Batman Poster

The Joker, the maniac villain with the clownish appearance has been labeled Batman's archenemy. The Joker originally appeared in the Batman #1. The Joker has been responsible for many of Batman's personal tragedies including the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd. The comic books have portrayed the Joker as both a goofy trickster and a violent psychopath. Caesar Romero portrayed the villain as campy and funny although psychotic in the 1960's television series. Jack Nicholson depicted the Joker as a more human character though still a psychotic killer. Heath Ledger, who portrayed the Joker in "The Dark Knight", created a Joker who was a completely psychotic killer. Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was a departure for fans who only knew the Joker as portrayed by Caesar Romero in the television series and Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film "Batman." The Joker as portrayed in "The Dark Knight" was truly one of the most completely evil villains in film history.

The DC comics never mention the Joker's name but in the films, he is known as Jack Napier. His career prior to becoming a super villain includes being a failed stand up comedian and a failed mobster. Most of the stories include the same explanation for the Joker's garish looks, a fall into a vat of chemicals that bleached his skin and left his hair bright green. In the Dark Knight, Heath Ledger depicted the Joker with a "Glasgow smile". A Glasgow smile is the practice of cutting a victim on either side from mouth to ear, giving the appearance of an extended grin. Ledger's Joker accentuated this grin with unevenly applied white, red and black makeup. His appearance is unlike other incarnations in that no mention is made of an accident involving chemicals.

In the Dark Knight, the Joker continues to maintain the mystery surrounding his past life, telling conflicting stories about the origins of his scarring. In the film, the Joker is a bank robber who is hired to kill Batman. He eventually comes to identify himself through his battle with Batman. He seeks to destroy social order through terror. Unlike earlier renditions of the Joker, who used an array of weapons that seemed to come from a gag store, Ledger’s Joker used knives, guns and explosives. In earlier depictions, the Joker used an acid squirting lapel flower, a razor sharp deck of cards and an electrically charged hand buzzer.

The Joker does things according to his own kind of twisted logic. He is Batman's complete opposite, an intelligent enemy whose intelligence is his greatest weapon. Even though his methods are twisted, he easily evades capture because of the games he uses against the authorities. While Batman prefers to stay in the shadows, the Joker seeks the limelight and basks in it.

Even though Batman is the Joker's enemy, the Joker is well aware of the relationship between the two of them. He respects the Batman. In the "Dark Knight”, he tells Batman, "Why would I kill you? What would I do without you?" Since Batman does not kill, the Joker knows that they are destined to fight each other forever. As the Joker explains to Batman "This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object."

The "Dark Knight" presented fans with a version of the Joker that had never been seen before. Ledger's Joker was so twisted and cruel that it made Nicholson's portrayal seem as campy as Caesar Romero's. There was no humor in Ledger's portrayal. Even the physical appearance of the Joker, designed by costume designer Lindy Hemming was "scruffy and grungy", "as if he didn't care about himself at all."

Ledger created the Joker as an anarchist. A completely psychotic killer who is determined to prove that all people, given the right circumstances, are as sick and twisted as he is. Ledger's portrayal of the Joker earned the actor a posthumous Academy Award. Despite rumors to the contrary, Heath Ledger was the only actor ever considered by director Christopher Nolan to portray the Joker. The reason for his choice, according to Nolan was Ledger's "fearlessness." Ledger spent weeks delving into the character of the Joker, secluding himself in a hotel room while he worked on every aspect of the persona. Ledger said he based the look of the Joker on punk rocker Sid Vicious and the mannerisms on Malcolm McDowell’s character in “A Clockwork Orange.” Ledger viewed the Joker as "just an absolute sociopath, a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown," adding that director Nolan had given him free reign with the character.

The Joker as portrayed in the Dark Knight is the ultimate villain, the perfect nemesis for the moral Batman. Unlike other villains, who are motivated by a love of money or desire for power, the Joker does not care about money or power for himself. He wants to see Gotham city dissolve into chaos. By bringing about anarchy, he can prove that order and organization are meaningless. The Joker has no attachment to anyone or anything. He sees value in Batman and understands that without Batman he would be useless. His lack of empathy for anyone or anything makes him truly dangerous. His lack of self worth makes him doubly so, his soullessness makes him one of the scariest criminals in modern comic books.

Fans of the Batman series have followed the Joker through all of his incarnations. The baby boomer fans may remember Caesar Romero’s wise cracking, practical joke pulling Joker. Fans of the 1989 film will remember Nicholson’s Joker wistfully wondering where Batman got “all of those wonderful toys”. The Joker of the new millennium is a cold-blooded killer of the worse kind. He respects no one and nothing. Ledger deserved every accolade that he received for creating such a perfect villain. Each incarnation of the Joker has its merits and place in the history of the character. True fans of the film will no doubt agree that there will never be a portrayal of this iconic villain to match Ledger’s creation.