Hidden Tribute In ‘The Dark Knight’ Rises Pays Homage To Heath Ledger’s Joker
Heath Ledger’s popular portrayal of Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is still one of the most incredible performances in recent years.
He passed away tragically during the production of the film, but went on to get awarded an Academy Award posthumously for Best Supporting Actor, LA Films Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, 2009’s Golden Globe and 2009’s BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor each.
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Tribute To Heath Ledger In Dark Knight Rises?
However, Christopher Nolan’s tribute to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight Rises is less known.
Let’s get back to the scene when the Batman statue is unveiled, which seems to be paying tribute to Batman. But as the camera comes down from the balcony, offering a birds eye’s view of the unveiling below, it seems to form a familiar shape.
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Two blocks of onlookers form a pair of eyes, the statue in the middle a nose and the curved rows below form a smile, and obviously, this is the smile of The Joker.
While Nolan hasn’t declared this scene as a tribute, it seems to safe to assume that it is. After all it’s Christopher Nolan, a master of deeper meaning and subtlety.
Heath Ledger’s Dedication To Play Joker
It’s been 10 years since Heath Ledger was awarded the Oscar and yet his portrayal of Joker still looks disturbing with every watch.
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Heath Ledger exiled himself to prepare for the role, avoiding any social interactions to keep a disturbed mindset.
In the documentary on Ledger’s life, “Too Young to Die”, Heath’s dad, Kim said, “He pretty well locked himself up in a hotel room for weeks. He galvanised the upcoming character.
“That was typical of Heath. He would do that. He liked to dive into his characters, but this time he really took it up a notch.”
Since Ledger’s death, many have speculated that his portrayal of Joker was based on a 1979 interview with singer Tom Waits.
Heath Ledger has set a very high bar for Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the iconic role next in a standalone Joker film set to release in October this year.
