by Tyler Gloe

Created on: February 27, 2010

Portraying a menacing, haunting, and highly intriguing character, Heath Ledger performed a stellar job as The Joker in The Dark Knight. He deserves an Oscar not only because he was an instant hit, but also because, when you look at his acting performance, you will see how masterfully he performed. Although many superhero characters and villains have appeared somewhat bland, as they seem to look the same in many movies, The Joker will be remembered for a very long time for his distinct look and menace.

One aspect that made Heath Ledger's performance more mystical, although it shouldn't effect whether he should deserve an Oscar or not, is the fact that he suddenly passed away after filming The Dark Knight. Since it was his last performance, it makes his character seem even more haunting. When you set this fact aside, you can still say that The Joker is a highly mysterious character. Heath Ledger will be forever known for his mysterious death soon after the filming of an intriguingly dark movie.

The character that he portrayed, The Joker, is like no other villain in previous recollection. He is known for his eerie laugh, his face painted like a clown and a a crude smile suggested in red face paint. He tells the story of how he was younger, and his mother and himself were abused by his father. He had a drinking problem, and that drove him to ask his son, "Why so serious?" and slice a smile in his face. The Joker, as an adult, still had the scars to prove his dark past. Because of the abuse, he is known to torture his victims by performing the same ritual that his father did to his wife and his son.

As you can imagine, The Dark Knight is a gloomy and dark movie. It ventured on grounds that most other superhero films didn't touch on. The Joker is the prime reason that it is such a mysterious movie. Heath Ledger portrayed a character that shocked America. He was the prime reason that The Dark Knight was such an immense box office hit.

Overall, Heath Ledger definitely deserved an Oscar with his stellar performance as The Joker. He was such a dark character. Since he was so different than many other villains, The Joker appealed to many viewers. Not because he was inspirational. Not because many viewers could relate to him. It was because he was such a fresh and menacing character that The Joker was such a hit. In all, Heath Ledger did a wonderful job portraying a mysterious character, and since he was the main reason that The Dark Knight was such a success, he deserves an Oscar.

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