Does Heath Ledger have an Oscar I.O.U. for 'The Dark Knight'?
Let's forget for just a moment about all of the hallelujah reviews surrounding Heath Ledger's performance in "The Dark Knight." Can Heath Ledger win an Oscar just because he's holding an I.O.U.?
Many stars win an Academy Award because they're overdue. No one — not even Paul Newman — thinks that Newman gave the best performance of his career in the movie that earned him academy gold: "The Color of Money." But he won merely because voters felt guilty that they had stiffed him in seven previous nominations. Same thing for Al Pacino. What a pity that voters finally caved in and gave him an Oscar for his cornball attempt to pretend he's blind in "Scent of a Woman."
Considering that Heath Ledger didn't finish shooting his role in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," "The Dark Knight" is probably the last chance Oscar voters will get to catch up with the actor, whom they stiffed in 2005. The New York Film Critics Circle got it right when it gave its best-actor laurels to Ledger for "Brokeback Mountain." Everybody else heaped overblown kudos that year upon Philip Seymour Hoffman for a lousy, historically dishonest portrayal of Truman Capote. As everyone knows, Capote was a flamboyant firecracker, not the quiet, mousy doormat Hoffman gave us while trying too hard to portray a clichéd, angst-haunted artiste. But "Capote" had snooty, art-house pretense, so it swept the awards scene. Lucky for Hoffman, that movie came out a few months before the much better, more accurate "Infamous," which spotlighted the same period in the novelist's life with a luminous, perfect-pitch performance by Toby Jones that reminds us how awful Hoffman was.
But I digress. Back to Heath Ledger, who clearly should've beaten Hoffman. He never got recognized at all for his many other socko roles in "Candy," "I'm Not There," "The Patriot," "Ned Kelly," "Two Hands," "Cassanova."
Now Ledger really deserves it, if we believe the New York Times' review of his Joker in "The Dark Knight": " He’s just a clown in black velvet, but he’s also some kind of masterpiece."
"This is a career-making performance if ever there was one," says USA Today about Ledger in "The Dark Knight." "Too bad it was a career-ending one as well."
"Not since Hannibal Lecter has a villain been so terrifying, so engaging and so memorable," says E! Online. If that's an apt analogy, then it's good kudos news for Ledger considering Anthony Hopkins won best actor. But is that the category Ledger should compete in — or should he go supporting? Read more about that great debate — CLICK HERE.
Or is Ledger doomed not to win an Oscar because he's dead? Only one star has won an Oscar from the grave — KEEP READING, CLICK HERE.
(Warner Bros.)
i just saw the dark knight and i was completely captivated by the joker, that wasnt heath ledger it was the joker. when you can transform yourself into an insane anarchist like the joker and bring truth to a role where you feel like you want to know someone who is out of their mind it's wild. i think that heath deserves an oscar because its not for sympathy but for the honor of his craft and if you ask me its long over due
Posted by: jchaos | July 20, 2008 at 08:50 PM
Aaron Eckhart and Gary Oldman's portrayals of their characters were just as good AND better than anything Heath Ledger did in this movie. That's not to say Ledger isn't a great actor in general, but all things considered, if he secures a nomination and/or win over Eckhart and Oldman, it's due to posthumous sympathies.
Posted by: vesso | July 20, 2008 at 08:26 PM
I would like to add one more thing to my earlier statement........ Although in my opinion the Joker was by far the best part of the movie and my absolutely favorite character, I would like to state that I thought the entire cast did a really good job and they worked just as hard as anybody else in creating & portraying their characters a certain way. Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhal, Eric Roberts, Michael Jae White & Aaron Eckhart all did a great job and just didn't want to forget them. The entire movie was a hit!!!
Posted by: Slim Shady from New York | July 20, 2008 at 07:17 PM
Heath stole the entire movie, he was by far the most memorable villian in cinematic history. His past performances in The Patriot, and even 10 things I hate about you have been worthy of recognition, He is one of the best actors of our time, and denying his memory an oscar for this performance would be the stupidest decision that the people could ever make. Heath stole the movie, he was brilliant.
Posted by: JJ | July 20, 2008 at 06:28 PM
Screw Heath, he has died. His lifestyle contributed to his demise.
Posted by: MlM | July 20, 2008 at 06:14 PM
Heath Ledger was brilliant as the joker, I sincererely hope that he wins an oscar for his performance not because of his death but because of how well he portrayed the Joker. Everyone in the Dark Knight was remarkable though, Aaron Eckhart was insane as harvey "2-face" dent and I hope he gets a nomination aswell. But Heath should win it for sure in my books.
Posted by: az | July 20, 2008 at 04:26 PM
What those that are looking at Heath for his personal issue's (which is repeatedly stated on this and other comment blogs) rather than the dynamic performance delivered in The Dark Night, (which is a complete understatement!) fail to realize is that to applaud what he has achieved in his acting profession is not elevating him for recognition of his demons, or drug addiction.
When you place the focus on such, it is not Heath whom is asking for you to recall his weaknesses in his life choices and say they were great, it is the people whom do such that are recalling to the public such. This is not about what Heath chose in life - it is about his achievement and his phenomenal deliverance of The Joker, which IS Oscar worthy!!!
His death is not and should not be the center of discussion, it is the life he brought to his work and that he left behind for us to see and say, 'there was a great actor'.
It was his ability to envision the character he had been asked to play and deliver to us a performance that far exceeds what we could have anticipated in our minds for that character to be. Heath became the Joker, he lost us in the madness of the Joker and you forgot that it was Heath Ledger.
It is for such an incredible ability that he should be nominated. He possessed a talent far above what I felt he even realized.
He was a person that only those closest to him knew. Judge him not for his weaknesses, he was not a lot of what is evil in this world. He suffered from what we will know not, nor do we have a right to know or presume to know.
Keep in mind (those of you whom judge him), abusers come in the form of physicians, lawyers, teachers, moms and dad's...and for some - you. The one difference for them/you as opposed to Heath Ledger is the absence of the spotlight to illuminate their destruction.
Heath Ledger was human. He had compassion and love for people and things.
Matilda can be and I am certain will be proud of her dad!
Posted by: ALS | July 20, 2008 at 03:13 PM
I apologize as well, I did not see your retraction....this comment section is laid out pretty sloppily.
Posted by: Jeff F from Illinois | July 20, 2008 at 03:09 PM
to "kyra", I never stated in my comment that I was glad that Heath Ledger was dead, I never typed anything of the sort...what I am trying to do is celebrate his life that we got to see, on the screen. If you feel it necessary to flame me for not saying anything derogatory, then so be it...I can't stop you, but did you know Heath personally? Did you go to his house and hang out with him on a daily basis? I know I didn't...so instead of mourning the passing of someone you didn't even know...or someone you thought you knew, rejoice in his ability to captivate us, enthrall us and make us laugh...even though he is not here anymore. I saw the movie twice and loved every minute of it. I just hope that everyone else can celebrate the life Heath Ledger allowed us to see, even if it was a facade, put on for all to see. Hopefully I didn't offend anyone else with my small-town, backwater mentality and my snooty and pretentious views and close-minded comments.
Posted by: Jeff F from Illinois | July 20, 2008 at 02:48 PM
I personally didn't know much about Heath Ledger until all the media made his death a feeding frenzy. However, I went to see the Black Knight last night with an open mind and tried not to judge his performance based on his death. He seriously was FANTASTIC in this role. I haven't seen any of the other roles he has played in, but now of course will rent them to compare. Do I feel that maybe he is getting a lot of media attention because of this role and his death, maybe. Do I feel that he would only be nominated for an Oscar because of his death, I don't think so. He truly is deserving of it, dead or alive. He did a wonderful job and it is just so sad that he is not around to see how great it came out. He worked so hard on this role from what I have heard and will never get to see what came of it. His family and friends should all be proud. Especially his little girl. I really could care less that he took some prescription drugs and had an overdose. That means nothing to me. I do not judge based on that. We all have our issues and nobody is perfect. All I know is he was really really great at this role. He was crazy, yet funny, scary, yet inviting all at once. I really wish he was around to make more movies because I truly enjoyed his performance! If he doesn't get nominated for an Oscar, oh well, he still did an awesome job in my eyes!!
Posted by: Slim Shady | July 20, 2008 at 02:27 PM
well personally i love heath ledger... i loved the guy since 10 things i hat about you... and he was a fantastic actor... ive seen most of his films and always liked him... brokeback mountain was blunt but true that film was to sho everyone wats happening now.... i saw the dark knight twice... and both times that i saw it i loved it more... ledger relly captured the character and really became joker... honestly with or without the loss of ledger the movie would still be a great hit.... for his last performance id say it was his best..
Posted by: wendy | July 20, 2008 at 02:22 PM
I've made a mistake! when I said "Jeff F" I didnt realize his comment was actually what I thought 'Scott L" had said.. as with "dani"... I meant "Agent Lemon"
Sorry! The arrangement was a bit confusing for me I suppose..
Posted by: kyra | July 20, 2008 at 01:54 PM
I was trying to watch the DARK KNIGHT from an unbiased perspective. I know people are still mourning his death and I didn't want to get distracted by that in the movie. It has been speculated that people still feel terribly sad over his death and want to do something extraordinary to celebrate his life. After watching the movie, I can honestly say that Ledger is more than deserving of Oscar credit for his performance. Especially since most movies that win are ones I've never heard of. To be fair though, Aaron Eckhart was EQUALLY impressive in my opinion. They are both fine actors and I kinda hope both of them get acknowledged.
Posted by: Elizabeth | July 20, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Scott L., you're an idiot who is perpetuating slander and misinformation about Ledger. You clearly glean your "facts" from tabloid trash media, so your opinion here means nothing.
Posted by: JPJ | July 20, 2008 at 11:38 AM
I sincerely hope not. Much of the hype surrounding Heath Ledger's role is centered around his death.
Posted by: Max | July 20, 2008 at 11:28 AM
I agree that he should have won for Brokeback Mountain, but this was an amazing performance as well. As far as his personal problems, and unfortunate demise, I doubt this would be the first (or the last) time someone with a substance abuse problem won an Oscar.
Posted by: Tex | July 20, 2008 at 11:24 AM
I agree with you Tom and congratulate you for having the guts to bring up the Capote/Hoffman Oscar question. I, too, agreed with the The New York Film Critics Circle when it gave its best-actor laurels to Heath Ledger for his transcendent portrayal of Ennis del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain” and I feel that his performance would also have deserved the Oscar for Best Actor. Of course, as your article indicates, with these awards, “timing is everything”. I saw both “Capote” and “Infamous”, and as you mention in your text, Hoffman’s performance pales in comparison with Toby Jones’ – and this has been acknowledged in numerous reviews and articles. Hoffman is a very competent actor, but had the release dates of these two films been reversed, he probably wouldn’t have been noticed, but in the end, he was lucky that his film came out first. (Did Toby Jones get any significant recognition for his superior performance afterwards?) I think that, for most people who have seen both films, it made them realize that the Academy gave the Oscar to a good actor, but ultimately made the wrong choice that year (and, as we all remember, this was not the least scandalous & shameful blunder that year!!).
As for Heath Ledger, despite not winning the Oscar, his profound & subtle performance in “Brokeback Mountain” was a revelation; it has since been quoted numerous times by the media & by several of his peers, and has become a reference. The same phenomenon is occurring right now with his Joker, and the buzz started long before his death. After his breakthrough performance in “Brokeback Mountain”, Heath Ledger established himself as a serious and very versatile actor. He was also excellent in “Candy”. The fact that he passed away last January is not that important in the equation, his performance in The Dark Knight would not have gone unnoticed no matter what. If he wins awards, maybe the I.O.U. factor might play a bit (it often does, as you demonstrated), but all the accolades will nonetheless be truly deserved.
Posted by: Daniel | July 20, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Speaking of pretentious and snooty, I cannot believe some of these comments. The posts from both "dani" and "Jeff F" are one-sided arguments coming from what appear to be sheltered and selfish minds. Having someone in my life, in fact the main and closest person in my life, who is an opiate addict and has stuggled with drug abuse for many, many years, gives somewhat of an insight into the diesese. Not to mention the fact that I, too, have and always will struggle with drug and alcohol problems. If you were to know a drug addict, then you would know that help cannot be given if it does not want to be taken. Saying that Ledger does not deserve an Oscar because of personal problems that he may have had is infuriating. If he truly was a suffering drug addict, then it is not something that should be used against him. In all likely hood his struggles bring more to his performances, as that is something an actor draws upon in their work. Honouring a very deserving actor is certainly not celebrating drug addiction, they are too separate fields, perhaps not mentally for Heath, but for the rest of the world because what it is about for us is his art. He deserves an Oscar because of his outstanding talent, not his drug problems you fool. In fact it is a far more advocating message against drug abuse seeing how it was what brought him down and cut his life short when he had so much to give. The message given is to honour the man, not the habit. One who cannot see that should perhaps take a deeper look into what it is to be human, and what it means to struggle with our demons. As for this Jeff F character, his comment is laughable. Im sorry you do not find the untimely loss of a great artist to be less than important to audiences and comsumers. But I for one believe that yes, it would be a big deal even if Heath was still alive, and that is simply because of an outstanding performance, as Scott L said, that "took the molds made so long ago by Cesar Romero and Jack Nickolsen, broke them, smashed them, picked up the pieces and then built them into something fantastic." Heath would have only gotten better with age, he will be missed.
Posted by: kyra | July 20, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Kudos to Ledger, but do not for a moment slam, hammer or flame Pacino for receiving any award in his illustrious career! This man is an artistic genious and the entertainment world will be lost without him once he's gone!!!
DO NOT compare Al Pacino with anyone in the business these days...regardless of whether or not they succumbed to an overdose or not!
Heath Ledger was a great performer, but you have no right to flame Pacino by stating that his "cornball attempt" had anything to do with his acting virtuosity!!!
Shame on you for saying as much. It's obvious you know nothing of great cinematic performances that have transpired over the last 20 years...let alone the last 12 months!
Give yer head a shake buddy! Next thing you'll tell us is that Clint Eastwood is playing second fiddle to that Spears chick!!!!!!!!!!
How old are you anyway? Obviously, still young enough to recall soiling your pants in the 90's when the rest of us were enjoying some great performances....geeezus christ...how disgusting!
Get a job!...a real job! Start out by flipping burgers and renting some classic movies.
Most notably...Glen Gary Glen Ross...Al has a few choice lines in it for ya!
Thanks
Kim
Posted by: Kim | July 20, 2008 at 11:20 AM
These days the "A list" actors often do nothing more than play caricatures of themselves. Nicholson is exaggerated Nicholson, Pacino is exaggerated Pacino.
With Brokeback and now the Dark Night, Ledger transformed himself into something totally different and believable. He was a great actor on the order of Johnny Depp, not lazily playing himself like a lot of other actors do these days.
Who cares if he was a drug addict -- who hasn't ever been one in Hollywood, anyway. He's getting the praise for his great work, not supposed morality.
Posted by: Johnny | July 20, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Screw Oscars... Heath Ledger got the fans appraisal.. Thats all that matters... who cares if the "oh so well acclaimed critics of the Academy" doesn't give him an oscar! makes no difference... That guy deserves more than an oscar, if you ask me!! He was a masterpiece!
Posted by: Sindy | July 20, 2008 at 10:46 AM
Heath Ledger played the role of the Joker beyond all expectations and deserves an Oscar for sure.
Too bad the rest of the movie sucked.
Posted by: Robs | July 20, 2008 at 10:45 AM
You didnt happen to notice any irony in using these two phrases did you:
"snooty, art-house pretense,"
and
"But I digress" ?
Theres no higher degree of pretense than using the phrase "But I digress" in written form. Think about it.
Posted by: JohnDoe | July 20, 2008 at 10:30 AM
I think Heath Ledger deserves an Oscar for his hard performance.To me he didnt seem like Heath Ledger ,he acted like a real thrill killer,or Joker.His acting was SUPERB!If i was to give him a score from 1-5 he would earn a 5 to me.
Posted by: dani | July 20, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Why would you celebrate a drug addict? His performance was mesmerizing but at the end of the day, behind the scenes, he was a prescription junkie. Period. End of story. End of Oscar. The message Oscars will send will be "Hey, if you abuse drugs, we may just give you an Oscar too!" Why did no one on the set of Batman counsel Ledger? Why did everyone seem to ignore his addiction? Was it a dirt secret? Someone had to know. Someone should have intervened before it was too late. Great performance, Oscar worthy had he not been a junkie.
Posted by: Scott L | July 20, 2008 at 09:39 AM