The Dark Knight was and is a great movie. I have never been a fan of “super hero” movies, but I do enjoy batman films; I think it is all of the high-tech gadgets he uses. This movie is filled with great action scenes and a classic superhero vs. villain storyline, but the best asset this film has is the high quality acting by multiple characters, but most notably Heath Ledger.

As read in chapter 10, “the ultimate goal of any actor should be to make us believe completely in the reality of the character.” This is one goal that Ledger hit dead on. In fact he focused on “becoming” the Joker so intensely, that that is what is believed to have been a catalyst for is abrupt and unexpected death. When striving to become the character, actors typically use one of two methods: the inside approach or the outside approach. I cannot be 100% sure which method Ledger used, but it seems to me that it would be appropriate to assume that he used the inside method since he was so deeply inside the Jokers mind. The character of the Joker appears to come so naturally to Ledger through mind and body. The facial expressions and sustained looks that the Joker has seem to be so everyday for Ledger. When analyzing the type of acting used by Ledger in the Dark Knight, it seems as though he used a combination of action and dramatic acting. I say this because he uses a great deal art in his reactions, body language, and physical exertion while at the same time drawing in the dramatic acting through his dialogue, phycological depth, and the ability to fell and communicate his thoughts and emotions. It is pretty evident that Ledger was an impersonator style actor. He left his own reality and personality behind to melt into the mold of the Joker’s world.

Although Ledger did an incredible job in becoming the Joker, if it weren’t for the strong, talented supporting crew, the movie would have been lifeless. Although the supporting plays are put in motion to “support” the lead actors, but they also must fully develop their characters to become brilliant in their own respects.

Since the actors are the ones who have to “become” the characters, it is important for them to have the ability to contribute their creative elements to the character development. In the past it was not as popular to allow the actors to contribute too heavily to the character development, but as the film industry progresses, it is becoming more and more popular to allow the actors to contribute more heavily.

In the first movie review, Movie review: 'Dark Knight': Ledger terrific, from SFGate.com, the author talks about the incredible performance that Ledger gives in the Dark Knight and how it surpasses Ledger’s performance in Broke Back Mountain. The author also goes in to saying that the other key characters become marginalized characters to Ledger’s stellar performance. Despite the deep affection for Ledger’s acting, the author is sure to point out that this film is not a full success, but very dark disturbing detail takes it a step closer.

The second movie review is from amctv.com and is titled, The Dark Knight Review - Heath Ledger's Performance Is Worth Hyperventilating About. Clearly from the title of this review we can tell that this author too is enthralled by Ledger’s performance. It is pointed out that every element that Batman Begins got wrong, The Dark Knight got right. The author points out that although traditional “Batman” movies focus on Batman, in the Dark Knight the Joker gets the most screen time, followed by Harvey Dent, which leaves Batman with the least screen time of all three characters. This is a well received breakdown for this authors as he feels the movie isn’t really about the “Batman” anymore, rather it is about the darkness that is taking over.



Bibliography

La Salle, Mick. “Movie Review: ‘Dark Knight’: Ledger Terrific.” 17 July 2008. www.sfgate.com
The Dark Knight Review – Heath Ledger’s Performance Is Worth Hyperventilating About.” www.amctv.com

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire was more than just a great movie; it was a slice out of Indian reality. After spending time volunteering in the slums of India last year the reality of this movie pulled strongly on my heart strings. I was very impressed with the plot of the movie, how the characters developed as they grew up, and how the directors incorporated the “Bollywood” film industry characteristics; most clearly scene at the end of the film when the actors did the traditional Bollywood dance style. I found it interesting through the readings that actual children from the slum were cast for half of the parts. It is also evident that the directors did a very thorough job of researching the Indian slum lifestyle. It was very helpful that one director was trained to do documentaries; very useful skills in this situation.

An interesting side note: India claims not to have a “class” or “cast” system, but this movie showed just how untrue that statement is. If it would have been an upper cast person to win the million dollars, no one would have thrown a fuss about “how” he attained all of the knowledge needed to answer the questions. Since Jamal was of the lowest cast, the government did not want him to have the lifestyle of an upper cast man. I learned that the cast system is so deeply intertwined into the Indian culture that unless every one completely dropped their last names, the “cast” system will never leave India. I say that because you can tell which cast a person is in by their last name and how it begins and ends. It is very interesting, but also poses quiet a challenge to society and those trying to instigate change.

Throughout our lives we always hear that our life experiences make us into the people we are. This was very true for Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire. In the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” Jamal did not correctly answer the questions that eventually earned him a fortune because of a fancy high class education or some gift of genius he had been blessed with at birth; he knew the answers because of series of unfortunate life events that he was forced to endure as an orphan in the ghettos of India. From Jamal’s point of view it honestly made me stop and ask, “what is a million dollars worth?” Is it worth losing your mother to a religious outburst? Is it worth living in landfills and digging through other’s fecal matter to find scraps of food to nourish you as a growing child? Is it worth the violence that you were forced to witness and watching your brother fall captive to the mob’s world? I would say no amount of money could ever justify that horrific childhood. The injustices that youth around the world face are so unnecessary as there are countless organizations worldwide that are more than willing and eager to help these children to build a good life. As we look at the world today, the reasons that these organizations aren’t allowed into the countries are ridiculous and it becomes a way of a ruler showing that they still control the people. For example look at the current situation in Darfur. Just this past week the leader of the country forced all NGO’s out and has suspended all foreign humanitarian efforts. Why: simply to prove a point, while at the same time completely disregarding the actual needs of the people. This too is seen in India and other developing countries and it is a shame.

It is shocking that this incredible film was almost not showed in theaters in the US. To be completely honest, I didn’t even realize that I had to read subtitles for a portion of the film; the movie as a whole tells an incredible story that engulfs you in the moment. I have attached some pictures from my trip to India, just a look at how realistic the movie truly is.