When River Phoenix died, I was a little kid. I couldn't tell him apart from Leonardo DiCaprio and didn't care. It wasn't until much later that I realized what a loss it was for the acting community and movies at large that we had lost such a phenomenal and unique talent.
Here we go again.
Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in New York. I didn't know the guy personally, but for some reason, I'm gutted. Here was a guy who was just starting to take off. He was a good actor who had overcome the phase of "I do bad parts because I have great looks," and was getting into some meaty character roles. There was of course Brokeback Mountain, a great film, for which his performance was rightly singled out as the highlight of the movie.
Then there's the Joker. Like a lot of dorks, I was really looking forward to this and in particular, Ledger's performance. I didn't know a single person into that kind of thing, who wasn't really hyped about the movie, almost entirely because his work stood out as everything we ever hoped a Joker on film would be. The fact that the actor playing him would die months before the film's opening, is heartbreaking, surreal, and cruel.
I know it's not tasteful to talk about this sort of thing, especially, the very day that the guy dies, but let's be honest: The Dark Knight is ruined. I can't imagine watching that movie right now, being able to enjoy it all, knowing the star of it (and he was the star, I think we can all already see that), is dead. This was probably going to be the best movie of the summer and now it's shrouded in this thing, and will be, probably forever. It's now a movie to see for the sake of morbid curiosity. It's impossible to promote... and... well what can you say? It's just ruined.
But that's not what's important. What's important is that again we've lost an amazing actor, a brilliant young guy. Heath Ledger had a lot to offer, and was just beginning to show the world what he could do. I don't think you needed to have known him personally to truly feel that loss.
Posted by: Hannibal
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