When I die, my money is not gonna come with me. My movies will live on for people to judge what I was as a person. - Heath Ledger
Ledger’s death has doubtless served to propagate the legend surrounding his performance, but that shouldn’t, and doesn’t, take away from the indisputable brilliance of what he accomplished with the Joker.
His premature death has meant that his work in The Dark Knight remains his magnum opus, the part he will eternally be associated with. Were he alive, an actor of his calibre would have given us at least three additional notable performances by now.
In such a scenario, while the Joker might have remained his best work, it wouldn’t be the only thing people talk about when his name popped up, as is the situation now.
Having said that, his performance as the Joker is worthy of all the acclaim it has received. With the help of Christopher Nolan, Ledger developed the character from the ground up, and executed it in a way no one had done before, or since. The interrogation scene alone is an absolute master class. Ledger nailed everything, the unique look, the idiosyncrasies and bodily ticks, the voice, the movement, facial expressions, everything.
It is one of the great exhibitions of contemporary acting, and perhaps the most exceptional performance of the 21st century, narrowly beating out Daniel Day-Lewis’ incredible work in There Will Be Blood.
Heath Ledger has left an enduring mark on the cinema landscape, and even decades from now he will be recognised for what he did - delivering a performance for the ages, and one that occupies a significant position in the pantheon of cinema’s greatest accomplishments.
His performance is not over-hyped; it is genius put to film.
Ledger was right, his movies WILL live on forever, and through them, so will he.
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