We gotta be clear about a couple things: Heath talked to actors on set. Gambol's actor (Michael Jai White, a real life ninja) emphatically stated that Heath was joking around between takes. The other thing is that Heath didn't die because of this role, but because of a lethal mix of medications that he was prescribed legally.
Your videos are proof that positive reviews are more entertaining than curse ridden click bait negative ones. Never stop being you. You are as artful and possibly more articulate than the artists you discuss the works of.
It's kind of hilarious that you'd even suggest that the writer, editor and narrator of a well-crafted 16-minute video essay is in any way comparable to the writer and director of a complex, nuanced and brilliant film. I'm not bashing Mikey at all, I think his videos are some of the best of their kind, but with your logic a well-made and satisfying turkey sandwich is equal to one of the greatest meals ever prepared, in all of history. Try coming off that end-of-the-video high and gaining some perspective.
Wholeheartedly agree that Heath did the best acting in cinematic history. Aaron Eckhart told a funny story on Larry King about acting with Heath. He recalls the famous hospital scene in which Heath who always stayed in character on set wandered around acting like the Joker and never conversated with Eckhart. Then at the end of the day when the scene was done, Heath and Eckhart would walk up to their trailers, Heath then put his hand on Eckharts shoulder and said "That's what acting's all about." Rest in peace Heath Ledger.
At first I thought your declaration at the end about Heath Ledgers performance being the GOAT was absurd but I'm struggling to come up with something that tops it. Pretty crazy. Imma think on that some more. Great work as usual.
Agreed. There are many examples where an actor is able to disappear so completely into a role as to leave only the character behind (one example that immediately comes to mind for me is the fact that it was classic english actor Bill Nighy behind everything that was good about Davy Jones in Pirates 2 &3), but the impact the performance has is the other side of this equation. So while I think there have been many other performances that match, or potentially exceed Ledger's "disappearance" into his character, I cannot come up with a time where the _impact_ of the performance surpasses his effort here. A rare talent lost far too soon.
the only other performance that comes to mind that has stuck with me [ and other people as soon as I mention it ]; is Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday - and it's not even close.
@@andrewhazlewood4569 Oh wow good choice! I was floored by Leo in Gilbert Grape. Haven't watched that in a while. But as far as i remember, he was really one sided. The joker has huge depth and realism, and Arnie was just "retarded". I will say though, that Arnies reaction to" the thing with the thing" (no spoilers) was amazing. He knocked that scene out of the park! Maybe it hits more with the joker, since we know the character. No one knew Arnie, but everyone knows Mr.J. Perhaps it makes it easier to know what to expect?
Complete agreement re: Heath Ledger's performance. I've never once, in my life, seen another performance that has stuck with me the way that one has. Just pure, phenomenal brilliance. Think about what a talent like that could have accomplished over a full career. What an utterly tragic loss, to say nothing of how it affected his family and those close to him. :(
@@mitchlacasse361 Yup totally agree. I just watched 10 Things for the first time a few weeks ago, and his performance was what drove this movie. His male vibrato and charm as Patrick is, imo, unmatched by any other rom com performance (not the movie as a whole, of course). Prior to that, I'd only seen Heath in A Knight's Tale and as a supporting role in The Patriot b/f hearing he got cast as the Joker. Of course I thought, "NOOOO! Why him?! How do you even beat Jack?? They're gonna ruin the best Batman movie yet!" just like everyone else. If I had seen his performance in 10 Things, I would have thought differently / been much more confident in Heath. But honestly, I like the fact that I had such low expectations bc it made his performance even more surprising than it already was just on its own.
NotAnUndercoverCop it was breathtaking and this movie made me love movies again and I was so hopeful that we were going to have great movies again...then TDKR kinda ruined that
jblue1622, what? The Dark Knight Rises was a very good movie. And we've had many great movies before The Dark Knight and many after that film came out.
The Force Awakens review lit the fuse, but this one was the sky it brilliantly illuminated. This guy and his channel is without a doubt the best thing on youtube, and his examination of Heath Ledger's performance choked me up. Not just because it mirrored my own thoughts precisely, but because it reminded me that a genuine artist and gentle soul was taken from us so prematurely. Yeah, you know I just didn't get something in my eye... shut up...
I think the *only* performance I've ever seen that reaches Ledger's performance as The Joker in this film is Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer in Fire Walk With Me. And she never got an award for her work in that film. That movie transcends her - in my mind, at least - into being *THE* singular most tragic character in all of American media. She sells every second of every scene, it's bone-chilling.
This video is incredible! So so funny, inspiring and informative! I just came here to watch one video, and I think i'm going to watch all the videos I can til the morning
One thing I would like to say is that the hospital scene was supposed to go like that, all explosions went off as planned and the jokers reaction was scripted. The whole "it wasent supposed to be like that" is a myth that keeps getting told
I never thought of "the Dark Knight" referencing the Joker before, and I think it's because we are always reminded that it's a Batman movie. I love your essays and this needs to be one if my favorite so far. Nice work, Mikey!
That was amazing sir. I can't wait to see your take on GBH. I'd be interested to see what you think of the Star Wars films too...but not episode 7. You did that one. Do the others.....or don't. Maybe.
A couple of corrections, if I may. Heath licked the edges of his lips to help keep the prosthetic scars adhered to the corners of his mouth, and the "botched" hospital scene was actually meticulously planned out with the pause in the explosions, where the joker fumbles around with the detonator, for safety reasons, the proof is on the dark knight blu-ray features where Christopher Nolan explains as such while showing a complete computer rendering of that scene, that was used to plan out the scene, which shows that the explosions weren't botched. With all that aside, I agree with everything else you said about the film and heath ledger. The dark night is a masterpiece of cinema, and heath's portrayal of the joker is perfection.
Mikey dude, that was effing awesome! Thank you so much! What a ride. No complaints about the message either, the level of the Ledger-Joker will most probably never be reached again.
No other Joker has made any sense to me ever. Not even my own imaginative Joker when reading the comics. Ledger defined that character up to a standard that I never thought was possible.
I know this is an old video but it's a common misconception that the hospital explosion scene was improvised, it was not. There is mock-up CG footage of the scene showing that the scene went exactly as planned. However the scene was supposed to be longer having almost a full minute of just staring at the Joker as he rides away in the bus, staring into the middle distance
This movie is everything and I love it to bits and all that but the pause in the hospital explosion wasn’t an accident. It was in the script, the storyboards and the animatics. Again, this is the greatest film of all time and your show is amazing and I love it.
Sorry i'm sure you heard this plenty of times but at 14:37 it wasn't a botched shot, it was an intentionally staged delayed explosion Ledger's RESPONSE was 100% natural, yes but the explosion was intentional I still love you
@@TheOriginal_Unaleska in behind the scenes it was said that everything that happened was in script. There were multiple rehearsal of this scene and there wasn't anything unintentional happening.
Extra Credits sent me here. This series is amazing. I'm stunned by how the sheer production quality mixed with the beautiful analysis of these films manages to create such a moving narrative. Mikey, you have a made masterpieces by looking at masterpieces. Wow, simple wow.
Awesome video! Completely loved how you changed completely the point of view of the movie into something really believable and interesting. I also loved the background you used; totally screenshoted the title! :D
Live action Joker? Absolutely. That’s Heath Ledger’s role from now til the end of time. But I sincerely believe Mark Hamill deserves just as much credit, if not more, for all of his work voicing the Joker. He’s not only been doing it for decades at this point, but he’s done a fantastic job of it, too. You never see the man himself in any of his portrayals of the Joker, but none of them would be anywhere near as good without his voice to bring the character to life.
I don't often comment on TH-cam but your video genuinely made me tear up because I loved Ledger as the Joker. I like how you showed the many facets of corruption within the movie and also how you highlighted Ledger's performance. It sounds weird but Ledger truly ACTS. He uses micro-expressions very consciously and every movement conveys so many things. For example, his eyes. They dart around and he often looks upward, while the rest of the cast looks, as many actors do, straight ahead, focused on a point, got get a clean shot. It may not seem important to others but I noticed it and it's the small things that make a performance extraordinary. And it still fucking hurts that he died, so watching this video was a rollercoaster of emotions.
This is the only argument that has made me want to see The Dark Knight. People talked about the cinematography, the dialogue, the "hit me for real", and Ledger's suicide, but nobody articulated it in a way that made me interested in a Batman movie again. Too many misses, not enough hits. This, on the other hand - I'd never thought of this movie as turning the whole superhero genre on its head, making the easily-assumed hero a criminal down to his morals and the "villain" the one actually fighting for the good of the city. Seeing more depth talk about Ledger's actual performance also helps (the diction thing, for example, matters a ton - character voices need to be consistent and if he stuck with that it would be huge) and now I understand how much of himself he really did put into the role. I tend to avoid movies that I see as over-hyped without the hype having compelling arguments. I didn't see "the actor killed himself" as a compelling argument (especially when phrased as "the actor died so now you have to watch it out of respect", when I'd never really taken notice of Heath Ledger's performances before) but you've shown me that I am probably missing out on a real cinematic and philosophical masterpiece. Thanks, Mikey.
If literally everyone has this movie in their top 10s and that many people tell you to see it did you really think this Batman movie would be a miss. Not to mention. As was said in the video it's the only comic book movie to ever get a main category oscar
Cool video. Fun fact about the hospital explosion scene: It actually continues with Joker getting on a bus and driving off not glimpsing once at the building next to him that they ACTUALLY BLEW UP FOR REAL (it was scheduled to be taken down anyway), knowing this was the only take they have. Full length version was cut though.
One of my favorite movies, I’ve always defended Heath Ledger’s performance as being amazing and the most accurate to the comic books. He truly threw himself into the character. Great job Mikey awesome episode. Your videos always inspire me, i was wondering if you could do the new Mission Impossible: Fallout, I work at a movie theatre and we had an employee only showing before it came out and it was honestly amazing, if you could do it that would be awesome. The directors of photography and sound must have had a really fun time working on the movie. Thank you Mikey.
I've been waiting for this episode since I first watched the Turtles video that launched your show and it didn't disappoint. Thank you so much for this!
A lot of people have been saying that 2016 is one GARBAGE FIRE of a year... but I found this channel in 2016, so I'mma say it ain't too bad. Keep doin' what you doin', Mikey.
I really like your reviews in general, and this review specifically. My only quibble, the exploding hospital scene being a botched take, is a myth, and wrong. It was storyboarded exactly as it played out on screen, they used real buildings, and only had one chance to do it, and they executed it one hundred percent as they intended to. I don't take anything away from Heath Ledger's performance, but that was not an actor maintaining character in a glorious bit of improvisation, it was an actor inhabiting his character, and playing it exactly as planned. There is a difference.
TDK is a film that should be shown in film school. It is a cinematic masterpiece that I have now watched over 20+ times and STILL get excited to watch it again. The interrogation scene alone is one of the, if not THE greatest scene ever filmed. The contrast between Batman and The Joker during the scene and the camera angles...I could go on and on about this film! Speaking of Ledger's performance, I couldn't agree more that it is the greatest performance in film history. I have yet to get as excited about a character entering a room (like when Heath Ledger enters the lion's den with that laugh of his which is so creepy and awesome), as I do whenever Heath is on camera. He will be missed...RIP
[m] He tried to sway the voting over Twitter on the last episode in favor of The Departed. It almost worked. He brought in a HUGE number of voters. And then I decided never to do that video, so it was worth acknowledging.
I have never re watched a video more than this on youtube, it's my go to whenever I'm up past 1am....your mind truly is magic and it shows in all of your episodes. I hope you continue to amaze and stand out amongst all the billions of channels that try to accomplish what you definitely do :)
Still I dont think we got to see all of Letos performance, after re-shoots and terrible editing, we all know he was never gonna be Ledger but I still think it could have amounted to something with less studio interference. Looking at the only scene he has in the film that feels complete - the scene where he starts to intimidate the Security Guard tells me he at least had alittle something. Nothing will ever be Ledger - i just wish we had a chance to see what he was really made of - clearly he wasnt happy with how they messed up his character in the film - he literally said fuck'em. Its a real shame.
Same Opinion. Heath's Performance was pure gold, not much compares. It was truly beautiful and as tragic as this may sound, it was a once in a lifetime performance that probably could never have been topped if Heath Ledger were still alive. Nolan captured lightening.
goddammit mikey i just got introduced to your channel through the monster factory review (big ol mcelroy fan) and now i have watched your entire channel and have a huge set of movies i absolutely gotta rewatch because your take on them is so good. thanks so much for the videos!
Glad to find you, Mikey! In a world where giving a video more than 2 minutes of your time is a "chore", I didn't even notice the 16 minutes had passed 'til they were done. Excellent video! Very subscribed, very subscribed!
There is not a single viewing of this film that does not absolutely beat me over the head with this exact point: "Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is the single greatest on screen performance ever" Heath literally disappears into this role in a way I have never seen any actor do(well others have accomplished this feat but not to this level). It is staggering to revisit this film because you can't help but feel a sense of loss that never again will we be able to watch something so great and yet poetically that makes this performance that much more important.
I think this is a direction a fair number of films are going to take from now on, because of Dark Knight, and more recently, because of Infinity War. Have our bad guy be our protagonist. Hell you can look at it from a purely character development standpoint. We've already developed our heroes (in Avengers case, a lot for characters like Tony and Cap), why NOT spend much of the runtime of the movie developing your villain into someone whose story you care about? Even if you end up hoping they die a horrible death. *Especially* to make you hope they die a horrible death.
The thing I love about the interrogation scene is that despite being the captive, Joker has all the power and control. Both actors are amazing in that scene.
I literally talked about this movie tonight and lo, I found your video about it when I got on TH-cam. This is a perfect encapsulation about why I love it.
Again, a very insightful analysis. You deserve soooo many more subs. So I posted this on Reddit. I got 650 subs off one video on there. You will definitely get more than I did. I wish I could get my videos as smooth as yours. Fucking amazing.
Underrated line in this video essay. "the film begins with our title character." Mikey, great line man. It honestly wouldn't shock me if Nolan intended that with the title. Either way, that is some great analysis and I respect the hell out of it.
watch to the end buddy, this came out on Dec 14, Grand Budapest was his NEXT video and came out like the 31st December or something. I made the comment when This video came out :)
Great video as always, Mikey! I did a paper back in college regarding Batman being a bourgeois symbol of the status quo and during my research I came across an article talking about how The Joker is often cast as a chaotic element that's built on upper-class fears of the lower class. This article was from the early 90s and was talking about Burton's Batman, though, so it's nice to see someone take on the similar ideas represented in TDK. Especially since, as you laid out in your video, TDK does a more effective job of really challenging Batman's usefulness.
14:12 actually, the reason for the lip thing is it helped keep the prosthetic on. Though Heath did take it and turn it into a character trait, which is still freaking awesome!
Word is that there are a lot more scenes that were shot with Leto's Joker and never used in the final cut. I'd be interested to see if he comes out better in an edit that includes more screen time, but that might involve watching Suicide Squad again, and fuck that.
Holy Hell are you good ! Was sent here by Extra Credits and oh boy they didn't exaggerated how awesome you are. Will watch everything you have for now. Gimme a few minutes.
Ledger in The Dark Knight is the best "big acting" performance in recent years, and Casey Affleck in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is the best "small acting". In my opinion, this is scientifically proven
Great episode. Good to see your subs picking up slowly. Extremely good points about Ledger's performance. I'd maybe put up Brando's performance in On The Waterfront (1954), Turturro in Barton Fink (1991) or Nishijima in Love Exposure (2008), but fuck if I'd be able to prove it so thoroughly.
For most of my life, I preferred Mark Hamill's Joker mainly because that's what I grew up with. The iconic laugh echoes through my head and I will always cherish the memories of watching Batman TAS or playing the Arkham games. After watching this insightful commentary, however, it's changed my whole worldview. Not only am I looking at a movie I've seen dozens of times in a new light, but now I want to watch other beloved movies with this mindset. Thank you, FilmJoy for existing. Also, CinemaWins sent me. You have another subscriber.
I'm genuinely angry at myself for not seeing this subtext before now, because it makes a ton of sense and it adds to my enjoyment of an already excellent film. So thanks for that, Mikey. And I have to say, this is the most respectful analysis of Ledger's performance I've seen anywhere. So many people seem obsessed with how he was "absorbed" by the pathos of taking on the role of the Joker, it's nice to see a retrospective that actually takes that performance and highlights the best parts of it, rather than devolving into macabre navel gazing about whether or not the role contributed to the tragedy of Ledger's death. Now I'm honestly disappointed we never got to see what he would've done after The Dark Knight.
I think it's a bit pointless to break down Batman's brand of justice as "not conventional" or "breaking the law". He's a vigilante. Everything he does skirts the legal system.
Abysmii well think about this; any confessions or information batman got probably was immediately thrown out by any worthwhile lawyer. thats why he has so much trouble taking down organized crime. he’s not even just breaking the law he’s simply ineffective
Ergo, a rabbid dog leashed by Gordon and the government designed to merely keep criminals "in line". I still goshdarn love him, but these tidbits of understanding just elevate a character so much so.
Just found your channel on Reddit, and TDK is probably my favorite film of all time. The only other candidate is Grand Budapest Hotel, and I'm excited to see your review on that, as this one was amazing (and yes, it made me cry, as I do every time I see TDK).
I'm actually not entirely unconvinced there were never any bombs on the boats at the end. That Joker orchestrated the whole thing to get the people to turn on each other and to screw with Batman.
14:38 it wasn’t botched. Since Nolan uses entirely practical effects, they had to make sure Heath got clear of the explosion, so he just made it a part of the performance
Watching this video for the first time after seeing Joker (2019). Heath's performance still holds a special place in my heart, but curious to see what Mikey thinks about Joaquin.
Beautiful analysis, as usual. You really brought all of the complexity to light. I've watched this movie more times than any other and you still managed to provide some new insights for me. I feel like this movie even gets more relevant over time. Especially, the line "Because it's all part of the plan."
![ตีสิบเดย์ [FULL] | เปิดใจ "อาจารย์ เบียร์ ฅนตื่นธรรม" นักสนทนาธรรมสายดุดัน!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vqaBI_mnoDk/mqdefault.jpg)
"a leader can unite a side in a conflict, but a villain can unite a people" Mikey, that's profound!
Maybe we can choose villain as our leader, amiright???
Sean Dupree he nailed it with that. The truth of the world through real art
Technically the villain becomes the opposing side that the people unite against so there are still two sides but the point still stands
Best line I’ve heard in any of his videos 😊
9/11...enough said.
We gotta be clear about a couple things: Heath talked to actors on set. Gambol's actor (Michael Jai White, a real life ninja) emphatically stated that Heath was joking around between takes. The other thing is that Heath didn't die because of this role, but because of a lethal mix of medications that he was prescribed legally.
Your videos are proof that positive reviews are more entertaining than curse ridden click bait negative ones. Never stop being you.
You are as artful and possibly more articulate than the artists you discuss the works of.
True, but... AVGN. I love that guy.
WRONG!
Positive reviews aren´t more interesting than negative ones, what matters is how good the A r g u m e n t s are.
It's kind of hilarious that you'd even suggest that the writer, editor and narrator of a well-crafted 16-minute video essay is in any way comparable to the writer and director of a complex, nuanced and brilliant film. I'm not bashing Mikey at all, I think his videos are some of the best of their kind, but with your logic a well-made and satisfying turkey sandwich is equal to one of the greatest meals ever prepared, in all of history. Try coming off that end-of-the-video high and gaining some perspective.
More artful than the artists. With the exception of Heath Ledger.
Meh, when you have to pepper your positive reviews with trashing other films you become exactly the same problem to me.
"Heath Ledger's performance in this film is the greatest performance in cinema history"
*Definitely a shared opinion*
Indeed
Wholeheartedly agree that Heath did the best acting in cinematic history.
Aaron Eckhart told a funny story on Larry King about acting with Heath. He recalls the famous hospital scene in which Heath who always stayed in character on set wandered around acting like the Joker and never conversated with Eckhart. Then at the end of the day when the scene was done, Heath and Eckhart would walk up to their trailers, Heath then put his hand on Eckharts shoulder and said "That's what acting's all about."
Rest in peace Heath Ledger.
Fantastic. I wish I had the ability to communicate about art with such clarity and precision.
There is an irony to this comment...
@@tiffa440 no way
@@sebastianholzl5187 I love that the replies are a year removed from their inciting comment. It took way too long to phrase that coherently.
Agreed. Heath Ledger as Joker is best performance of all time. Exquisite.
Also, I still want to see you do Wall-E. :)
Thumbs up for Wall-E
Yeah! Wall-E!
Paul Scofield. oh yes please! Please do Wall-E. I love that movie and I’d love to hear an intelligent commentary on it
At first I thought your declaration at the end about Heath Ledgers performance being the GOAT was absurd but I'm struggling to come up with something that tops it. Pretty crazy. Imma think on that some more. Great work as usual.
Agreed. There are many examples where an actor is able to disappear so completely into a role as to leave only the character behind (one example that immediately comes to mind for me is the fact that it was classic english actor Bill Nighy behind everything that was good about Davy Jones in Pirates 2 &3), but the impact the performance has is the other side of this equation. So while I think there have been many other performances that match, or potentially exceed Ledger's "disappearance" into his character, I cannot come up with a time where the _impact_ of the performance surpasses his effort here. A rare talent lost far too soon.
the only other performance that comes to mind that has stuck with me [ and other people as soon as I mention it ]; is Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday - and it's not even close.
I would put Leonardo DiCaprio as Arnie Grape as the GOAT by a child then.
@@andrewhazlewood4569 Oh wow good choice! I was floored by Leo in Gilbert Grape. Haven't watched that in a while. But as far as i remember, he was really one sided. The joker has huge depth and realism, and Arnie was just "retarded". I will say though, that Arnies reaction to" the thing with the thing" (no spoilers) was amazing. He knocked that scene out of the park! Maybe it hits more with the joker, since we know the character. No one knew Arnie, but everyone knows Mr.J. Perhaps it makes it easier to know what to expect?
Complete agreement re: Heath Ledger's performance. I've never once, in my life, seen another performance that has stuck with me the way that one has. Just pure, phenomenal brilliance.
Think about what a talent like that could have accomplished over a full career. What an utterly tragic loss, to say nothing of how it affected his family and those close to him. :(
yup, we missed out some many more stellar performances and oscars. Heath captivated me in 10 Things I Hate About You, and he never ever disappointed
Michel Lacasse o
@@mitchlacasse361 Yup totally agree. I just watched 10 Things for the first time a few weeks ago, and his performance was what drove this movie. His male vibrato and charm as Patrick is, imo, unmatched by any other rom com performance (not the movie as a whole, of course). Prior to that, I'd only seen Heath in A Knight's Tale and as a supporting role in The Patriot b/f hearing he got cast as the Joker. Of course I thought, "NOOOO! Why him?! How do you even beat Jack?? They're gonna ruin the best Batman movie yet!" just like everyone else. If I had seen his performance in 10 Things, I would have thought differently / been much more confident in Heath. But honestly, I like the fact that I had such low expectations bc it made his performance even more surprising than it already was just on its own.
Hot damn! "And here...we... go-"
Hard cut to Midnight City.
Beautiful work, man.
What this boy said.
I keep rewatching this video because it's just so good (and I'm such a nerd), and that part always makes me tear up.
I can't believe Mikey agrees with me that Heath Ledger did the best job acting, well, ever.
NotAnUndercoverCop it was breathtaking and this movie made me love movies again and I was so hopeful that we were going to have great movies again...then TDKR kinda ruined that
TDKR wasn't that bad, certainly not even on par with this one though and a few things could've been better but overall it's a good movie
"Going to have great movies again" lol what.
jblue1622, what? The Dark Knight Rises was a very good movie. And we've had many great movies before The Dark Knight and many after that film came out.
noobmaster117 center left is liberal, so I’m not sure who “liberal elitists” are supposed to refer to. maybe just extremists?
This homage to Heath Ledger and the ONLY REAL Joker performance (that's not a cartoon, Hamill fans) deserves an Oscar.
The Force Awakens review lit the fuse, but this one was the sky it brilliantly illuminated. This guy and his channel is without a doubt the best thing on youtube, and his examination of Heath Ledger's performance choked me up. Not just because it mirrored my own thoughts precisely, but because it reminded me that a genuine artist and gentle soul was taken from us so prematurely. Yeah, you know I just didn't get something in my eye... shut up...
Yeah, best reviewer on the youtubes. Hands down
Cinemawins sent me here and all I can say is, I'm not disappointed keep up the great work.
Likewise. And this vid earned Mikey another sub.
I really liked your point on corporate money entering politics, I'd never thought about it that way. Good job as a whole, just subbed.
So nice, watched it twice.
I think the *only* performance I've ever seen that reaches Ledger's performance as The Joker in this film is Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer in Fire Walk With Me. And she never got an award for her work in that film. That movie transcends her - in my mind, at least - into being *THE* singular most tragic character in all of American media. She sells every second of every scene, it's bone-chilling.
This video is incredible!
So so funny, inspiring and informative!
I just came here to watch one video, and I think i'm going to watch all the videos I can til the morning
th-cam.com/video/dhpjKX1j-KQ/w-d-xo.html best the dark knight analysis
One thing I would like to say is that the hospital scene was supposed to go like that, all explosions went off as planned and the jokers reaction was scripted. The whole "it wasent supposed to be like that" is a myth that keeps getting told
Hot damn, Mikey. Quality as usual.
I never thought of "the Dark Knight" referencing the Joker before, and I think it's because we are always reminded that it's a Batman movie. I love your essays and this needs to be one if my favorite so far. Nice work, Mikey!
[X] Get teary eyed while someone talks about a literal comic book clown.
Man, this is my new favorite review of any movie ever.
[m] IF YOU LIKE CAUSIN TROUBLE UP IN HOTEL ROOMS
THANK YOU
I was missing that.
That was amazing sir. I can't wait to see your take on GBH. I'd be interested to see what you think of the Star Wars films too...but not episode 7. You did that one. Do the others.....or don't. Maybe.
Chainsawsuit Original What is the local 58
If you have the time could you make one for Hell or High Water please. That would be great!
Chainsawsuit Original m
A couple of corrections, if I may. Heath licked the edges of his lips to help keep the prosthetic scars adhered to the corners of his mouth, and the "botched" hospital scene was actually meticulously planned out with the pause in the explosions, where the joker fumbles around with the detonator, for safety reasons, the proof is on the dark knight blu-ray features where Christopher Nolan explains as such while showing a complete computer rendering of that scene, that was used to plan out the scene, which shows that the explosions weren't botched.
With all that aside, I agree with everything else you said about the film and heath ledger. The dark night is a masterpiece of cinema, and heath's portrayal of the joker is perfection.
"What's better?" Christian Bale in The Prestige. I can't even explain how good that performance is without spoiling the film.
Actually, the hospital explosion wasn't botched, the delay was there purposefully to ensure Ledger was at his marked spot.
Mikey dude, that was effing awesome! Thank you so much! What a ride. No complaints about the message either, the level of the Ledger-Joker will most probably never be reached again.
No other Joker has made any sense to me ever. Not even my own imaginative Joker when reading the comics. Ledger defined that character up to a standard that I never thought was possible.
I know this is an old video but it's a common misconception that the hospital explosion scene was improvised, it was not. There is mock-up CG footage of the scene showing that the scene went exactly as planned. However the scene was supposed to be longer having almost a full minute of just staring at the Joker as he rides away in the bus, staring into the middle distance
I fucking love your videos. Please never stop.
This movie is everything and I love it to bits and all that but the pause in the hospital explosion wasn’t an accident. It was in the script, the storyboards and the animatics. Again, this is the greatest film of all time and your show is amazing and I love it.
I feel like each piece I was already aware of to some degree, so it was nice to hear it all together with your honey-mustard voice.
That little Boushh smash cut single-handedly made this the best video on youtube. Well done, Sir, I say: well done.
Sorry i'm sure you heard this plenty of times but at 14:37
it wasn't a botched shot, it was an intentionally staged delayed explosion
Ledger's RESPONSE was 100% natural, yes
but
the explosion was intentional
I still love you
Dutchtica you’re certain the delay in the explosion was intentional?
I've heard even in the behind the scenes it was botched. It wasn't intentional. I dunno where you're getting that information.
@@TheOriginal_Unaleska in behind the scenes it was said that everything that happened was in script. There were multiple rehearsal of this scene and there wasn't anything unintentional happening.
Extra Credits sent me here. This series is amazing. I'm stunned by how the sheer production quality mixed with the beautiful analysis of these films manages to create such a moving narrative. Mikey, you have a made masterpieces by looking at masterpieces. Wow, simple wow.
Awesome video! Completely loved how you changed completely the point of view of the movie into something really believable and interesting. I also loved the background you used; totally screenshoted the title! :D
As usual, mike, you're a bloody genius mate. Classic stuff, love the vids
Live action Joker? Absolutely. That’s Heath Ledger’s role from now til the end of time.
But I sincerely believe Mark Hamill deserves just as much credit, if not more, for all of his work voicing the Joker. He’s not only been doing it for decades at this point, but he’s done a fantastic job of it, too. You never see the man himself in any of his portrayals of the Joker, but none of them would be anywhere near as good without his voice to bring the character to life.
I don't often comment on TH-cam but your video genuinely made me tear up because I loved Ledger as the Joker. I like how you showed the many facets of corruption within the movie and also how you highlighted Ledger's performance. It sounds weird but Ledger truly ACTS. He uses micro-expressions very consciously and every movement conveys so many things. For example, his eyes. They dart around and he often looks upward, while the rest of the cast looks, as many actors do, straight ahead, focused on a point, got get a clean shot. It may not seem important to others but I noticed it and it's the small things that make a performance extraordinary.
And it still fucking hurts that he died, so watching this video was a rollercoaster of emotions.
This is the only argument that has made me want to see The Dark Knight. People talked about the cinematography, the dialogue, the "hit me for real", and Ledger's suicide, but nobody articulated it in a way that made me interested in a Batman movie again. Too many misses, not enough hits. This, on the other hand - I'd never thought of this movie as turning the whole superhero genre on its head, making the easily-assumed hero a criminal down to his morals and the "villain" the one actually fighting for the good of the city. Seeing more depth talk about Ledger's actual performance also helps (the diction thing, for example, matters a ton - character voices need to be consistent and if he stuck with that it would be huge) and now I understand how much of himself he really did put into the role.
I tend to avoid movies that I see as over-hyped without the hype having compelling arguments. I didn't see "the actor killed himself" as a compelling argument (especially when phrased as "the actor died so now you have to watch it out of respect", when I'd never really taken notice of Heath Ledger's performances before) but you've shown me that I am probably missing out on a real cinematic and philosophical masterpiece. Thanks, Mikey.
If literally everyone has this movie in their top 10s and that many people tell you to see it did you really think this Batman movie would be a miss. Not to mention. As was said in the video it's the only comic book movie to ever get a main category oscar
Cool video. Fun fact about the hospital explosion scene: It actually continues with Joker getting on a bus and driving off not glimpsing once at the building next to him that they ACTUALLY BLEW UP FOR REAL (it was scheduled to be taken down anyway), knowing this was the only take they have. Full length version was cut though.
And suddenly, Jon Risinger. What!?
AltShiftSpam it put me... on the spot?! No? Okay.
officially a fan now, going back to watch older episodes. really enjoy your videos man.
One of my favorite movies, I’ve always defended Heath Ledger’s performance as being amazing and the most accurate to the comic books. He truly threw himself into the character. Great job Mikey awesome episode. Your videos always inspire me, i was wondering if you could do the new Mission Impossible: Fallout, I work at a movie theatre and we had an employee only showing before it came out and it was honestly amazing, if you could do it that would be awesome. The directors of photography and sound must have had a really fun time working on the movie. Thank you Mikey.
I like how you can hear the Joker's singular violin string while Mickey is talking about the movie's protagonist. Hinting at the plot twist to come.
I've been waiting for this episode since I first watched the Turtles video that launched your show and it didn't disappoint. Thank you so much for this!
Never stop making videos you’re so underrated
A lot of people have been saying that 2016 is one GARBAGE FIRE of a year... but I found this channel in 2016, so I'mma say it ain't too bad. Keep doin' what you doin', Mikey.
Clearly these people hadn't heard of 2020 yet 😅
I watch this a few times a year. This is my absolute favourite analysis of a movie ever.
I really like your reviews in general, and this review specifically. My only quibble, the exploding hospital scene being a botched take, is a myth, and wrong. It was storyboarded exactly as it played out on screen, they used real buildings, and only had one chance to do it, and they executed it one hundred percent as they intended to. I don't take anything away from Heath Ledger's performance, but that was not an actor maintaining character in a glorious bit of improvisation, it was an actor inhabiting his character, and playing it exactly as planned. There is a difference.
Exactly. What did was improvised was him clapping in his jail cell.
TDK is a film that should be shown in film school. It is a cinematic masterpiece that I have now watched over 20+ times and STILL get excited to watch it again. The interrogation scene alone is one of the, if not THE greatest scene ever filmed. The contrast between Batman and The Joker during the scene and the camera angles...I could go on and on about this film! Speaking of Ledger's performance, I couldn't agree more that it is the greatest performance in film history. I have yet to get as excited about a character entering a room (like when Heath Ledger enters the lion's den with that laugh of his which is so creepy and awesome), as I do whenever Heath is on camera. He will be missed...RIP
I'm so confused by the Jon Risinger shout out
[m] He tried to sway the voting over Twitter on the last episode in favor of The Departed. It almost worked. He brought in a HUGE number of voters. And then I decided never to do that video, so it was worth acknowledging.
oh pretty plssss do it!!! pwetty pwease with a cherwy on top!!!
5 years later and this still hits home. This video is the Dark Knight of movie reviews.
Didn't think I'd see the Risemonger here
*Risemongler.
I have never re watched a video more than this on youtube, it's my go to whenever I'm up past 1am....your mind truly is magic and it shows in all of your episodes. I hope you continue to amaze and stand out amongst all the billions of channels that try to accomplish what you definitely do :)
Thank you Man, I*ve been saying this about Heath/Joker since day fucking one!!!!! I think its the best movie of all time.
Still I dont think we got to see all of Letos performance, after re-shoots and terrible editing, we all know he was never gonna be Ledger but I still think it could have amounted to something with less studio interference. Looking at the only scene he has in the film that feels complete - the scene where he starts to intimidate the Security Guard tells me he at least had alittle something. Nothing will ever be Ledger - i just wish we had a chance to see what he was really made of - clearly he wasnt happy with how they messed up his character in the film - he literally said fuck'em. Its a real shame.
Same Opinion. Heath's Performance was pure gold, not much compares. It was truly beautiful and as tragic as this may sound, it was a once in a lifetime performance that probably could never have been topped if Heath Ledger were still alive. Nolan captured lightening.
I heard about your channel a few days ago from a TH-camr named Falcon Paladin, your reviews are great!
Just discovered this channel today, and I already know it's going to be one of the best things that happened to me this 2017.
totally agree but also heath had a nuance to his character that nobody in comic book movies will ever pull off again without being hokey or silly
goddammit mikey i just got introduced to your channel through the monster factory review (big ol mcelroy fan) and now i have watched your entire channel and have a huge set of movies i absolutely gotta rewatch because your take on them is so good. thanks so much for the videos!
Glad to find you, Mikey! In a world where giving a video more than 2 minutes of your time is a "chore", I didn't even notice the 16 minutes had passed 'til they were done. Excellent video! Very subscribed, very subscribed!
Have watched this so many times now and it still holds so much power.
I'd like to see what 2019 Mikey has to say about Joker (2019) against what 2016 Mikey has said.
Personally, I can't watch it because I don't want another Joker in my life.
There is not a single viewing of this film that does not absolutely beat me over the head with this exact point: "Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is the single greatest on screen performance ever" Heath literally disappears into this role in a way I have never seen any actor do(well others have accomplished this feat but not to this level). It is staggering to revisit this film because you can't help but feel a sense of loss that never again will we be able to watch something so great and yet poetically that makes this performance that much more important.
I think this is a direction a fair number of films are going to take from now on, because of Dark Knight, and more recently, because of Infinity War.
Have our bad guy be our protagonist.
Hell you can look at it from a purely character development standpoint. We've already developed our heroes (in Avengers case, a lot for characters like Tony and Cap), why NOT spend much of the runtime of the movie developing your villain into someone whose story you care about? Even if you end up hoping they die a horrible death. *Especially* to make you hope they die a horrible death.
The use of the escalating Joker theme during the intro is absolute aces.
The thing I love about the interrogation scene is that despite being the captive, Joker has all the power and control. Both actors are amazing in that scene.
This is an awesome birthday gift! Thanks Mikey! One of your best for one of my favorite films.
"Batman's a dumb dick." I loved that. And calling out Leto. Good on ya.
I literally talked about this movie tonight and lo, I found your video about it when I got on TH-cam. This is a perfect encapsulation about why I love it.
Again, a very insightful analysis. You deserve soooo many more subs. So I posted this on Reddit. I got 650 subs off one video on there. You will definitely get more than I did. I wish I could get my videos as smooth as yours. Fucking amazing.
What sub? I found it in r/videos: www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/5if1ok/movies_with_mikey_the_dark_knight/?st=IWPXHTST&sh=0f149000
Underrated line in this video essay. "the film begins with our title character."
Mikey, great line man. It honestly wouldn't shock me if Nolan intended that with the title. Either way, that is some great analysis and I respect the hell out of it.
I would love to know what you think of Knight's Tale.
And 10 Things I Hate About You. It was Heath's first leading role in a movie, and he was already great then.
The lip licking was to keep the adhesive for his scars, Ledger MADE it into a tick for the character, pretty cool little tidbit imo.
oh so keen for you to do sum Wes Anderson!
yes.
SmexyRula he's already done The Grand Budapest Hotel
watch to the end buddy, this came out on Dec 14, Grand Budapest was his NEXT video and came out like the 31st December or something.
I made the comment when This video came out :)
Great video as always, Mikey! I did a paper back in college regarding Batman being a bourgeois symbol of the status quo and during my research I came across an article talking about how The Joker is often cast as a chaotic element that's built on upper-class fears of the lower class. This article was from the early 90s and was talking about Burton's Batman, though, so it's nice to see someone take on the similar ideas represented in TDK. Especially since, as you laid out in your video, TDK does a more effective job of really challenging Batman's usefulness.
Based on this review, I think Mikey would really like Law Abiding-Citizen. Up until the ending anyway.
14:12 actually, the reason for the lip thing is it helped keep the prosthetic on. Though Heath did take it and turn it into a character trait, which is still freaking awesome!
I give anyone a thumbs up for trashing Jared Leto. Especially his "Joker" performance.
lame, bro. Stop hating
Word is that there are a lot more scenes that were shot with Leto's Joker and never used in the final cut. I'd be interested to see if he comes out better in an edit that includes more screen time, but that might involve watching Suicide Squad again, and fuck that.
Lol trashing the Oscar winner and not the shitty director and writers. Shooting the messenger my man
The writers didn’t make him be a cunt to his fellow cast members and call it “method acting.”
I just gave u a dislike! How ironic.... or is it?
This is the most underrated damn channel on youtube. You deserve so much more recognition!
THAT WAS JOHN RISINGER, WELCOME TO ON THE SPOT
Unnecessary Tiger Prepare to be diddlefingered.
Holy Hell are you good ! Was sent here by Extra Credits and oh boy they didn't exaggerated how awesome you are.
Will watch everything you have for now. Gimme a few minutes.
Ledger in The Dark Knight is the best "big acting" performance in recent years, and Casey Affleck in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is the best "small acting". In my opinion, this is scientifically proven
Great episode. Good to see your subs picking up slowly.
Extremely good points about Ledger's performance. I'd maybe put up Brando's performance in On The Waterfront (1954), Turturro in Barton Fink (1991) or Nishijima in Love Exposure (2008), but fuck if I'd be able to prove it so thoroughly.
I have no shame in admitting that John Risinger's twiier account brought me here after 13:06.
Mikeys music choices in all these videos is impeccable.
Christian actually punched Heath in the face...dude your boner for him is so justified. Epic.
For most of my life, I preferred Mark Hamill's Joker mainly because that's what I grew up with. The iconic laugh echoes through my head and I will always cherish the memories of watching Batman TAS or playing the Arkham games. After watching this insightful commentary, however, it's changed my whole worldview. Not only am I looking at a movie I've seen dozens of times in a new light, but now I want to watch other beloved movies with this mindset. Thank you, FilmJoy for existing.
Also, CinemaWins sent me. You have another subscriber.
Judge Judy and Executioner...pure gold :D
See Hot Fuzz. Immediately!
I'm genuinely angry at myself for not seeing this subtext before now, because it makes a ton of sense and it adds to my enjoyment of an already excellent film. So thanks for that, Mikey.
And I have to say, this is the most respectful analysis of Ledger's performance I've seen anywhere. So many people seem obsessed with how he was "absorbed" by the pathos of taking on the role of the Joker, it's nice to see a retrospective that actually takes that performance and highlights the best parts of it, rather than devolving into macabre navel gazing about whether or not the role contributed to the tragedy of Ledger's death.
Now I'm honestly disappointed we never got to see what he would've done after The Dark Knight.
Absolutely excellent, Mikey ❤️ dang dang cool.
This is one of the most entertaining videos I've seen all year. This needs way more views
I think it's a bit pointless to break down Batman's brand of justice as "not conventional" or "breaking the law". He's a vigilante. Everything he does skirts the legal system.
Abysmii well think about this; any confessions or information batman got probably was immediately thrown out by any worthwhile lawyer. thats why he has so much trouble taking down organized crime. he’s not even just breaking the law he’s simply ineffective
Ergo, a rabbid dog leashed by Gordon and the government designed to merely keep criminals "in line". I still goshdarn love him, but these tidbits of understanding just elevate a character so much so.
Abysmii so who is the hero? Thats the point
We're criminals, Alfred. We've always been criminals....nothings changed
Ahhhhh. I don't know if I'll ever watch this film the same way again. Thanks
I don't think I can go on if you don't make a video about The Departed.
Just found your channel on Reddit, and TDK is probably my favorite film of all time. The only other candidate is Grand Budapest Hotel, and I'm excited to see your review on that, as this one was amazing (and yes, it made me cry, as I do every time I see TDK).
I'm actually not entirely unconvinced there were never any bombs on the boats at the end. That Joker orchestrated the whole thing to get the people to turn on each other and to screw with Batman.
***** This is true, too. He looked confused and a little angry.
14:38 it wasn’t botched. Since Nolan uses entirely practical effects, they had to make sure Heath got clear of the explosion, so he just made it a part of the performance
Watching this video for the first time after seeing Joker (2019). Heath's performance still holds a special place in my heart, but curious to see what Mikey thinks about Joaquin.
Beautiful analysis, as usual. You really brought all of the complexity to light. I've watched this movie more times than any other and you still managed to provide some new insights for me. I feel like this movie even gets more relevant over time. Especially, the line "Because it's all part of the plan."