Saturday, July 19, 2008

Look Who Is Smiling

There are 2 movie sequels that I have out most respect for. The first is the second installment to every teenage boy's wet dream franchisee, Star Wars : The Empire Strikes Back where one of the biggest badass in movie history Darth Vader reveals to Luke that he came into this universe (can't say "world" here) from his loins! The other movie would be good ol' Arnie coming back from the future to save the teenaged John Connor in Terminator 2

Add Dark Knight (2008) to the rolls and that too right at the top! All because of one guy and I am not talking about the Batman

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in applauding the late Heath Ledger in creating the most dangerous and vile villain of all times, the Joker. Jack Nicholson had created the benchmark when he enacted the Joker's role in the Michael Keaton starer Batman (1989). Heath has not only upped the bar, but he pretty much ensured that the Joker is never going to be part of any Batman movie ever. He has made this role his very own. It is said that when Heath was preparing himself for this role, he got himself locked up in a room with food being pushed in from the bottom of the door. And as if taking his reel character to real life, he played a cruel joke on everyone when his lifeless body was discovered in his apartment early this year. Possible cause of death: overdose.

What he has done to the Joker character is beyond words. The Joker has always been the greatest enemy of the Batman, his nemesis and also his biggest fear. The Batman is feared by everyone, even by his peer superheroes and for good reason. He is the only hero without any "super"powers and has to rely only on his (in)human abilities to survive and take down the bad guys. One false move, loss of concentration for one split second and the cowl and cape will be part of some museum. He is the guy who single handedly can take down the entire league of superheroes if he feels that the world wasn't safe with them, with the greatest superpower in the universe, the mind and tactics. And when the Batman fears someone, it makes you stand up and take notice.

The Joker has killed not one, but two of Bruce Wayne's (Batman's identity in the real world) extended family. Other than Rachael Dawes (the movie character), the other victim is none other than Jason Todd, who was Batman's crime fighting partner Robin when Tim Drake (the original Robin) feeling he needed to get out of his mentor's shadow and find his own identity, abandoned Wayne Manor and left Gotham City. And in true Joker method, he makes the Batman watch while killing Jason in the graphic novel, A Death In The Family (1989).

What Ledger has done is to take all the ingredients assimilated from all characterization of the Joker and added his own variety of insanity to it. The slithering of the tongue in reptilian fashion, the smacking of the lips in anticipation of a tasty and satisfying kill, the desire to put up a grand show of mayhem, the spine chilling grin and the explanations for his physical and mental scars makes you forget that it is a Batman movie and he is the villain. And he is quite frank in admitting that he is an 'agent of chaos' and his dastardly acts are experiments to prove that we are essentially evil from inside and all pretensions of love and brotherhood go for a toss if the right buttons are pressed. He almost succeeds and while doing so, he ensures that the movie belongs to him and Batman and even a major league villain like Two-Face are mere spectators to his orchestra of pure evil. May his soul rest in peace

Chris Nolan has resurrected the entire Batman franchisee from the farce that it had become with the George Clooney starer Batman and Robin (1997) and how to take it further is the question that must be also bothering him now that he has pretty much created the best movie of the decade so far.

My forecast:

Top 3 highest grosser of all times
Best Actor (Academy Awards) - Heath Ledger
Best Director (Academy Awards) - Chris Nolan
Best Movie (Academy Awards) - Winner or close very close runners-up

Ohh, and btw they are coming out with Terminator 4 - Salvation. This triology will focus on John Connor's fight against the machines and guess who is playing John? Check out the trailer below to find out. If you are too lazy, then it is Christian Bale :-). Now he is no more an independent movie actor, but in top league with the Batman and Terminator franchisees

3 comments:

Karthick Gopal said...

True dude, THE best Batman movie made and definitely THE best sequel I have seen. In fact the BEST movie I have seen this year.

Fucking awesome, can't get enough of this.

REAL CREEPY said...

Fucking awesome man ... my god knows how much I have loved joker since the day I laid my eyes upon him. And pegu da, Heath Ledger, has shown the world what the power of Joker is.

Jugal said...

The clap scene when Gordon becomes commissioner was adlibbed! The man was IN CHARACTER 24/7! Trivia says at the fund raiser scene, he scared Michael Caine so much with his entrance that Caine, note well, the great Caine actually forgot the only line he had and they had to take that scene all over again!