The Joker is an iconic villain. First introduced in the Spring of 1940, the Clown Prince of Crime has transformed from a violent criminal into a zany trickster and most everything in-between. He is vicious, strategic, and unpredictable all at once. This chaotic persona can seem beyond our understanding one moment and all too real the next. For the chaos and madness, though, the Joker has consistently proven a formidable archnemesis for the Batman as well as an entertaining figure to watch.
Part of what keeps the Joker fresh is the opportunity for interpretation. While the comics presented a mass criminal at first, they eventually softened into the more comical character fans of Cesar Romero might recognize. When the gags began taking a darker tone we saw a more intense take on the villain’s madness. The Joker of the Batman: The Animated Series and Tim Burton’s Batman offered a criminal who could match the seemingly unstoppable Batman. Better yet, stories to explore the relationship between the Batman and the Joker in a more philosophical sense. You could say this has been the best time to be a fan of the Joker.
All of this history informed the performance Heath Ledger delivered in The Dark Knight. The young actor paid homage to the zany, the dark, and the dastardly persona to create an entirely fresh and unforgettable take on the Joker. For all of the actor’s amazing work, there are aspects of the character some might have missed or ed over.
So now, 10 years after the initial release, we’re taking you back to 2008’s The Dark Knight with 25 Details About Heath Ledger’s Joker That Fans Choose To Ignore.
Master of Disguise
One of the lesser discussed characteristics unique to Heath Ledger’s Joker is a clear mastery of disguise. That’s especially impressive considering he sports a Glasgow smile.
Our first glimpse into this ability is during the opening scene. We have no idea the Joker is among the crew robbing the mob bank as they all wear collectible clown masks and plain clothes. Later, during the memorial, the Joker takes on the guise of an officer in the Gotham City Police Department deceiving the hundreds of cops surrounding him. Toward the end of the film, the Joker even dresses in a women’s nurse outfit to gain access to Harvey Dent’s hospital room (and it works).
Joker’s a Veteran (Maybe)
Okay, okay, you’ve probably heard this one buzzing around the web. Patton Oswalt brought particular fame to the fan theory that Heath Ledger’s Joker may be a traumatized war veteran. The theory cites references in the film such as the GD’s own guesses about the Joker’s origin, his unique skills in the movie, and his own references to battle.
They point to the way the Joker uses military hardware, like an RPG, with comfort and ease. For a supposed man, he also weaves complex strategies for his crimes with tactics involving multiple moving pieces to achieve his goals. The way he handles an intense interrogation with Batman could even reveal professional training.
Well-Armed Joker
Whether or not the Heath Ledger’s Joker served, we can all agree that he is exceptionally well-armed. That point is easy to overlook, too. Throughout The Dark Knight series, the Batman story is given roots in our modern world including our anxieties about war, politics, and social structure. This cultural context means the Batman doesn't just have some interesting gadgets -- he’s equipped with a variety of military-grade armaments often times more advanced than those used in the war.
If the Batman resembles an advanced soldier, then the Joker is more like a well-armed enemy of one. The Joker’s armory includes shotguns, pistols, machine guns, rocket launchers, knives, and even plastic explosives.
The Joker Knows People
The Joker is dark and unhinged, but he also understands people. Just look at his achievements. Even before the bank heist, he’s able to convince a crew to rob a bank owned by Sal Maroni -- the biggest mob boss in Gotham City. He manipulates the anxieties of the mob bosses concerning the Batman to force them to hire him, which empowers the Joker even more.
Finally, the Joker orchestrates the transformation of District Attorney Harvey Dent into a man so broken that he holds a child at gunpoint for reasons even Dent doesn’t seem to totally understand. The only person the Joker doesn’t seem to understand is Batman.
Who Needs Gas?
One thing Heath Ledger’s Joker didn’t include is his signature weapon -- laughing gas. Depicted in Batman: The Animated Series, Tim Burton’s Batman series, and even the on-going show Gotham, this gas is usually capable of turning everyday citizens into ever-smiling zombies who often laugh themselves into an early grave.
However, this Joker doesn’t abandon everything about the gas. From picking off the city’s leadership to holding hundreds hostage with bombs, the Joker coordinates massive criminal threats and moral challenges to achieve the same ends -- that is, making others like him. Where laughing gas often changed people to resemble the Joker physically, his actions in the film instead seek to change their thinking.
The Joker is Temptation
We might think of the Joker as an agent of chaos, but he could just as easily be called an agent of temptation. The Joker simply doesn’t seem capable of leaving any rule alone. This clear is enough in his criminal behavior but becomes more interesting when the rule defines another character.
When the Joker believes Harvey Dent is the Batman, his torments challenge the so-called “White Knight of Gotham” to abandon his beliefs and take the law into his own hands. While the Joker is beaten during his interrogation, he can’t stop himself from challenging the Batman to break his no-killing rule. Maybe he’s committed or maybe it’s a compulsion.
Feared By Fans
Today the performance by Heath Ledger is lauded as one of, if not the best, performances of the character. Many imagine what might have come next had the actor lived long enough to see his success firsthand and reprise his role in The Dark Knight Rises. Sadly, that wasn’t to be.
What many forget is that Heath Ledger was considered a risky move. Christopher Nolan considered Ledger the best fit for the role, but fans weren’t convinced. The young actor had his successes in romance and comedy, which concerned many that such a dramatic role was a poor fit. Even Jack Nicholson was irritated about his run as the Clown Prince coming to an end.
The Glasgow Smile
One of the most iconic aspects of Heath Ledger’s Joker was, of course, the smile. Flaking dried makeup looked offputting, but mercifully, it hid the cringeworthy scars rising from the corners of his mouth. Or at least, the makeup made the sight a little less bad. It’s really a testament to the makeup artist (who was awarded for his work, by the way).
What some don’t realize is the fact these scars are based in reality. It’s called a Glasgow smile. The name is said to come from Scotland where especially brutal gangs would leave those unfortunate enough to earn their ire with this life-long wound. Really makes the Joker that much scarier, doesn’t it?
Fully Invested
Heath Ledger said that Christopher Nolan showed him the world of The Dark Knight. That’s what excited him most. This was a complex role requiring serious dedication, research, and the willingness to dip his toe into a strange way of being. To achieve this, Heath Ledger isolated himself for a month in a hotel room.
While there, the actor practiced and studied, keeping a journal now known as the “Joker Diary” with his thoughts and inspirations. Ledger based his mannerisms and look on a variety of sources including laughing hyenas and A Clockwork Orange’s Alex DeLarge -- even replicating that “Kubrick Stare” during the interrogation scene.
The Tongue Thing
The Joker is expected to be eccentric. Wild gestures, questionable fashion, and the bone-chilling laugh are a few of the staples. One unique contribution from The Dark Knight was the “tongue thing”. You know, the way the Joker licked at the corners of his mouth, sometimes even pausing his story to do so.
It’s a small gesture, but an important way to make the character all the more real. According to Christopher Nolan, the “tongue thing” started when Heath Ledger’s prosthetic refused to stay in place. Ledger used his tongue to fix it while talking. Even after that little mishap was fixed, the actor kept the gesture as it seemed to fit the Joker.
