Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger?

In 1989, Jack Nicholson played the role of the Joker in the film known simply as “Batman”.  Almost twenty years later (2008), Heath Ledger played the role of Joker in the movie “The Dark Knight”.  Subsequently, an interesting debate emerged and rages on to this day.  The question presented is which actor was the better Joker.  Was it Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger?  There are passionate camps for each actor’s depiction.  Let me start with Ledger.

I remember hearing all sorts of positive buzz about Heath Ledger's performance in the months leading up to the release of “The Dark Knight”.  This anticipation was elevated when the sad, tragic news was released that Heath Ledger had died shortly after filming.  Heath left us with an absolute gem.  Ledger was absolutely phenomenal.  He was gripping, haunting, and the thief of every scene he was in.  If you ever want an illustration of what it means for an actor to completely dissolve into a character, it is Heath Ledger as the Joker.  You didn’t really think about the actor; you thought about the character he was presenting.  He brilliantly showcases the Joker’s menace, his evil, and his homicidal ways.  What a performance!

Jack Nicholson’s depiction of Joker is more overshadowed, minimized, and undervalued than it should be as a result of Ledger’s representation.  But I love and appreciate Nicholson’s characterization of the Joker as well.  Those who criticize Nicholson and assert that he isn’t as convincing as Ledger’s Joker need to take a fresh look at Jack’s depiction.  Somehow they missed the exquisite genius of his portrayal.  They somehow missed how fantastic a job Nicholson did.  Jack Nicholson’s Joker is just as menacing, lethal, threatening, and murderous as his counterpart.  Like Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson is genuinely riveting, mesmerizing, and gripping in every scene he is in.

 

So, as I conclude, who gets my vote: Nicholson or Ledger?  My answer is why can’t we appreciate both portrayals for what they were?  You may think this is an evasive, cop-out answer but I don’t think it is.  If you were to come up to me and say, "Kevin, Heath Ledger’s Joker was amazing," I would wholeheartedly agree with you.  Similarly, if you were to come up to me and say, "Kevin, I really like Jack Nicholson’s Joker.  He was just incredible," I would wholeheartedly agree with you as well.  It’s like both were famous painters who painted a masterful work of art.  Like art, individual tastes vary, so some will prefer one over the other, and that’s okay.  But each is undeniably fantastic.  They both succeeded in what they were trying to do: present us with a gripping cinematic depiction of Batman’s greatest villain, Joker.

Kevin