"The Dark Knight" is the highest rated film on the IMDB's Top 250

[Gidget]

Ok Ok, so I know I said I thought The Dark Knight was awesome, but it still is a comic book movie, certainly doesn't rank up there with Shawshank, Schindler's List, and Godfather. I think Ledger's performance is really the reason this movie is at the top of that list.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by Gidget

I think Ledger's performance is really the reason this movie is at the top of that list.

Not to be too morbid, but I think it is also due to his death.

[ute4ever]

Originally Posted by creekster

Not to be too morbid, but I think it is also due to his death.

Honestly Batman Begins bored me, I tried to watch it twice but never got halfway through it. I would have had no interest to see the Dark Knight if not for all of the hype over the deceased's performance. That's the only reason I went.

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by ute4ever

Honestly Batman Begins bored me, I tried to watch it twice but never got halfway through it. I would have had no interest to see the Dark Knight if not for all of the hype over the deceased's performance. That's the only reason I went.

It's almost too bad that there is no way to seperate the death from the performance...because I would like to have known how that performance would stack up if he were still alive.

Then again, Oscars are often awarded several years after the deserved performance year...so it would only make sense for Ledger to get one now (allegedly...never saw brokeback, but Denzel, Scorsesie (sp?), etc...you know the drill).

[ute4ever]

One month later and it has dropped to third.

Rank Rating Title Votes
1. 9.1 The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 364,311
2. 9.1 The Godfather (1972) 311,919
3. 9.1 The Dark Knight (2008) 237,033
4. 9.0 The Godfather: Part II (1974) 176,781
5. 8.9 Buono, il brutto, il cattivo., Il (1966) 103,671
6. 8.9 Pulp Fiction (1994) 306,228
7. 8.8 Schindler's List (1993) 202,991
8. 8.8 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 154,148
9. 8.8 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 213,996
10. 8.8 12 Angry Men (1957) 74,555

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by ute4ever

One month later and it has dropped to third.

Rank Rating Title Votes
1. 9.1 The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 364,311
2. 9.1 The Godfather (1972) 311,919
3. 9.1 The Dark Knight (2008) 237,033
4. 9.0 The Godfather: Part II (1974) 176,781
5. 8.9 Buono, il brutto, il cattivo., Il (1966) 103,671
6. 8.9 Pulp Fiction (1994) 306,228
7. 8.8 Schindler's List (1993) 202,991
8. 8.8 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 154,148
9. 8.8 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 213,996
10. 8.8 12 Angry Men (1957) 74,555

Sanity is settling in. It needs to keep dropping.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by DrumNFeather

It's almost too bad that there is no way to seperate the death from the performance...because I would like to have known how that performance would stack up if he were still alive.

Then again, Oscars are often awarded several years after the deserved performance year...so it would only make sense for Ledger to get one now (allegedly...never saw brokeback, but Denzel, Scorsesie (sp?), etc...you know the drill).

I'm really getting sick of the "we can't judge his performance because we can't separate it from his death" people.

I mean, would you not be able to judge a novel if you knew that the author had died 6 months after writing it? "Wow, that novel was excellent, but I wonder if I am just thinking that because he died 6 months after it was written?"

Ask yourself this: where are the comic book villain performances that are better than his? Where are the generic villain performances better than his (e.g. action movies)?

Most of them are entirely unmemorable.

Yes, it is true that the Joker never changes or grows. That the performance is the exercise of a single motif. But it is a brilliant motif. And that the Joker never changes or grows is true of almost all villains in comic book and action films.

Let's look at this list:

1. Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) - Star Wars
2. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) - Silence of the Lambs
3. Amon Goeth (Ralph Feinnes) - Shindlers list
4. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) - Psycho
5. Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) - Blue Velvet
6. Scorpio (Andrew Robinson) - Dirty Harry
7. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) - Die Hard
8. Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) - Wizard of oz
9. Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) - Goldfinger
10. Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) - Training day
11. Mr Blonde (Micheal Madsen) - Resevoir dogs
12. Dracula (Gary Oldman) - Bram Stokers Dracula
13. The Joker (Jack Nicholson) - Batman
14. Mitch Leary (John Malkovich) - In the line of fire
15. Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage) - Face off
16. Sherrif 'Little Bill' Dagget (Gene Hackman) - Unforgiven
17. Saruman (Christopher Lee) - Fellowship of the Ring
18. Jack Wilson (Jack Palance) - Shane
19. The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenneger) - The Terminator
20. Roy Batty (Rutger Haure) - Blade Runner

The two that popped into my head before I saw the list were Alan Rickman in Die Hard and Darth Vader. Was Darth Vader an amazing acting performance? Hardly. Yet, he is one of the most memorable villains. And that's one thing to remember about the Joker in The Dark Knight--the part was written amazingly well.

Funny, when I was just taking a shower before I saw the above list, I was thinking about movies and thinking about Rutger Haure in Blade Runner. He makes the list as well. Usual Suspects, Kaizer Soze may need to be on the list as well.

I think The Joker from The Dark Knight belongs on that list.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Funny, when I was just taking a shower before I saw the above list, I was thinking about movies and thinking about Rutger Haure in Blade Runner. He makes the list as well. Usual Suspects, Kaizer Soze may need to be on the list as well.

I think The Joker from The Dark Knight belongs on that list.

Bill from Kill Bill II was a great villain. I was a little sad when Beatrix *SPOILER ALERT* killed him.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by YOhio

Bill from Kill Bill II was a great villain. I was a little sad when Beatrix *SPOILER ALERT* killed him.

I don't agree. No matter.

One of the better ones for me was Gary Oldman in The Professional.

[Gidget]

Originally Posted by YOhio

Bill from Kill Bill II was a great villain. I was a little sad when Beatrix *SPOILER ALERT* killed him.

I just made myself get rid of all my R rated DVD's and Kill Bill I & II was in the pile. They are probably in my top ten faves of all time, it was a sad day. (And Bill was a GREAT villian.)