Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Dark Knight

So, the wonderful Erik wanted to see "Dark Knight" for his birthday. Which we did. And I don't know if you know this about me, but actually, I am very impressionable. So, seeing Heath Ledger play this PSYCHOPATH really freaked me out. I didn't sleep that well, and we were throwing a party the next day! Oh man, I kept imaging the Joker breaking into our house, for no reason. Which, I might add, is the scary thing about the Joker in this story. There was no reason, there was no background on this maniac. He just existed and his only desire was to promote chaos and destruction. It was scary. And you know, I can't actually tell you it was a good movie. I was so shocked most of the time watching this twisted person wreak havoc on society.

Not to mention that the fact that Heath Ledger killed himself at the end of filming this movie never left my mind. He must have been seriously disturbed...

9 comments:

"Intentionally Katie" said...

Was it determined that he killed himself? I didn't think the movie was done being filmed...I heard (from tv...could be unreliable) that 3 different actors "finished" his role in the movie. Hmmm...now I'm curious.

Jessie said...

I think I heard that too. But you know, I couldn't tell you which actors took over when; there was consistency throughout the movie.

Okay, so maybe the technical cause of death on the death certificate was not suicide, but he did overdose on anti-psychotics, pain killers, and anti-depressants. So, what does that tell you about Ledger's state of mind?

Ashley Bartley said...

Hey girls! I thought I would bring some insight to his death, atleast what I heard. Batman was finished filming but it was another movie where a different actor (not sure who) took over his role. I haven't seen Batman and I am not sure I will...

"Intentionally Katie" said...

I guess it probably was another movie...maybe I just heard that he was in "mid-film" and assumed it was this one. I think I'll pass on seeing this movie, too. I don't need nightmares!

The Maid said...

I will miss Heath Ledger...not his Brokeback Mountain role or even the Joker, but remember A Knight's Tale?

Fell in love with him in that one. :)

I think no matter the cause of death, it is terribly sad.

Oh, and I think that the folks who are prescribing all of the prescription meds that people are taking are somewhat responsible! Dude...you can't take all of those things...even in regular doses without experiencing some side effects!

Just my opinion.
The Maid

Heather@Cultivated Lives said...

We just saw this last night and I'm still pretty freaked out. Heath pulled off PURE EVIL. shudder...

CandidaBell said...

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in.

As a huge fan of Heath Ledger I did a lot of research on his death b/c it was so upsetting to me that he died at such a young age.

He had severe anxiety due and was on anti-depressants to ease the pressures of paparazzi while trying to keep a private life.

Because of his determination as an actor, he really wanted to get into his role as the Joker which he nailed, and of course, being as psychotic as it turned out, he had problems sleeping at night, so another doctor prescribed him sleeping pills.

Finally, while filming his final movie (for which 3 other actors have filled into finish his role), he and the other actors were underneath a rain machine for 90% of the filming in extreme cold conditions, which caused him to have a severe cold, for which another doctor prescribed him some antibiotics/cold medicine.

Taken at regular doses, the 3 pills combined can cause major side effects. Take an extra sleeping pill or 2, and there you go, accidental overdose.

It is tragic that he died so young - he was truly talented, and said in his final interview before his death that he had so much to live for, with his 2-year old daughter Matilda, and all. So, say what you want, but there's no way he would have ended his life voluntarily.

On a side note - I thought he was absolutely amazing as the Joker. He definitely lived up to all the hype.

Jessie said...

Candida, Ledger's performance was awesome. It's the only way I can describe it. One of those performances that leaves a person changed. I found it so disturbing, yet the depth to which he (Ledger) never backed away from, well, you just rarely see it. Now that it's been a couple of weeks and I'm sleeping better at night, I can evaluate it on a objective scale.

You obviously did your homework and I'm wrong that he took his own life.

Those types of drugs are used so frequently in today's age, especially in Hollywood, that you and I would probably agree that maybe there is some self-destructive behavior going on leading to the necessity of those drugs. Maybe Ledger's decision to pursue such a role did lead to his untimely death. And given that, wouldn't you presume that possibly his death was brought on by his choices?

CandidaBell said...

Jess,

Sure you can say that his death was possibly brought on by his choices - I mean, we all will never know all the details of the truth behind his death.

But I guess I feel that it's unfortunate because his first choice was to be an actor, a serious actor, not just known as a Hollywood heart-throb. He was a very private person, and the Paparazzi could not leave him alone, which started the cycle of self-medication.

I miss the days of Old Hollywood. When it was truly glamorous, and not just filled with all this empty hype that yes, definitely leads people in the spotlight down the road to destruction.

And I do agree with Becky who said that the doctors should have some responsibility over what medicines they prescribe. But I guess we will never know if each doctor knew each medication he was taking.

It is definitely a loss that I am still heartbroken by.