Ledger’s Joker remains golden standard for Clown of Crime
October 15, 2019
With Joaquin Phoenix’s unbelievably captivating portrayal of the Joker, it’s easy for recency bias to lean towards his performance as the most compelling rendition of the iconic Batman foe. And although Phoenix completely conquered his twisted take on the villain, it’s still the late Heath Ledger’s legendary portrayal of the Joker that is still the best on-screen depiction of the character that will always resonate with audiences for generations to come.
Though it’s not necessarily fair to compare their individual performances, considering Ledger’s Joker was the main antagonist of a film while Phoenix had an entire film devoted to developing his character, you can’t help but see how these two iconic takes on the character ultimately stack up against each other.
Ledger’s posthumous Oscar-winning performance in “The Dark Knight” set the standard for not only a captivating comic book villain but for all cinematic antagonists to follow. His grueling, psychotic and realistic take made for a compelling mystery throughout the film as he significantly stole every scene he was in. From the film’s initial bank robbery scene to his many maniacal monologues, Ledger kept audiences at the edge of their seats from start to finish as his ambiguous nature offered absolutely zero predictability.
The Dark Knight’s Joker considered himself an “Agent of Chaos” and only wanted to see society burn for the sake of personal pleasure. Ledger’s portrayal wasn’t motivated by money, power or fame, like the typical villain tropes. He was more compelled with manipulating Batman to break his own “no-kill” rule just to psychologically torture the hero and go against his own morals. Ledger’s lack of empathy and passion for monstrosity easily surpasses any other portrayal of the Joker by a longshot.
And although Phoenix’s Joker wasn’t inspired by greed either, he was not nearly as purposefully menacing as Ledger’s Joker. Ledger was a weapon extraordinaire with a menacing mind that kept Batman on his heels. Unlike Phoenix, whose downward descent to madness was more so a consequence of a ruthless society rather than personal hate. The murders, the riots, and the chaos weren’t strategically plotted, the misfortune more so accumulated overtime and led him to accept the Joker as his true identity.
Ledger’s intention for violence along with the mannerisms made for an unforgettable character, that left audiences craving more from the Clown Prince of Crime.
While Phoenix’s character was much darker, creepier and ultimately seen as a savior among his ruthless following, Ledger’s insanity and destructive nature makes for some of the most chilling moments in the superhero movie genre while paying homage to one of the most recognizable pop-culture characters in the world that asks, “Why so serious?”
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