I just watched The Dark Night, and I’m not going to comment on the lengthy and vivid content, as I’m still a bit wide-eyed and overwhelmed at the moment, and I’m sure there’s little I can add that hasn’t been already widely discussed and ingested by the body politic. However, I did want to make an observation on Heath Ledger’s performance as Joker: did anyone else notice just how uncannily similar his performance is to Marlon Brando in The Last Tango In Paris? Similarities listed below:
1) The kind of wild, almost shoulder length hair
2) The crinkled forehead
3) The frequent licking of the lips
4) The discursive, high pitched voice
5) The crazed, yet intelligent, yet brutal manners
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I was thinking the EXACT same thing. When I saw Last Tango in Paris last night, I was thinking that this is Ledger’s Joker!!!!
I’m glad someone else has noted the same thing. That’s all I could think about when I was watching The Dark Knight.
Now watching The Last Tango will never be the same. . . As if an oversized and aging Brando gettin’ jiggy with the butter on top of a young hot French chick wasn’t disturbing enough in its own right. . .
You couldnt be more right.He could be The Jokers dad!Also,both of them at some point in their movies wear sort of oversized overcoats.I wonder If Ledger or Nolam had him as an inspiration.
I’ve never seen ‘Last Tango’ but im watching Brando in ‘The Missouri Breaks’ right now and I can’t help but see Ledger’s Joker. Pretty cool.
What about the second story/confession about where the scars came from? Scars=inspiration? The whole wife suicide/razor reference seems to be a bit more than a subtle nod to Tango.
Interesting point. I didn’t even think about that parallel. Perhaps an essay on this matter is in order. . .
Hello, my name is Jose and I´m from Spain. The last summer I watched The dark night in the cinema (where Heath Ledger was dubbed in spanish), and I liked a lot the character of the Joker, is seemed to me extremely original. But just two weeks ago I watched The last tango in Paris (also dubbed in spanish)for the first time and I couldn´t believe. I felt a bit dissapointing with Heath Ledger, because both characters were so symilar: the movement of the lips, the coat, the haircut and face, everything. It was Joker like thirty years ago. Today I look in internet if someone else have noticed already this symmilarity and I have found this blog. Now I know it was not only my impression. Bye
Can I get a “what-what?” from Spain! I be gettin’ confirmations from all over the globe, y’all.
Wow, thanks for this post and comments-totally agree. Maybe Heath jinxed himself by copying the somewhat tragic Marlon.
Just watched about the last 5 minutes of Last Tango and immediately Googled Brando v Ledger.
I’m not the only one then lol
From the first scene of heath ledger as joker I kept thinking of Brandoo. Googled joker & Brando, and here I am ….