Heath Ledger's Death and Batman's Success
Brokeback Mountain Actor's Untimely Death Makes Dark Knight Soar
Aug 5, 2008
When Heath Ledger tragically passed away in January of this year, there followed a lot of controversy and publicity surrounding the actor's final (completed) film: The Dark Knight.
Following a massive marketing campaign largely featuring The Joker, the character Ledger portrayed in the film, hype and indeed hyperbole surrounding The Dark Knight had elevated fan excitement to near breaking point. After the actor's death, the hype and anticipation exploded to a level that, it's fair to say, was stratospheric.
Though pessimists began to wonder whether a comic book film was a fitting curtain call for an actor who always had far more potential than he had been given the opportunity to explore.
In contrast, optimists had the small consolation of knowing that they still had one film of Ledger's left to see and one role left to enjoy.
Heath Ledger Gives (Oscar Worthy?) Tour de Force Performance as Joker
Despite the anticipation, no-one, could have imagined quite how astonishing the performance of the young Australian would turn out. Indeed, David Denby in his July 21, 2008 The New Yorker article opines "He is mezmerising in every scene." Whilst Roger Ebert, in his July 16 review The Dark Knight wonders, "Will he become the first posthumous Oscar winner since Peter Finch?"
Undeniably, after the colossal critical acclaim garnered and trailers focussing predominantly on Ledger's twisted, malevolent creation, audience appetites were whetted almost to breaking point.
Did Ledger's Death Contribute to Box Office Success?
To examine the effect of Ledger's death on the film, one can simply observe the box-office success. Since its release it has smashed previous box-office records in the United States, with the highest grossing opening weekend ever, Box Office Mojo reporting a gross of $158,411,483, surpassing the previous holder Spiderman 3. Furthermore, it is the first comic book film ever to spark claims for an Academy Award for acting.
Scott Bowles of USA Today, in his July 21, 2008 article Heath Ledger's 'Dark' Joker Looks To Be An Oscar Wild Card, gives both sides of an interesting arguement. He says, "There is no question Ledger's death has lent the movie a gravita's it would not have had if Ledger were alive. And he remains the key fixture of the ad campaign, his face emblazoned on as many posters as Batman's."
Though not wanting to appear to take side's, Bowles also opines that the studio does not want to be seen as cashing in on Ledger's death, and informs that "It turned down interview requests for this article."
It seems Bowles, like many critics, and fans, doesn't like to think Warner Brothers are perhaps guilty of angling the marketing campaign even more intensely towards the Joker, following Ledger's demise.
Undeniably, whether as a result of his death directly, or the fact that his outstanding performance, coupled with his untimely death have ensured him the status of a cult icon, Heath Ledger's death has had an enormous positive effect on The Dark Knight. Supplying it with endless media attention, countless reviews and excessive critical appraisal.
Furthermore, his death has likely led to a huge augmentation in ticket sales, some perhaps from morbid curiosity rather than fandom, and has resulted one of the most successful movies ever. With Ledger's exceptional performance forever immortalized on screen, he is sure to join the likes of James Dean and Kurt Cobain as a young, extraordinary talent who has burnt out but will never fade away.
