So, anyone who has seen The Dark Knight Rises by now knows fully well that the character of the Joker, (played brilliantly by the late Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight), was completely absented from the film. Despite having such an impact on the previous Batman movie, and being one of the major reasons as to why the film was so popular, he was nowhere to be seen in Nolan's final Batman movie. Not only was he not seen, he wasn't even spoken of; there wasn't even a single line of dialogue that hinted at what became of him.
Now, I am aware of the main reason the Joker was not seen or heard of in the film- they wanted to be respectful towards Heath Ledger, and thought that to include any reference to the Joker would be deemed offensive to his memory. But there's one thing they seem to have forgotten to consider- Heath Ledger is not the Joker. Heath Ledger played the Joker.
Now it's extremely sad and all that such a talented actor died so young, and I'm not trying to dilute the tragedy of his death, but in a way, I find not referencing the Joker out of respect for Ledger's memory to be more offensive than it would have been to allude to him, as by "respecting him" by not hinting at the Joker, isn't that, in a way, linking him very closely to such a vile and horrible character? Is it not almost suggesting that the real person and the fictional character are one and the same? The memory of the real person has to be so kept so sacred that a character he played cannot be mentioned at all in a film made after the actor's death?
Can't we be trusted to be intelligent enough to distinguish actor from character? Would there really have been a massive shit-storm if there had at least been a couple of lines referencing the Joker's whereabouts during the events of The Dark Knight Rises, or showing some flashbacks of him at some point in the film, as his actions in The Dark Knight greatly affected the city of Gotham and the character of Bruce Wayne that we see in The Dark Knight Rises.
Please excuse my somewhat nonsensical rambling, and I apologise if I'm in the vast minority here and have offended many by suggesting that a character played by a now dead actor should have been alluded to in a film he was not alive to act in.
I'd appreciate any additional thoughts on this topic.
Now, I am aware of the main reason the Joker was not seen or heard of in the film- they wanted to be respectful towards Heath Ledger, and thought that to include any reference to the Joker would be deemed offensive to his memory. But there's one thing they seem to have forgotten to consider- Heath Ledger is not the Joker. Heath Ledger played the Joker.
Now it's extremely sad and all that such a talented actor died so young, and I'm not trying to dilute the tragedy of his death, but in a way, I find not referencing the Joker out of respect for Ledger's memory to be more offensive than it would have been to allude to him, as by "respecting him" by not hinting at the Joker, isn't that, in a way, linking him very closely to such a vile and horrible character? Is it not almost suggesting that the real person and the fictional character are one and the same? The memory of the real person has to be so kept so sacred that a character he played cannot be mentioned at all in a film made after the actor's death?
Can't we be trusted to be intelligent enough to distinguish actor from character? Would there really have been a massive shit-storm if there had at least been a couple of lines referencing the Joker's whereabouts during the events of The Dark Knight Rises, or showing some flashbacks of him at some point in the film, as his actions in The Dark Knight greatly affected the city of Gotham and the character of Bruce Wayne that we see in The Dark Knight Rises.
Please excuse my somewhat nonsensical rambling, and I apologise if I'm in the vast minority here and have offended many by suggesting that a character played by a now dead actor should have been alluded to in a film he was not alive to act in.
I'd appreciate any additional thoughts on this topic.
