Heath Ledger and The Dark Knight

I haven’t commented on the death of Heath Ledger here at the Strangeness, partly because I have very little to say about his tragic, premature death, but mainly because there is enough unmitigated guff spewing forth about his demise all over the internet. spEak You’re bRanes has some great examples, if you want to see the thoughts of morons.

However, given his last film work was on The Dark Knight – and being an unashamed Batman fan – some of the things being written about the sequel to Batman Begins are irritating me. Take this article in the Telegraph – it suggests that one option for the studio (if Ledger didn’t fully complete the film) is not releasing it.

I’m sorry, what? Not release it? Abandon a project that has a projected budget of $150 million? Abandon the last completed film of a talented young actor? That’s just fucking stupid, if you pardon my French.

But nothing compared to the assertion that playing the Joker may have killed Ledger. I don’t doubt that Ledger put his all into the role – he was a talented and committed actor. But a role pushing someone over the edge seems just crass. People have played challenging roles before – what about Hopkins playing the demented Hannibal Lector, or Sam Riley playing the suicidal Ian Curtis? Actors should be able to disassociate themselves from their roles – after all, the roles are not real. The shoot may have been tough on Ledger, but there’s no evidence it pushed him over the edge. In fact, the director suggests Ledger took a lot from the role, and seemed to enjoy it.

Which leads me to my final point. The Dark Knight has claimed a life. That of a stunt performer. Let’s hope that any on screen tributes to Ledger are matched by tributes to the stunt man who died whilst making the film.

Ultimately, Ledger’s death is a tragedy – for his fans, but much more so for his family. The Dark Knight will form part of his legacy – which is surprisingly rich for a 28 year old. Anything else is meaningless, pointless, tedious speculation.