Batman Begins

[eddievalient]

I don't know what WB's plans are for the third Bat-film, but I sincerely hope that they write the Joker out of it rather than recasting the part, as a show of respect if nothing else. A friend of mine got agitated last night because he had heard someone speculate that playing the Joker and getting deep into that character drove Ledger over the edge. I can't believe anyone would be so tactless as to even suggest something so patently rediculous. I guess that's the internet for you.

[ShyViolet]

I was stunned as well.

[Josh]

A friend of mine got agitated last night because he had heard someone speculate that playing the Joker and getting deep into that character drove Ledger over the edge. I can't believe anyone would be so tactless as to even suggest something so patently rediculous. I guess that's the internet for you.

The reason some people have that belief is because past articles and interviews regarding Ledger stressed how the role was affecting him. For instance, take this quote from a New York Times piece on the actor, dated last November 4th:

It is a physically and mentally draining role - his Joker is a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy" he said cheerfully - and, as often happens when he throws himself into a part, he is not sleeping much.

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," he said. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." One night he took an Ambien, which failed to work. He took a second one and fell into a stupor, only to wake up an hour later, his mind still racing.

Even as he spoke, Mr. Ledger was hard-pressed to keep still. He got up and poured more coffee. He stepped outside into the courtyard and smoked a cigarette. He shook his hair out from under its hood, put a rubber band around it, took out the rubber band, put on a hat, took off the hat, put the hood back up. He went outside and had another cigarette. Polite and charming, he nonetheless gave off the sense that the last thing he wanted to do was delve deep into himself for public consumption. "It can be a little distressing to have to overintellectualize yourself," is how he put it, a little apologetically.

Meanwhile, Jack Nicholson certainly had an interesting response to Ledger's death, as reported by The Sun.

I'm not suggesting that this speculation is correct. I'm just saying these are two sources that led to talk of the Dark Knight role having a part in Ledger's death.

[ShyViolet]

That's really interesting about Nicholson. As well as the thought of the Joker role putting stress on Heath.


Also, here's a great essay on Ledger: (by Jim Emerson)


(I changed my sig out of respect, BTW)


http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbc ... /542323056

[Ben]

Yeah, I don't think Jack (who looks great, BTW) is making a comment on the Joker role. When he made his comment, I'm thinking that's very much a knee-jerk reaction to the words "overdose". Later, in his statement, he says he warns people about the sleeping pill Ledger took, but there's nothing in Nicholson's statement that implies he's talking about the role they both share.

BTW, people are forgetting that Ledger finished his Batman part way before Christmas (in November I think). Although he could have had remnants of the character sulking around in his psyche, he was well into his next role in the much more flamboyant, comedy fantasy The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, for Terry Gilliam.

Much as the press and everyone might like to think that The Joker "killed him off", this is simply the tragic accident of a young man who couldn't sleep while filming <I>any</I> role and took too much of what was supposed to help him.

[Josh]

Yeah, I don't think Jack (who looks great, BTW) is making a comment on the Joker role. When he made his comment, I'm thinking that's very much a knee-jerk reaction to the words "overdose". Later, in his statement, he says he warns people about the sleeping pill Ledger took, but there's nothing in Nicholson's statement that implies he's talking about the role they both share.

I agree with you. The Sun article seems to clear up Nicholson's response to Ledger's death. It's when Nicholson's words are used differently, such as how IMDB summarized them in a news brief, that has led to the Dark Knight speculation.

[Foxtale]

That really sucks. I hope it was accidential.

Btw, don't always believe everything you read. The article in the times changed today to say that the apt. he died in was not an Olsen twin apt. The Times said they made a mistake in the article because the police originally made a mistake.

[Once Upon A Dream]

Wait,if he died,how they can complete the film?.

[Ben]

What film?

The Dark Knight or Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus??


The Dark Knight finished shooting in November (didn't I already say that? Oh yeah, I did), while the future of Dr Parnassus looks uncertain.

So TDK wouldn't have needed much input from Ledger apart from some possible dialogue replacement, which might have been done already, or could be completed by a voice double. But seeing as it's in post-production now it looks like it's just effects work going on at the moment. The film, to all intents and purposes, is done...

Gilliam's film is an entirely different matter - they still had more than half left to shoot...

[Ben]

Once, I have deleted the insensitive post you replied to mine above.

First, I can't believe that you're unaware that a movie shoots about a year before they come out and it was well documented that The Dark Knight had completed filming. We were even talking here about Ledger's next project that he was in the process of making.

Don't you even read what other people post here?

Secondly, to make a joke about him not being at the premiere (correct spelling) was just crass, obvious, and unneeded.

[Once Upon A Dream]

About the film-no,i thought they might problems release it if he died.
Sorry about what i said about the premiere,sometimes i don't noticed what i write.
It's sad that he died,does the film will be dedicated to him? (isn't that what they do when somebody who worked on a film died while making it?).

[Josh]

Take a look at the Dark Knight website (Click the logo): http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/.

There's also a touching addition to the Why So Serious site.

[Once Upon A Dream]

The sites are nice .

[Randall]

Word on how Heath's death is affecting production of Gilliam's movie:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columb ... elled.html

[eddievalient]

Poor Terry Gilliam. First the troubles with Don Quixote and now this. Not to make light of what happened, but Terry Gilliam has to be the unluckiest director in the world. Seriously, is it just me or does disaster seem to follow him around?