The Clown Prince of Cinema

So 2008 is shaping up to be the greatest year for movies that I have been witness to. We're going to be faced with "Iron Man," "The Incredible Hulk," "John Rambo," "Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods" and "Saw V." We cannot discuss "Saw V" however, as my brain simply cannot handle dealing with the plot for two different "Saw" sequels, neither of which has been released as of yet. So next summer is the return of the big movie summer, something I have not seen in years. Probably one of the biggest films of 2008 is going to be "The Dark Knight."

Let me nerd out, if I may. When I saw "Batman Begins" all those years ago, it was a momentous event. It was the end of the shit streak that plagued the Warner Bros. franchise. Let me just tell you that if you like Tim Burton's "Batman" over Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins," then this article isn't for you. The film wasn't for you in the same way that a brain isn't for you. So close this page, and go stick your head into the oven because the world of film hates you.

The appeal of the new film does not necessarily come from Batman, or Bruce Wayne, this time around. Yes, Christian Bale is back in a role he was born to play. In fact, everyone is back (except for Katie Holmes, who has been replaced with a better actress in Maggie Gyllenhaul). So we also have Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face, but this still isn't what the success of "The Dark Knight" is riding on. It all comes down to whether or not Heath Ledger can pull off The Joker.

Jack Nicholson never did it for me. In Tim Burton's "Batman," Nicholson essentially played himself in make-up. As a kid, we all loved this movie because this was the closest we ever got to a cool Batman. Then, as you got older (and nerdier), you came to realize that Tim Burton made his own vision, and basically raped the source material. I mean come on, The Joker killed Bruce Wayne's parents? Lame (and nerdy that I know the truth). Not to mention Nicholson played it too campy. It was a comedy routine. There was no terror in the character, and that was Burton's mistake. The Joker is my favorite character to ever come out of a comic book, so I want to see him done right (that's what she said). I was a little worried when Heath Ledger was announced to play the Clown Prince of Crime. Out of everyone I thought of, this was the last guy on my list. Then again, Christopher Nolan made "The Prestige," and "Memento." The man knows how to find great actors when he needs them. Then the first picture was released.
This peaked my interest a little bit. The picture is insane. The evil grin of The Joker comes from a scar that runs from ear to ear. Not to mention Ledger was steering clear of what Jack Nicholson had done with the role. From every report I have read so far, this is suppose to be an insane, psychotic and unstable Joker. The way he was meant to be portrayed all along. Then came the tease trailer (and what a tease it is) which had only a moment of what Ledger sounds like.

The man has an interesting as hell take on the character. A recent article over at IGN had this to say about recent footage screened for an audience in Chicago. "One shot reversed my worries into unadulterated enthusiasm. The shot is focused directly on The Joker as he sits in a prison (or perhaps Arkham Asylum?) cell. The room is bathed in a blue light, but more important is what Heath Ledger is doing. I suppose it sounds odd since I already said he's sitting, but there is an element of instability and rage in that shot that I instantly picked up in that brief moment. The expression on Ledger's face is perfect. This isn't a fun-loving, zany character. You're not going to giggle and see him playing with toys. This is a disturbed man who is so scarred, physically and psychologically, that he has crafted a clown persona to cause chaos in the world - to steal, hurt and kill innocent people." This says it all, and now my anticipation for the films of 2008 triple.