The Joker
Over the years we have been treated to some fantastic villains; quite often they become some of the most loved and iconic characters of all time.
Over the last decade we have seen some terrific actors bring to life a string of evil yet colourful villains that have dominated and even stolen movies. We take a look at some of these stand out characters.
When it was announced that Heath Ledger was going to be taking over the role of The Joker in The Dark Knight, I have to admit that I was very sceptical; and I was not the only one who raised an eyebrow.
Not surprisingly, director Christopher Nolan’s casting choice was spot on as Ledger delivered the performance of his career as Batman’s arch nemesis.
Ledger never tried to copy the performance of Jack Nicholson, instead creating a completely new and far more sinister character - in my humble opinion he is the best villain of the last ten years hands down.
We get a real glimpse of the darkness of The Joker than ever before, as he is creepy and totally unhinged - played perfectly by Ledger.
There is always a danger with a character like this to take it too far, but Ledger and Nolan never let this character descend into silliness or farce; he is totally chilling every time you see him on screen.
Some of the scenes between Ledger and Christian Bale are some of the best in the movie as good comes face to face with evil.
Ledger threw himself totally and completely into this role and because of that, he is totally and utterly mesmerising.
It was the finest performance from Ledger and it is such a shame that he never lived to see what he had created or see the excitement that his performance created.
The Dark Knight is widely regarded as one of the best comic book movies of all time and Ledger was the film’s crowning glory. His performance has critics raving and he went on to receive a string of awards, including an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
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