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Sunday, August 3, 2008

Attaboy Heath!!

I went for a movie at a theatre near by after a long break, am a big movie freak but i prefer watching in a cozy environment lying lazy at my house. Being a restless soul i hate to sit hands tied at a moviehouse. So once in a while i go to theatre, i want the movie to be that special. Special need not be hit, a different movie in all angles thats what i want. So i went for this movie - "The Dark Knight", yeah the Batman one. Though the movie was a bit too long for my liking, a deluge of action scenes and too many stars for the smallest of roles. I liked the movie for its darkness, and for the quintessential reason 'The Joker' a psychopath villain enacted by Heath Ledger.

The movie had everything a superhero/comic movie wanted.The well shot action scenes, lots of explosions, kidnapping, superhero who cant kill.But joker was one par above them. His introduction was good with an obscure make-up. A small glimpse of his face and he says "Its simple, Kill the Batman"The tongue clicking, the unsure body language, an appalling walk..you would never see any villain of this craziness. Its not the charisma but its something more of in his performance that attracts you to him. Not to forget the voice modulation. There is an ominous pause between the words, making him that bit extra clear to audience. The 'Joker Clap' also is a key attraction in his tantrums. He was able to generate a voice and tone with no empathy, but he was too stylish in his own sense. Yes, there were a lot of comparison with previous jokers in other batman movies, especially with Jack Nicholson. But Nicholson was more about his persona, style and charisma which made joker a bit attractive to ones liking. Heath makes it ultra sure that you hate him to the core as a person. There is a moment when he unleashes his dogs on to Batman. While the dogs attack batman mercilessly he too joins the bandwagon like a tenacious dog. I can write and explain each moment of the heath in the movie.
But may be my writing wont pay the due dividence to it.

Performance wise, i always preferred to watch the anti-hero. I think that brings out the best in actors. Thousands of indian movie fans are still drooled over after they listen "Arrey ohh Samba, Kithne aadmi the??" Gabbar Singh from sholay is considered as an acting manual for villains.100's came after Amjad Khan, but he still shines like a star. How many of us can forget the scene in taxi driver where robert de niro stands in front of the mirror and evokes"You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here". Heath ledger has given a similar performance in that strata. Mixed with chaos, schiznophernia and humour he is an unpredicatble villain you can ever see.And given this a super hero movie, the joker has no magical/scientific skills. He has a liking for destruction, is not lured by money he just finds thrill in killing.

As i told you before i do a lot of homework before i watch a movie in theatre, to make it that bit extra special. Heath Ledger apparently isolated himself from his family for 2 months in order to prepare for this what-he-calls a ''lifetime of a role''. The maniacal laugh is not developed by any sound effect, but toned by heath in his own voice after trying different modulations. Director Christopher Nolan added no "digital effects" to alter Heath Ledger's actual performance posthumously.

Its unbelievable and sad that heath ledger is no more in this world. Among lot of pranks god plays on us, lets add this one too i guess. As one of the video in youtube said 'Ledger you live in our Hearts'.
"Lets put a Smile on this Face!!!!"

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

fingers crossed..he deserves an oscar for this performa...

Shabbu said...

As Expected heath was awarded Oscar Posthumously!!!

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