by Kate Rosenberger

Created on: August 05, 2008

Move aside Romero and Nicholson. The Joker himself said it best in The Dark Knight, "You've changed things forever. There's no going back." Whether or not he deserves an Oscar can be debated but one thing is certain: to millions of lifelong Batman fans, Ledger has become definitive Joker. He manages to capture perfectly the sociopathic personality of the original comic book Joker. He is chilling and disturbing with just enough comedy that we can't help but like him just a little.

We'll never know for sure what role Ledger's untimely death has played in the buzz surrounding The Dark Knight. It is entirely possible that there wouldn't be this much hype had it not been for his death. It has a sparked a morbid curiosity in the movie and all things Heath Ledger that would be absent had he not died.

There is no question that Ledger's death has contributed to the success of The Dark Knight. It received a shameful amount of free press and drew an audience of mourners who otherwise may have waited for the DVD. Part of the tragedy is that his death, while helping the movie, may have also hurt his own chances for an Oscar. It has cast a suspicion that an Oscar win would be attributable only to his death and not his performance.

Those who have seen the movie can attest that this is not the case. There can be no doubt that is performance merits an Oscar nomination at the very least. While watching the movie it is easy to forget that he is a supporting actor. The Dark Knight who? From the moment he appears on screen The Joker steals the show. Not an easy task with a cast including Hollywood veterans Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman.

Maybe there is a kernel of truth to the notion that people are calling for an Oscar because this is likely Ledger's last chance. His role as The Joker was his last complete performance. His death came while he was in the middle of shooting The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Ledger does appear in the final version of the movie but three other actors filled in the gaps. While Ledger's Dark Knight costars support a nomination, the odds aren't in his favor. No actor has won an Oscar posthumously since 1976. In fact five actors in recent history have lost when nominated posthumously.

To those who are unsure if his performance merits as Oscar I can only give one piece of advice: go see the movie. It is well worth the time and money. The movie rampages along at a breakneck pace interspersed with the odd explosion and plot twist. I guarantee you will be on the edge of your seat half dreading and half hoping for The Joker's next appearance.

Learn more about this author, Kate Rosenberger.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.