The Golden Globe, that is.
Back in July, after the bulk of the world were exiting the theatres after seeing The Dark Knight, we were all hoping and praying, that the late Heath Ledger’s staggering, spine tingling performance as The Joker would go beyond the Saturn Awards. After Sunday’s Golden Globe ceremony, we realized that sometimes prayers can be answered. Ledger’s performance has climbed the awards ladder and now has reached that pivotal rung which could determine whether he could take home the golden boy. That’s right, The Joker has taken The Golden Globe!
The odds of a comic book villain being nominated for an Oscar seemed extremely slim, even when the critics were drenching The Dark Knight with praise, but now, after the Globes (and the prior win at the Critic’s Choice awards), it seems that Ledger may have a chance.
Some may call it a publicity stunt. Some may call it a pity award. Some may call it a way to dodge a severe public backlash. Of course, those who say that obviously didn’t see The Dark Knight, and they have never paid attention to the impact Ledger’s performance has had. Ledger (with much help from Christopher Nolan) has elevated The Joker beyond standard comic book villainy. They have taken The Joker to a place in film history alongside hardcore reality-based cinema villains like Hannibal Lecter, Dr. Szell from Marathon Man, and Norman Bates. This is a rare, one-of-a-kind performance that would earn this kind of praise regardless of whether or not Heath Ledger were still with us.
In any case, Ledger’s win hints at potential Oscar gold, and our fingers will be crossed when the Oscar nominations are announced on January 22nd.
