There is no doubt in my mind that Heath Ledger was one of the most talented actors in my generation. And I don't personally care about how great Dark Knight performed at the weekend box office [though 155.3 million dollars is no jokiing matter]. And I don't care if some critics deem this Batman somewhat deranged compared to the others. I'm speaking of David Denby's review in the New Yorker which calls the movie sadistic and perverse. Now don't get my wrong, I turned away a few times [and I'm a grown man]. And yeh, I started getting a bit peeved at the number of black folks who were viciously murdered [there were a lot comparatively, but I decided that was a battle unworthy of a fight]. No, I had my eye set on the prize: Heath Ledger.
I'm not going to review Dark Knight [there are enough reviews out there and you know it], but I will tell you Ledger's portrayal of The Joker was raw, real, seductive, frightening, funny and notably the best film acting I've seen in quite some time. I'm obviously a fan of Ledger's work and my need to see his performance during a sold-out 9:45 am showing in downtown Brooklyn among revenge-thirsty, bad-ass-thirsty New Yorkers is a real testament to my admiration.
This is what I must say about Ledger and his canon: he made himself vulnerable to everything he touched. He treated the craft of acting the way one should treat life, urgent and necessary. And in this generation, where rappers easily become actors and a great performance is qualified by one's ability to belt out a song [don't make me name names], it's refreshing, no, REVOLUTIONARY, when a young actor is in the game to act. [Think Don Cheadle, early Isaiah Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor.] I remember Ledger vividly in his portrayal of Billy Bob Thornton's son in Monster's Ball. Again, raw, honest, and willing to "go there". He said Yes to the role of a suicidal man. He said Yes to a scene where he actually commits suicide. And that scene was one of the most heart-wrenching. Then there was Brokeback Mountain, thin storytelling, but again Ledger made himself completely available to awakened homosexuality. Something most A-list actors would never do. And black actors? There's a history of too much moralizing in black Hollywood. Our sect of the industry is too busy trying to out someone and chastise the DL, or just make the cash [actually the cash part is most of Hollywood].
My point is Ledger was an actor's actor. And yes, he tended to play the emotionally-bankrupt, a lot. But hey, it appeared to be a place where he could "do him", and where most people built their quiet allegiances with him. Ledger, in my opinion, was a great actor. The kind of actor who isn't afraid to expose or explore his humanity through his art. He deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of The Joker, posthumously or not.
