vision of evil that audiences identify with easily. The spontaneity demonstrated by Heath Ledger as the Joker is what makes them more appealing than even the protagonist, Batman.
Stolworthy (2019) noted that in a Christian Bale interview, the Batman actor observed that Heath Ledger showed a committed performance. Ledger was determined to make their role as the Joker as real as possible. For instance, Bale reveled in the interview that in the interrogation scene, Ledger wanted to be hit for real. It is evident Ledger is determined to connect with the audience and advance his new found identity as a criminal. The Joker was no ordinary foe to Batman. The more Batman beat him, the more he enjoys it (Stolworthy, 2019). The Joker was getting satisfaction from the beating, which supports an earlier theory of them being a sadist. Ledger’s performances as the Joker continues to rouse much inquisition about the role. What the Joker wants has been a question of the question of the contemporary Batman story. Ledger brought to fore a significant part of the Joker’s personality in his acting as evidenced in their appearance, language (twang), and constant agitation for the incomprehensible. Ledger appears to be an explosive character who just does things, a role that led them to an Oscar winning performance as an agent of chaos. There are suggestions about the need to adopt the Joker identity and character among other serious thespians, an agitation founded on the prospect of a large audience boarding the wild rise. The initiatives are inspired by Heath Ledger’s exemplary performance as the Joker.
“If 2008 had a person of the year, it had two: Barack Obama on the one hand and Heath Ledger’s Joker on the other” (Canavan, 2010, p. 1). Such is the pedestal in which Ledger’s performance as the Joker is held among film critics. The Joker in his own way, spectacularly portrayed the image of hope, change, and progress against that of disaster, fear, and death. The Joker embraced the moment, which is perceived by many as significant because of the popular appeal stemming from a projected desire of revolutionary reconfiguration of the conditions of life in the contemporary society. It is important to revisit Heit (2011) assertions about the role of the Joker in interrupting established notions about the phenomena of crime and evil. The Joker stands for what is morally unacceptable as per their actions, but their personality cannot be defined using existing norms that are restricted to money and power. The Joker appears to do things for the sake of doing. Heath Ledger insistence on making the role as real as possible needs to be applauded for its invention of this new breed of a criminal. The role integrates new insights about moral conceptualizations of crime and its perpetrators. Ledger managed to submerge himself into the maniacal Joker character in a manner that was electrifying and disturbing. Recognition as the best Joker ever is pegged on Ledger’s ability to kick open doors across boundaries with twisted interpretation that allowed a lot of room for play. Many audiences continue to show interest in Heath Ledger’s performance as the clown prince of crime.
Therefore, it is important to reiterate that the impact of Heath Ledger’s role on the Joker cannot be understated. The actor pushed the Joker figure to a level that continues to create interest among viewers and critics alike. While concerns existed about Ledger’s role, which strayed substantially from the Joker the audience had come to know, literature on the topic continues to elicit mixed reactions. However, the bottom line is that a growing number of people are warming up to the new Joker, thanks to Ledger’s captivating performances. Perhaps the interest in the new Joker comes from an understanding that criminals of his type are rare, which to some extent, makes the character likeable. Ledger impeccable ability to stray from the standard cultural connotations of crime in respect to the motive plays a critical role in their recognition as the best ever Joker. Ledger demonstrated the possibility of criminals with a complex mindset who are not driven by the desire for money or power. In doing so, the Joker illustrated the need for a pragmatic approach of looking at crime and its perpetrators. Overall, Heath Ledger was determined to make the new Joker a captivating character, and the fame generated is largely an outcome of his commitment to the new course.
References
Canavan, G. (2010). Person of the Year: Barack Obama, the Joker, Capitalism, and Schizophrenia. English Faculty Research and Publications, Marquette University. Retrieved from https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1194&context=english_fac.
Heit, J. (2011). No laughing matter: The Joker as a Nietzschean critique of morality. Vader, Voldemort, and Other Villains: Essays on Evil in Popular Media , 175-188.
Stolworthy, J. (2019). The Dark Knight star Heath Ledger's most brutal Joker scene was real. Independent. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/christian-bale-heath-ledger-the-dark-knight-batman-the-joker-christopher-nolan-a8008371.html.
Tyree, J. M. (2009). American heroes. Film Quart , 62 (3), 28-34.
