While he may not be known for being the biggest fan of CGI and virtual visual effects in his films, Christopher Nolan somehow finds a way of making some of the most exceptional films known to mankind. And despite having no prior knowledge of making comic book movies, he managed to make The Dark Knight trilogy, arguably one of the best superhero film series ever.
But it wasn’t he who managed to pull off such an ambitious project to the heights of popularity and success alone, it was the hard work and contributions of the cast and crew that made that possible.
But even when everything went near-perfectly during the shoot and the performance of the stars, Nolan was irked by Heath Ledger constantly licking his lips while playing Joker. This trait, however, would become a characteristic that would prove monumental for his role.
Christopher Nolan Letting Heath Ledger Continue A Mistake Made The Joker An Icon
While the MCU and the DCU may be the franchises that have taken over the superhero film genre and cinema in general, most might argue that none of them managed to create something like The Dark Knight Trilogy. Created by Christopher Nolan, the series saw Batman in a new light that blew the minds of the audience when they witnessed these masterpieces for themselves.
One of the most memorable and iconic aspects of the series was the Late actor Heath Ledger‘s performance as Joker. The public thought that the actor was the meaning of perfection while portraying the Clown Prince of Crime. But Nolan felt that Ledger’s constant licking of his lips was something that didn’t sit well with his character.
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In the past, Nolan talked about his experience filming with Ledger for their then-upcoming film The Dark Knight. He said that every aspect of the Brokeback Mountain star’s performance was finely articulated to suit the deranged criminal’s character, but he licked his lips whenever they were shooting. Because he had to keep his voice free-flowing and unconventional all the time, which required his lips to remain moisturized.
At first, he said that he found it to be a mistake that he let carry on, but when the audience saw that performance, it made The Joker look that much more unhinged and brazen, which further made him even more appealing. He said (via Far Out Magazine):
“As with a lot of things that Heath would do, at first I thought it was a mistake. Because the prosthetics on his mouth would come a little unstuck. But then it became apparent that he’d really found something”
Thus, keeping this one mistake unchanged, Nolan was able to make Ledger’s Joker the benchmark of the character’s portrayal for the next iterations to come.
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Why Is Heath Ledger’s Joker Revered As The Best?
While the entire focus of the film was the development of Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter-ego, Ledger’s Joker was the one that took the spotlight away. Creating an absolutely enigmatic persona shrouded in mystery and psychotic mania, the character was the draw for the crowd for that film.
Along with the aforementioned traits, the performance had no room for complaints from the critics of the audience since the star poured his heart and soul into bringing Joker to life with such precision that his depiction became synonymous with The Clown from DC Comics himself.
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The Dark Knight, streaming on Max.
