Why Heath Ledger Deserves an Oscar

A Disturbing Performance in The Dark Knight Should Earn the Top Prize

I, like many other Batman fans and excited moviegoers, waited for months to see "The Dark Knight." After seeing The Joker's calling card at the end of "Batman Begins," a hint of what was to come in July, I was absolutely thrilled to see my favorite villain of all time on the big screen again.

Don't get me wrong: Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime in Tim Burton's 1989 adaptation was a joy to watch, despite the countless rifles, giggles and bullet shells. But after seeing "The Dark Knight" and Heath Ledger's Joker, there is no doubt in my mind that this actor - who unfortunately passed in January 2008 -- deserves an Oscar.

I've been a fan of the Batman series for years, but I think I've been a bigger fan of its all-star villain. There was something about The Joker that appealed to me, that made want to know more about him - a charisma that would be dangerous (and likely fatal) had he not been a fictional character.

Alan Moore's graphic novel The Killing Joke solidified my admiration for the Prince of Knaves; the dark and demented comic, illustrated by Brian Bolland, delves into the deepest crypts of The Joker's mind, where chaos reigns supreme and logic does not exist. The reader understand page by page why The Joker is the way he is, a victim of unfortunate circumstances: a faulty microwave, a vat of chemicals, one man in a Bat suit. It is likely that "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan reached for themes found in The Killing Joke, such as The Joker's intense desire to prove that only "one bad day" could drive a man to madness. It is in reaching for these themes that "The Dark Knight" succeeds as a film with a strong premise and even stronger characters.

Ledger brings an incredible amount of depth to The Joker, possibly more than Nicholson could to his character in 1989. While Nicholson reveals a showy Joker, one that publicly lavishes in the attention caused by the destruction he brings with confetti and music, Ledger's is much more subdued and cool. The audience witnesses a more calculating Joker in "Dark Knight," and even though he relishes in the horror and pain he creates, he only announces it when it is necessary.