Did Heath Ledger Really Deserve the Oscar for Playing the Joker?

Did Heath Ledger Really Deserve the Oscar for Playing the Joker?

Heath Ledger won an Academy Award for his portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight, but did he really earn it? Or was it out of sympathy for his untimely death that he received the coveted award?

Editorial Opinion
By ecksmanfan - Jan 20, 2011 11:01 AM EST
Filed Under: The Dark Knight

One of the biggest on-going debates here on CBM.com is whether or not Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker was really as good as people think it is. Most would agree that his portrayal was very different from any other version of the character we had seen; taking away the campiness and the "joking" side of the character we have been so used to. I want to take a look at whether or not Ledger's performance was really good enough for him to win only the second post-mortem Oscar award ever given. Yes it was a good film and he was one of the best parts of that film, but a Best Supporting Actor Award? For a comic book movie?

Let's rewind a few years and look at who Ledger was up against in the Best Support Actor category in the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Josh Brolin in Milk- Brolin, in recent years, has turned in some incredible performances (let's just forget Jonah Hex even happened). With his role in Milk, he took on a film that few stars would even look at and did so with emotion and raw talent.

Robert Downey, Jr. in Tropic Thunder- There is no doubt in my mind that RDJ is one of today's most talented (and eclectic) stars working in the industry today. His character is rather unique in that he played a white man...playing a black man. Certainly not something that many could pull off, let alone as well as he did it. For that alone, he deserves huge kudos.

Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt- Hoffman has come a long way since playing the creepy "gopher" for a porn production company in Boogie Nights. He's really come into his own in recent years and has shown his versatility as actor with the roles he's chosen. In Doubt, he gave one of he best performances to date and many felt that it was he who should have won this award.

Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road- This is actually the one film in this group that I have not seen, so I cannot personally comment on his portrayal of character and the film itself. However, being that he was one of five actors to be chosen for this award, he must have done soemthing worth while.

So, just looking ath those names and the films, Ledger was up against some stiff competition. All of them gave powerful and memorable performances in their perspective roles. Ledger's performace definitely was a stand-out among these for several reasons. One, it was a comic book movie and aside from the occasional technical award, comic book movies are over-looked and not considered to be "good enough" to be honored at the Academy Awards. Second, who would have thought that playing a demented, psychopathic clown could garner you so much attention, let alone many award nominations.

There are some who feel that Ledger's Joker was too over the top; too dark compared to the Joker we have seen for years on the pages of comic books and graphic novels. For the most part, these are the same people that argue Ledger did not deserve to win and that Jack Nicholson's portrayal of The Joker in Tim Burton's Batman was a superior character and closer to the version fans are more familiar with. I would agree that Ledger's Joker was not an exactl replica of the comic book character and I'm glad for it. If you were to take Nicholson's version and place him in The Dark Knight, he would look quite obsurd.

If you were to take a step back, take of your "geek" glasses (no pun intended) and look at The Dark Knight as not a comic book movie, but as an action/drama film, it may give you a different perspective of the character. Look at him as a crazed man with nothing but anger and retribution on his mind, you will see that maybe he did give the performance of a lifetime.

Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference, just like any film. I happen to think that Ledger earned that award. He gave us some incredibley memorable scene and movie lines and delivered them with ease and passion. He immersed him self into the role (some would say too far, but that is for another arguement) and gave us a character that will not soon be forgotten; not just for comic boom movie fans, but movie fans in general.

I've seen this debate pop up in the chat area several times and I wanted to give fans a true venue to discuss the idea. So....Go! Discuss!
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nuck82
nuck82 - 1/20/2011, 11:48 AM
well it was one of those right time at the right place kinda things, it is what it is and it happens alot in award shows
PaulRom
PaulRom - 1/20/2011, 12:05 PM
His spin on The Joker was quite different compared to, say, Jack Nicholson's version, but the spin really showed the character's dark side, seriousness (his acts in TDK were not joking matters...no pun intended), and Ledger's real talent. I haven't seen any of his work before TDK, but seems like he was a great actor. I'm personally glad that he won...although Brolin and Downey are good actors too.
Angelus
Angelus - 1/20/2011, 12:09 PM
No. He did not deserve an Oscar.



BMP!
superbatspiderman
superbatspiderman - 1/20/2011, 1:53 PM
Of course he deserved the Oscar for the role of the Joker he didn't just play the Joker he created a new persona of the character. He became a psychotic killer which I think makes him deserving of an Oscar. Plus all those other roles are from dumb movies or movies that are undeserving.
marvel72
marvel72 - 1/20/2011, 1:57 PM
he wouldn't of got it if he had lived.
RoscoeFolgers
RoscoeFolgers - 1/20/2011, 2:30 PM
Is that so Marvel? Is that why River Phoenix, Brad Renfro, and James Dean have Oscars sitting on their shelves?
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 1/20/2011, 2:52 PM
Good stuff ecks but this is a completely hypothetical question. As good as he was in the part ( and he was very very good) I myself, have often wondered if he would have received the award.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 1/20/2011, 3:19 PM
Well I think ROUTH deserves an Oscar for Superman! :)

BRANDON ROUTH/SUPERMAN



: P
RoscoeFolgers
RoscoeFolgers - 1/20/2011, 4:32 PM
That was my point Notorious, and James Dean never got an Oscar. He was nominated after he died. The people who say "Heath Ledger wouldn't have gotten it if he was alive" have absolutely no proof of that they award Oscars to people just for being did. Peter Finch and Heath Ledger are the only actors to ever win after their deaths.

Why would they say "Oh. He's dead. We should give him the award" when they've never done it before?
marvel72
marvel72 - 1/20/2011, 4:52 PM
he got it as a mark of respect,he did not get it for his acting.

@ gladiator

was "the dark knight" nominated for the oscar that really count you know "best film" or "best director" no i rest my case.

i like "the dark knight" but it is overated,its only so well recieved because its the only character that warner/dc entertainment ever make films about.

marvel make comic book movies,with a look & feel of a comic book.

i don't think marvel are expecting any oscar's maybe for "best special effects" but nothing else.
selinakyle
selinakyle - 1/20/2011, 4:54 PM
.

I have seen all those movies with the exception of Revolutionary road which for some reason i can never sit down to watch. So i will not include Michael Shannon in my comparison. Sure Brolin was actually really good in Milk because you could see and feel his character unraveling, RDJ was hilarious in TT but i personally don’t think he deserved to be nominated for that role. RSH in Doubt really did not make that big of an impression on me. Now, i was never a Big Heath Ledger fan. I had a lot of doubts when Nolan cast him as the Joker. But when i finally got to see the movie, it wasn't Heath Ledger, it was the Joker...a murdering psychopath. Did he deserve to win? I’m not sure, but when you compare him to his nominated counterparts, i was not surprised he won at all. And i don’t think he won because he was dead. That is an insult to the performance he gave in that movie. As good as Brolin was in Milk, i never really thought he was a contender.
FutureCBMHero
FutureCBMHero - 1/20/2011, 4:54 PM
For some reason my post didn't stick soooo to paraphrase.

Ledger deserved the award. His performance and creation was better than everyone elses, and I saw everyone elses. PSH was 2nd, but the thing that hurt him is that his character is a little straightforward, not a whole to create there. Brolin's was third, but still wasn't anything really awesome. Shannon's was too small to compete, and RDJs was too shallow. Ledger's was more complex and unique than anyone elses, and he truly lost himself in this character. Hands down, no doubt about it deserved the award.

FutureCBMHero
FutureCBMHero - 1/20/2011, 4:58 PM
And anyone that thinks Christian Bale was bad doesn't know acting.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 1/20/2011, 5:06 PM
My take on it is, did he deserve the award? Absolutely. Would he have won it had he lived? Doubtful.
marvel72
marvel72 - 1/20/2011, 5:09 PM
@ thenotorioustit

that a good desciption of how he sounds,i can't f*cking stand that throat cancer voice.

bale is a great actor in everything,apart from the "batman" films.
FutureCBMHero
FutureCBMHero - 1/20/2011, 5:10 PM
It's been said time and time again that his voice was digitally enhanced, so HE didn't do it as grave.. So it's silly to criticize him for that.

The choice to alter his voice is a great character decision. It's either an immersion of Bruce Wayne into Batman, or it's in a sense a development of an entirely different person. hence why he even uses the voice with Lucius, even though Lucius knows who he is. Either way, it's a great decision to make.

Then the rest of his performance is excellent on top of that, as well.

Oh, and don't knock Mariah Carey, she did really well in Precious.
FutureCBMHero
FutureCBMHero - 1/20/2011, 5:11 PM
ROR,

Who do you think wins if he lives?
marvel72
marvel72 - 1/20/2011, 5:25 PM
batman fans,still think that "the dark knight" is the best most perfect comic book movie ever,well check this out.

maybe take notes on "the joker" scenes

FutureCBMHero
FutureCBMHero - 1/20/2011, 11:49 PM
That video is ridiculous because, as we know when people showed the IM2 was mistake filled, EVERY movie has tons of continuity mistakes and the like. It's going to happen for one reason or another.


Notorious

I'm not saying he deserved an award, but Bale's Batman/Bruce Wayne is a heck of an acting job. It's sincere, deep, complex, honest, and conflicted...if you're hung up on the voice, then so be it, but you're missing the bigger picture of the performance.
yowsaman
yowsaman - 1/21/2011, 2:25 AM
i'm a marvel fan.

and yes heath diserved the oscar. would he gotten it if he was still alive? i dont know, you dont know. nobody know's. give it a rest.

He did a hell of a job. he did some acting that is still being rememberd. was his voice enhanced.. who gives a [frick]. you can enhance your voice digitaly but still give a sloppy perfomance with your body language, facial expression... etc.

people saying that TDK was not nominated in an other category so he did not deserve the award are stupid! where the other movies nominated in any category? does it even matter!(tropical thunder.. i think not!)it's the performance that counts btw. not the movie. Good actors make a bad movie better.

in memory of the GREAT heath "joker" ledger: "wy so serious..." xD
marvel72
marvel72 - 1/21/2011, 3:45 AM
@ frogsplash

probably to a dc fan it would come across pointless,but it does show nolans faults not such a great director now.
havoc9987
havoc9987 - 1/21/2011, 5:37 AM
I think ledger desereved the oscar for his performance but I still think it went to him because of his death. I just can't believe they would of given it to him if he had lived the judges really hate comic book movies, it was proven when ben button won over Iron Man, sorry but the CGI in Button has nothing over IRON MAN.
RoscoeFolgers
RoscoeFolgers - 1/21/2011, 8:43 AM
@havoc. Benjamin Button's CG was retardedly superior to Iron Man's. They had to turn Brad Pitt into another person, people are the hardest thing to CG. Not putting Iron Man down, but it's much easier to make a metal suit look real than to turn someone named "The Sexiest Man Alive" into a 4-foot-tall old man and make it convincing.
yankeemanf
yankeemanf - 1/21/2011, 3:04 PM
i dont think he deserved the oscar....he was great but not good enuff ofr the oscar if he died i guarantee he wouldnt have won the oscar and the dark knight wouldnt be as highly touted as it is...dont get me wrong the dark knight is great but i think that batman begins was a better movie all around and i feel that the crow wouldnt be considered that great nowadays if brandon lee didnt die during filming its a good movie also jus not as great as every1 makes it out 2 be imo
FutureCBMHero
FutureCBMHero - 1/21/2011, 3:48 PM
Once again, who wins if Ledger lives? I can say with confidence that it was Ledger or PSH, almost certainly.

And since PSH won the best lead actor for Capote against Ledger's Brokeback Mountain nomination, I think the Academy would've given Ledger this one. It would've been his "turn" as many like to say. Brolin will get his soon, and RDJ will get his for a lead, not supporting. It's a bit of politics.
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