The Dark Knight: News, Reviews, your Views. "SPOILERS" welcome!

[LauraGigs]

One great thing about the Joker's character was his courage.  He put himself in the line of fire fearlessly, in fact reveled in it.  If Batman killed him, he won, because he would have made him break his code.  That was a huge turn-on for him.

Yes, I think one reason the Joker is such an oddly fun character is that he's just having himself a blast, especially during the OK-Corral-like showdown with Batman on the street with the truck/motorbike/knife.  He's quite excited by an opponent who can spar on his own level.  (When he gets Batman to crash and injure himself by just standing there, he almost looks disappointed. And laughs his head off when his own henchman is shocked by Batman's helmet, another of Heath's great comic scenes!)

But yeah, one big parallel with Brokeback is that Heath’s character moves through the film not caring much about anyone, except one big-eyed boy . . .

[Mikaela]

Haha!  There really should be an awards category for these ho-hum pairings.

LOL! Or a memory lane. We really owe them big time and shouldn't forget them - it's partly thanks to them that the contrast stands out and we realize at once what a gift we're getting when a couple at the opposite end of the chemistry and acting scale comes along. Jack and Ennis, in other words.

(Can't speak for Batman and the Joker, yet.  )
 

Thanks, Paul.  Maybe being a director has its drawbacks, too.  I know how much organizing, pre-planning, budgeting, ordering and execution goes into just one prop list for a show.  The Joker was managing the equivalent of at least a hundred shows, all opening in one week! 

Well, my previous boss had as his one big professional credo that nothing motivates customers or employees like stark, raw, immediate  fear. So maybe that was the secret to the Joker's impressive organizational talents as well. He scared everything into just happening and falling into place.     Or maybe he had 10 competent Jokerinas secretly doing all the organizing behind the scenes. I mean, the women in Gotham City must be somewhere, doing something, while the menfolk are out being superheros or arch-nemesises or struggling with the decision of whether to become one or the other. 

[southendmd]

"Jokerinas"??

Mikaela, you crack me up!

[Ellemeno]

"Jokerinas"??

Mikaela, you crack me up!

My first thought was that I want to be a Jokerina.  My second thought was, "I do??"

[optom3]

Thanks Meryl for that very articulate commentary. You said it so well!

Like you said, it is all so implausible--which is what really drove home the comic book aspect of the movie to me. In fact, there were many scenes that felt like the frames from a comic book: close up of Batman; close up of Joker; big sweeping aerial shot. All that was missing was the dialog bubbles over their heads.

And talk about no chemistry between Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent! LOL. Last time I saw that much erotic tension was watching Anakin Skywalker and Padme!

One little scene that I keep thinking back to: the Joker riding in a car, sticking is head out in the wind and whoo-wooing, just like a happy dog.

L

I loved that scene as well.
One thing I could not understand was, why from time to time, I found myself feeling sorry for the Joker.Or was it Heath, I don't know.I could not bring myself to fully despise the joker, but that is not because the performance lacked anything, it didn't. There just seemed at some level to be an element of pathos.Or maybe I am just plain nuts !!

[ednbarby]

There wasn't much chemistry between Rachel Dawes and Bruce Wayne, either.  I had a hard time really feeling the loss on either Bruce's or Harvey's part afterwards, I think, because of that.

My favorite scene of Maggie's was when she faced the Joker.  And not out of some perverted "Oh, look, there's Heath holding the face of another Gyllenhaal" thing.  But because the anger the character elicited in her brought out some real chemistry.

Chemistry is a funny thing.  She had oodles of it with Will Ferrell, of all people.  Never saw that one coming.  But then, you have these two gorgeous leading man types, and zippo.

It's all about the pheremones, I tell you.

[Fran]

I'm thinking I'm going to have to see TDK again to see what part Heath played in the bank robbery as I wasn't expecting the Joker to appear so soon.

[Meryl]

Mika, I love your "boneless blue" avatar. 

LOL! Or a memory lane. We really owe them big time and shouldn't forget them - it's partly thanks to them that the contrast stands out and we realize at once what a gift we're getting when a couple at the opposite end of the chemistry and acting scale comes along. Jack and Ennis, in other words.

So true! 

Well, my previous boss had as his one big professional credo that nothing motivates customers or employees like stark, raw, immediate  fear. So maybe that was the secret to the Joker's impressive organizational talents as well. He scared everything into just happening and falling into place. 

Yes indeed, I know from experience that there's nothing like an opening night audience to get people to focus and deliver.  Hardly the same as the Joker, but the fear factor works! 

Or maybe he had 10 competent Jokerinas secretly doing all the organizing behind the scenes. I mean, the women in Gotham City must be somewhere, doing something, while the menfolk are out being superheros or arch-nemesises or struggling with the decision of whether to become one or the other.

Jokerina Brigade, at your service! 

[MaineWriter]

Hahahah! I can be in the brigade! I have one of those caps in my closet...it's an original!

L

[LauraGigs]

I'm thinking I'm going to have to see TDK again to see what part Heath played in the bank robbery as I wasn't expecting the Joker to appear so soon.

Dude, he's the very first guy!  You see him stand at the street corner, then get in the back seat of the truck at the very beginning.

(Is that spoiling it? This is the spoilers thread...  )