Left With His Sinister Smile (a column)

Hollywood mourned the death of one of its young and talented, 28-year-old Heath Ledger, who died on January 22. But in his wake, his alter ego, the Joker, in next week's The Dark Knight, is emerging center-stage. When focusing on the movie’s central opposing figure as Batman’s nemesis, Ledger may have left the world not only with his final performance, but with a taste of the fictional villain brought to life.

Not having been a fan of comic books or comic book movies, it’s a wonder Ledger decided to take on the role of such a prominent character in the DC universe. With the expected green and purple suit, green hair, bleached skin, leering red-lipped smile, and that maniacal laugh, actually casting a skeptic of the comic medium seemed wrong. The comic book purist in me was definitely skeptical.

In an interview with the late Daniel Robert Epstein, Ledger said he gravitated to the villain and felt he had something to bring to the role. Known for his past performances, Ledger reinterpreted the character as a type of ruthless, psychotic, modern-day punk anarchist, a bit of a twist from the Joker of Alan Moore’s origin-story graphic novel, The Killing Joke, which director Christopher Nolan handed to Ledger for reference. Ledger himself also looked to Sex Pistol’s Sid Vicious and Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange for inspiration.

Looking back through years of comic book history, the character’s development seems typical of Hollywood - an interpretation of who the character is today. And there lies the problem. Would Ledger’s decision to run with the character alienate long-time comic fans? I, for one, did not doubt a strong performance, especially after reading how on set some actors began to fear Ledger’s intensity when in character, but if anything, the messy physical interpretation was not the Joker I knew.

Benn, manager of the New England Comics Brookline branch in Coolidge Corner, hoped Ledger would be able to pull off the character. Benn says, “Though he won’t admit it, the creator of the Joker [from the comic book world] had inspiration [of the character] from The Man Who Laughs. He’s almost the same guy,” referring to Conrad Veidt, the actor with the same smile in the 1928 film adaptation of Victor Hugo’s book.

Benn found The Dark Knight’s physical interpretation of the Joker an overall “neat take.” From movie stills, Ledger’s facial appearance is not at all clown-like and Benn likens the character to the Japanese movie, Ichi the Killer, which is about an insane assassin who cuts the sides of his mouth the same way as Ledger’s Joker (though not self-inflicted). “It’s a macabre way to make the smile bigger,” says Benn. The smeared white face paint is intended to enhance the razor cut smile and make it more sinister, as opposed to Cesar Romero’s 1966 take on the character for the campy TV show. In exchange for the garish purple suit, Ledger dons hints of purple and green that costume designer, Lindy Hemming, created from looking to pop culture, only reinforcing the movie’s approach in making it relatable.

At the Allston NEC branch on Harvard Avenue, manager Michelle was pretty excited about Ledger being cast. “A lot of customers are bummed out [about his death] but want to see the movie more…It’s the fucking Joker… He’s an insane genius. [Ledger’s death] only adds to the folk lore and mystery [that will surround the film],” and only encourage non-comic fans to see it.

She found Jack Nicholson’s performance in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman good but goofy, not reaching that “thin lining of creepy craziness” that Ledger seems to achieve from what she’s read and seen so far. “The movie posters are such a taunting teaser, but behind the [Joker’s] shadow is a presence,” Michelle says. In reference to The Killing Joke, which DC is publishing a hard cover edition in celebration of its twenty-year run, she also thinks that “people familiar with the story and seeing Ledger’s performance will find it a nice nod to [Moore’s] graphic novel.”

Despite my initial reservations, my tune has changed. Following the old adage, you can’t judge a book by its cover, likewise I can’t be too critical of Ledger’s creative license with his character. Although not the Joker I’m familiar with, Ledger’s interpretation may be more accurate to the true villain, and though not here to witness the Joker’s reception, he’s already made quite the impression. And, as Michelle says best, “You can’t have Batman without the Joker.”