And I don't mean Sound Editing.
Iron Man was perceived by many to be a nearly flawless superhero movie, but even that didn't generate Academy Award buzz. Yet after the first screenings of The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's sequel to Batman Begins - which succeeded by being a movie first and a comic book movie second - are actually generating posthumous Oscar talk for Heath Ledger, who plays the Clown Prince of Crime, aka the Joker.
From KTLA:
Heath Ledger gives a blockbuster performance in the new Batman movie. His work, as The Joker, will absolutely be nominated for an Oscar, and at this point in the year, Ledger is also a hands-down favorite to win it posthumously. Ledger offers perfect pitch, perfect tone, his Joker hits all the right notes. 'The Dark Knight' is among the better super-hero movies of all time, and Ledger is THE BEST villain in a super hero movie of all time.
Okay, that's a Los Angeles morning news quote, and morning news tends to be rather ridiculous. But here's the Rolling Stone take on it.
There's something raw and elemental at work in this artfully imagined universe. Striking out from his Batman origin story, Nolan cuts through to a deeper dimension. Huh? Wha? How can a conflicted guy in a bat suit and a villain with a cracked, painted-on clown smile speak to the essentials of the human condition? Just hang on for a shock to the system.
I can only speak superlatives of Ledger, who is mad-crazy-blazing brilliant as the Joker. Miles from Jack Nicholson's broadly funny take on the role in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, Ledger takes the role to the shadows, where even what's comic is hardly a relief. No plastic mask for Ledger; his face is caked with moldy makeup that highlights the red scar of a grin, the grungy hair and the yellowing teeth of a hound fresh out of hell.
This is exciting news. It's possible the tragic circumstances are creating a more palpable sense of eerie anticipation for something this dark, and thus overstating things a little, but given how Batman Begins redefined the arena, there's no doubt that The Dark Knight could be the one that truly breaks the barriers between superheroes and art.
You've still got a couple of weeks to wait, though, so in the meantime, check out all our Dark Knight goodies here and whet your appetite.
