For some reason, Terry Gilliam, the director of Heath Ledger's last project, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, felt compelled to claim that the Oscar campaign that's underway for Ledger's role as the Joker in The Dark Knight is all a publicity stunt.
"That's what Warner Brothers are saying, but they'll do anything to publicise their film. That's just what they do and you can't get upset because it's bull----. They're like a great white shark which devours whatever it can."
Oscar campaigns are generally obnoxious publicity engines, sure, but this notion is not solely a studio creation, Mr. Gilliam. A lot of us think he actually deserves an Academy award nomination - at least so far. Yes, it's possible that the fanfare surrounding his death has made people more inclined to think in those terms, but there's still half a year left to try and top that performance. It's not Oscar season yet, and we go with what we know. If someone manages a more electrifying performance in, say, Australia, I'm sure we'll push Ledger aside. Why you'd root for that is a bit of a mystery. Would you be equally upset if he gets that same buzz for your film? Are you that convinced a Batman movie couldn't legitimately generate this chatter? You were once going to direct Watchmen, for pete's sake, so it can't be that. We'll all look forward to the eventual clarification of your statement you'll probably have to make.
