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Should Heath Ledger win an Oscar®?

Posted on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009
by Andrea Miller - Cineplex Entertainment

Heath Ledger

Following his posthumous Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actor and nominations from almost every major film critics’ organization, the chances of Heath Ledger joining the ranks of Oscar winners for his startling portrayal as the nihilistic crime-lord The Joker in The Dark Knight are nearly a lock.

Buzz has been building since before the film’s summer release and talk of Ledger sequestering himself in a hotel room while creating the comic book villain added to the myth and legend of the late actor’s near-final performance.

There is no denying that Ledger dazzled on the big screen, bringing a fresh sense of terror and barely-contained lunacy to a very well-known character – but is this enough to net him the first posthumous acting Oscar since 1976?

At the risk of being wildly unpopular and the target of many a rabid fan’s furious rant, I have to say no.

Check out what some people had to say about Heath Ledger winning an Oscar.

That isn’t to say Ledger didn’t do a commendable job of re-imagining a character that was, up until that point, clearly owned by everyone’s favourite grinning lothario, Jack Nicholson. As well, Christopher Nolan made good on the franchise overhaul he hinted at with 2002’s Batman Begins, sketching a darker, more troubled world for the conflicted superhero and depraved baddie whose intrinsic struggle lay at the heart of the film.

So why not grant Ledger the Oscar then, you ask?

Though it’s only human to romanticize the past and lionize the departed, Ledger’s work, while good, simply does not hold up to the canon of Oscar winning roles. Yes, he did an exemplary job of elevating the superhero villain to new artistic levels, but when viewed with respect to the other celebrated performances this year – Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt, Robert Downey Jr. in anything, Josh Brolin in Milk and Eddie Marsan from Happy-Go-Lucky, to name a few – and from years past, The Joker, quite simply, comes up short.

Acting like a lawless maniac who lives to see things go boom certainly isn’t as easy as it sounds but Ledger showed grace, subtlety and more importantly, range, in Brokeback Mountain as Ennis del Mar, earning him his first, and very deserved, Oscar nomination. Similarly, he was one of the many skilled actors tackling a man who knows a thing or two about self-mythologizing in Todd Haynes’ inventive Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There.

There’s no doubt that the Australia native was much more than his chiseled jaw and easy smile originally suggested, taking on roles that made the public forget his part in late-90s teen fare and see him as an accomplished actor in his own right.

But the Oscars are meant to honour the best performances of the year in film and though Ledger’s Joker will no doubt be remembered and widely admired, a Best Supporting Oscar win would be, simply put, unfair.

For a full list of the 2009 Oscar nominees click here.

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What do YOU think? Should Heath Ledger win an Oscar for his work in The Dark Knight? Is his performance overrated or amazing? Discuss your thoughts below!

(Click here for tickets to The Dark Knight IMAX® encore presentation)

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    • robc.626
    • Written at 5:55 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009

    • Narrow-mindedness towards comic book films is present as always. It doesn't matter where a story comes from as long as it's good folks.

    • Firedragon
    • Written at 3:36 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009

    • I think that Heath Ledger should win the Oscar for his work in The Dark Knight to honor his memory and his life. Remember, it is only an award. In the eternal scheme of things, material things are only really important to the living. This award is important to those who love him and who will always remember Heath Ledger. Out of respect for those people, the award should be given to Heath Ledger.

    • peasantgirl
    • Written at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009

    • I think some people just automatically assume it is easy to be funny etc. I heard rumours that the Dark Knight earned $500 million? I totally understand why Heath's name is there. I don't think Daniel Day Lewis could have done a better job. Even Daniel Day Lewis was impressed by Heath's performance. If Daniel Day Lewis thinks Ledger's performance is stunning, then who am I to disagree?

    • andrea_miller
    • Written at 5:23 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, 2009

    • Happy to see you guys are as equally captivated by the whole Heath Ledger legend as I am!

      Re: EmilyBradenFan - I'm also skeptical of the Oscars honouring a comic book film when there is far superior material out there.

    • DefineMe
    • Written at 4:16 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, 2009

    • Heath was simply amazing in the Dark Knight. He brought something new to the Joker, that no one has done before. Heath made it his own. Its almost shocking that it was him. To me personally it doesnt matter if he is dead or alive, he still deserves that award. It belongs to him.

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