He's a good actor, but I'll admit that he didn't completely sell me on the Joker. Neither did Nicholson. I don't think he even approached Javier Bardem's Chigurh, but he still was a very good actor. He had a lot of potential, which is unfortunately gone. He could've been another Brad Pitt (say what you like, he can act when he wants to)or Gary Oldman, with a few more films under his belt.
I think he was overrated for everything but the joker, which he does fantastically. Everything else he did was pretty lame though, which is why initially they said he was the joker and most people went "wtf thats stupid".
I think he is slightly, dont get me wrong I think he is a great actor and it is a shame he died so young. But before the dark knight came out I didnt pay much attention to him aside from maybe Brokeback mountain. His acting in The Dark Knight was fantastic, but my favorite villian is still Rutger Hauer from the original version of The Hitcher and also Rutger hauer in Blade Runner was great because while he was a villian, he was still a complex character with lots of emotions.
The Joker however was pretty much just acted crazy and Anarchic, which to me was not as interesting as Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner. Heath Ledger was still great as the Joker, that I dont think can be denied.
Film-Guy
He was never overrated. If anything he was underrated. He's one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood, but like many others that came before him were overlooked and diminished. To me, he has that fire, that passion as an actor that I have come to appreciate. There's a look in his eyes that he means business when it comes to his career. There's a lot of no-talented actors and actresses that are super famous and paid a lot more than the ones that truly deserve the attention, praise, and money, like Heath. It took him Brokeback Mountain and Batman to finally grab people's attention, not to mention his untimely death. He's a great loss to the movie industry.
People liked his performance a lot in this movie because nobody has done a better Joker than him.Ilived
That's ignorant. So what if there was only one Joker before him? He did an amazing job. And to the other thread, I disagree that just because you have a well written script, you're considered to automatically to be a good actor. You can have a great script and still screw up the role if you're a crappy actor.
Before TDK Heath Ledger picked quite a few dud movies. I will admit that. But really this performance is so amazing it makes you forget about those really.
As for ol' Rutger - yeesh, I'm sorry mang, but Blade Runner is one of the most overrated, over-hyped films I've ever seen. So I'm not a big fan of him.
No. He is a quality actor and his role in The Dark Knight proves it. He is able to take a role he is given, make it his own and literally "become" the character on screen. Heath Ledger was not The Joker in real life (he could have been but I doubt he showed it), he was someone else, he became his role for the movie... which is what seemingly seems to be lacking in a lot of films these days with actors like Tobey Maguire and Shia LaBeouf. All they do is play themselves and call it "acting."
No. He is a quality actor and his role in The Dark Knight proves it. He is able to take a role he is given, make it his own and literally "become" the character on screen. Heath Ledger was not The Joker in real life (he could have been but I doubt he showed it), he was someone else, he became his role for the movie... which is what seemingly seems to be lacking in a lot of films these days with actors like Tobey Maguire and Shia LaBeouf. All they do is play themselves and call it "acting."foxhound_fox
THANK YOU. I love your comment. I thought I was the only one here that could see a good actor when I see one.
These days, people want the next big thing actor that's "hollywood." I dont buy that. Last time I checked, Toby Maguire hasnt been a good actor since "The Cider House Rules." And Shia got all the young girls throwing their panties at him. It's all about marketing now and about who can sell a story.
Before TDK Heath Ledger picked quite a few dud movies. I will admit that. But really this performance is so amazing it makes you forget about those really.
As for ol' Rutger - yeesh, I'm sorry mang, but Blade Runner is one of the most overrated, over-hyped films I've ever seen. So I'm not a big fan of him.
biggest_loser
Well I still love Blade Runner:P Also Rutger Hauer is a very underrated actor, even though he has been in some really cheesy movies, he has been a few gems too. Soldier of Orange is one of his best films, its a early Paul Verhoeven film that is often ignored.
I don't think we'd be hearing as much about him if he didn't bite the dust.MeanQuestion
At lot of the hype derived from his death was that he had committed suicide because he took his character too much internally and became terribly depressed. If he had died in an accident or had been murdered I doubt he would have received as much posthumous hype and recognition for his role. It was because it seemed like a suicide based on his part as the Joker to why people think he is "overrated." His portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight was nothing but fantastic, and a career-defining role. As Neil Young would say: "It's better to burn out than fade away" and Heath surely burnt out on a ****ing high note.
I don't believe he intentionally killed himself. As so many others have done, myself included, he may have turned to drugs to deal with depression.
Furthermore, Heath Ledger was a incredible entertainer who, if he had lived long enough, would someday be regarded as a legend. He has such a screen presence and such charisma, he brought his roles to life. Take 10 Things I Hate About You. His star was still rising at the time, but he brought that character to life with great charm and mystique. Again in A Knight's Tale, he brought his character to life and made the film such a memorable one. Even in a bad movie like The Order he delivered a great performance that almost saved that film from disaster.
I think he's becomea little overrated. He died after giving what many people feel was the peak performance of his entire career. So now everyone can imagine that he'd have continued that upwards trajectory to become one of the great actors of our time. Whether or not he would have done so or not had he lived is an open question.nocoolnamejim
My belief he would have went on to bigger and better things is based on more than one performance. His joker was mesmerizing, but it wasn't his only great characterization -- his performance in Brokeback Mountain was transforming. I went in thinking I'd be uncomfortable with the subject matter, but I was too much in awe of seeing this Australian practically become a Midwestern American rancher to even consider anything else. Nothing of Heath seemed to be left other than body structure and facial features, and even those disappeared into the black hole of superficiality when he just became someone else.
By the end of the film I had forgotten it was Heath Ledger playing that role. And that to me is the mark of a great actor.
Not really. His performance as the Joker was as perfect as it could've been - I haven't really focused on him outside of this movie... I believe he had a lot more to show in future performances though... :(
His role of Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain was pure brilliance! He should have gotten every award imaginable for his part in that movie. The way he created such a real personality was truly amazing. But I have to say, everything was right with Brokeback, the complete cast was brilliant, the scenery, the music, the mood. Truly a masterpiece.
He did a good job as the joker, but I don't think he would have gotten as much praise as he did if he was still alive....So yes, he is overratedDarth-Caedus
That's a strong assumption.What are you basing it on?
[QUOTE="Darth-Caedus"]He did a good job as the joker, but I don't think he would have gotten as much praise as he did if he was still alive....So yes, he is overratedEnigManic
That's a strong assumption.What are you basing it on?
Darth, he was getting praised before he died. So I dont know what you're talking about. :P
The Dark Knight, maybe, but Heath Ledger's role as the Joker? Heck, no. He deserves every bit of praise, and admittingly, there's not much comparison to the other Jokers on the silver or the small screen. Jack Nicholson did a good job as the Joker in Tim Burton's Batman, but Heath Ledger simply made the better Joker.
No I like many of his other movies he acted in and think he did great in movies like Monsters Ball, A Knight's Tale and 10 Things I hate About You, The Brother's Grimm, I'm Not There (Excellent portrayal of Dylan)
[QUOTE="Elraptor"]Yeah, maybe a little. His being dead seems to make some people see him through rose-colored glassses. Still, the Joker was pretty damn cool. Zero5000X
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