The Dark Knight - Creating the Ultimate Antagonist

Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker is universally celebrated-and with good reason-but there is more to the character than his excellent performance. In this video I analyze what makes The Joker the perfect antagonist for The Dark Knight.
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0:00 Introduction
0:56 Exceptionally Good at Attacking the Hero's Greatest Weakness
2:57 Pressuring the Protagonist into Difficult Choices
5:35 Competing for the Same Goal as the Protagonist

[@RookieN08]

It is fuckin hillarious how a clown is a lot scarier than villains with superpower.

[@Angryblonde]

Because he could be real, fictional supervillians arnt that scary

[@kryo1]

Superpowers aren't scary at all. A psychopathic clown who doesn't fear pain, and instead finds it humorous, is scary.

[@SteveJobzz]

I disagree..well written supervillains are just as scary! If the villian just blows stuff up like in most movies, then they aren't as scary!

[@htf5555]

Reminder that the Joker destroyed Superman in Injustice.

[@Cassiopeian4eva]

I think its because it's kinda realistic. Having a maniac terrorize the city could happen, but someone flying around that is basically immortal is not.

[@AM-sp6je]

"Is it because of Heath Ledgers excellent performance?" "Yeah" Hahahaha true that

[@LessonsfromtheScreenplay]

:P

[@joshnorwood8]

I scrolled down for longer than I'd like to admit to see if someone else posted about this.

[@Just_JoshE]

Abhishek Muralidharan Excellent editing lol

[@prn_Melatonin]

Definitely.

[@bibinb7085]

Hello from kerala

[@osmium6832]

Joker: "I think you and I are destined to do this forever." Considering how often this movie is rewatched and reanalyzed by fans, this is very true in a meta way.

[@joeofmacabre07]

Maybe if Ledger didnt die, he might be doing the third one

[@user-ce2wz2ki6z]

darkness/universe and light/stars

[@SciFiPhiChiPsi]

It's also I think a (meta)reference to the different incarnations of Joker and Batman that we see in the comics and films, the way that their conflict keeps being told and retold

[@Alpha-bt9bh]

That line makes me sad af

[@trollhunter2157]

@@joeofmacabre07 he was supposed to have a cameo in the third but you know what happened..

[@omwda2412]

I’d argue that one of the things that makes Ledger’s Joker so compelling is how subtly his weaknesses and motivations are revealed to the audience. Only at the very end of the movie, when the people on the ferries do not try to kill each other, the Joker looks lost for a fraction of a second. That’s when it clicks with the audience how the Joker desperately wants to believe that his ruthless cynicism and loneliness is justified

[@MystikalScopeProductions]

OMWDA yeah he looked so lost when he realized the people didn’t turn on each other. Tried to force crazy and unless you’re inherently crazy it takes quite a bit to break

[@ShadyRonin]

Damn. That last line about justifying his cynicism was deep.

[@markcobuzzi826]

It kind of reminds of “The Killing Joke” graphic novel, where the Joker is nearing the end of his monologue, after Batman just rescued Gordon from his social experiment, and he starts to slowly have doubts. He laments, “...so why can’t you see the funny side? Why aren’t you laughing?”.

[@BradTheDead]

And what's especially great about that moment is that he still prepared for it with his manual detonator. It was a wholly an emotional slip-up, but as-such it was perfectly enough.

[@dariushcreates]

Also Batman added salt to the wound by saying "What are you trying to prove? That everyone is as ugly as you? YOU'RE ALONE!"

[@hamman_samuel]

"The joker isn't a great villain because he has an insane laugh and acts unpredictably". Tell that to Jared Leto fanboys

[@rexnoct5810]

Hamman Samuel Jared leto was the worst joker.

[@Hunk62]

Not like the DCEU is pretty much a pile of shit already, Jared Leto is fucking destroying it. I don't want to see him as Joker ever again.

[@soulcaliber98mj]

you mispelled fangirls

[@momoca-kun]

Why are people even blaming DC, it's Warner Bros who are producing these movies. If DC has full control on these movies, they'll put in their greatest comic book writers as consultants

[@sithkiller4113]

Me: *claps* FUCKIN ROASTED!!!

[@TimChaos5]

Seeing the Joker's grin fading away when he realizes neither of the ferries detonated the other is more satisfying than any of the punches in Man of Steel

[@sinamadani8317]

theres more to man of Steel than punches. but if that's all you saw I recommend watching it again but with a different mind set.

[@sinamadani8317]

+Wofflemaker I would disagree in the sense that if you take the word "superman" out of it, it's a really cool Sci Fi about an alien trying to fit in amongst society, and having to choose between his origin planet and his home. i thought it was good stuff, btw Snyder directed watchmen in case you didn't know, and that's widely considered to be one of the most philosophical super hero movies there are.

[@emidom2004]

That's because it's Alan Moore's Watchmen and you can put Schumacher to direct that and it's still going to be the most philosophical super hero movie. But I thought it could've been much better in the hands of a different director... Watchmen was too Snyder for me, it was too much: the action, the music, the whole "cool vibe"... It was too cool. To me, Watchmen wasn't supposed to be cool. But again, they needed it to sell. That's why I get it that Moore hates it.

[@ultimateblaze23]

Don't like the back handed MOS insults. It's one of the best superhero origin movies ever made, better than Batman Begins.

[@ultimateblaze23]

***** Not for me. Good film but I think it's aged quickly. It's more safe. DCU Clark is a better character and Zod is a far better villian than Iron Mongerer.

[@SidneyJupiter]

“Was it just heath ledgers excellent performance?” “Yeah” Well that was probably the shortest video essay I’ve heard in my entire life

[@mors9254]

LMAO

[@saygoodbyetofate]

This made me LOL

[@GeorgiaAndrea]

Even that "yeah" was perfectly executed. What else can we say?

[@Khedaar]

that got me realyl hard, because I thought that at the exact same moment

[@cheriecheung5889]

that part got me lmaoo

[@marccosta7376]

Imagine spending hours lifting weights and practicing martial arts, and when you finally have your opponent face to face and you throw a punch to him as hard as you can he starts laughing again and again. The feeling of desperation has to be so vast. The plot in this movie is top notch.

[@Rock_Trivia]

Hey guys, I just uploaded a video on my channel on the real meaning behind the Dark Knight. It’s an incredible video that I spent a lot of time making and I would appreciate it if you guys checked it out! It really would mean a lot to me and I’m sure everyone would enjoy it! Thank you so much in advance! I hope everyone stays safe and stays well! Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4PPaXmLebd1ig

[@triviaguh4006]

And you won’t kill him

[@leviroch]

Someone's never gotten into a physical altercation with a methfiend lol

[@cabshdun]

"Is it just Heath Ledger's excellent performance?" "Yea." Love it XD

[@Thaddius0]

that was such a perfect joke, i loved it

[@DarlingPhenylethylamine]

It's not even a joke though, it's unabashedly true. He was a beautiful actor. So true and raw. This to me, the Joker performance, isn't even his best, which is saying something. It's up there, it's close, but for me I'll always hold dear his performance in Candy. It's a film that has a greater effect on me, an emotional effect. Magical film.

[@DarlingPhenylethylamine]

Okay so 'unabashedly' isn't the word I was looking for. Oh well, it sounded good.

[@TripleTSingt]

"Is it just Heath Ledgers excellent performance?" - "Yaa…"

[@zontzoit6539]

1000 likes .. thank me later ♡

[@chrisplissken4626]

And Nolan's excellent writing as well

[@samanthacross9383]

I was just about to comment best use of his “Yeah...” on the Internet ever

[@Akrna47]

That 'yeah' context had me laughing real good

[@darkwolf1739]

@@chrisplissken4626 ledger actually improvised a good chunk of the movie even putting on his own make up

[@JohnCine]

The most intelligent Batman movie.

[@calvinheydemann7164]

@@saberiandream316 Well technically Batman didn`t kill Ra's, at least not on purpose because they fought and Ra's gets hit by a wooden beam and than dies, if I remember correctly. It is not like he killed him on purpose. But you're right, The Dark Knight is definetly better than Batman Begins

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

Actually, who cares if Batman did or didn't kill Ra's? He sure as hell killed the shit out of all those ninjas, not to mention the guy driving the garbage truck in the tunnel scene in The Dark Knight! Plus he sure as fuck kills Harvey Dent, doesn't he? And don't even get me started on all the people he kills in The Dark Knight Rises! Really, Batman's "one rule" served a great purpose in setting him up as a character who is the Joker's antithesis, in the way he stalwartly clings to at least a shred of morality, but it doesn't really work in context. That's probably why Affleck's Batman is basically a homicidal maniac!

[@maul5578]

Saberian Dream he didn’t kill him did you even watch the movie

[@pacoramon9468]

Until Joker.

[@horseradishpower9947]

I would personally rate Mask Of The Phantasm higher than The Dark Knight. It hits the nail on the head so perfectly.

[@bradydavis5791]

Truly don't care what anyone says. Nolan's Batman trilogy is nearly perfect in its execution. Not fully, but so very, very close.

[@TheLJShow-ys8wr]

I consider it as equal to LOTR The Introduction: Batman Begins The Conflict: The Dark Knight The Resolution: The Dark Knight Rises We learn who's batman when it begins, we learn why being Batman is not perfect in The Dark Knight. It all comes back and strikes with the resolution when The Dark Knight Rises.

[@RafitoOoO]

If only he had put more effort in the TDKR. The last movie has some errors that makes you know Nolan wasn't trying so hard anymore.

[@TheLJShow-ys8wr]

@@RafitoOoO Kind of like Season 8 of Game Of Thrones 😂

[@MrKrabs-gi8jw]

Rafa Allegretti explain pls

[@RafitoOoO]

@@MrKrabs-gi8jw like in the last fight were the Police and the terrorist are all armed and start to fist fight and stuff like that.

[@thisisridiculous337]

You should say that batman "doesnt kill people" a bit louder so snyder can hear 🤗

[@thisisridiculous337]

Also, this is fantastic analysis 👌🏽

[@TheMoog27]

Batman killing people in BvS is acceptable. Sort of. With the Joker killing Robin they tried to set up that this Batman has given up somewhat. He stops believing what he does is making a difference and instead has become cruel and vicious unlike the Batman we generally know. He kills them now, or brands them so everyone knows what they are. As the old blind guy put it "There's a new kind of mean in him, and he's hunting". That's my take on it, however they just didn't do a good job of most of the things they tried to set up in that movie.

[@thisisridiculous337]

serimorph​ they did set it up so it made a lot of sense, and there were some amazing fight scenes, but until im given an exact look at what twisted him to that point i cant fully support it 

[@gasvia]

Batman doesn't kill. Period. No matter how many of his loved one you take away, he never kills. It's a line for the character and he should never cross it. Snyder fucked up because he wanted to be edgy.

[@andrewdenneno653]

+serimorph the problem is it doesn't make sense, in a universe where batman straight up kills people, theirs no reason for a joker to exist.

[@ttv0]

I hate all the hipsters who hate this movie and can't give any reasons why other than "its overrated"

[@HAL-vm3wn]

ttv0 There are people who don't like this?

[@ttv0]

HAL 9000 More than one would think, the hate is gets is usually from nitpicky or generally stupid areas.

[@rachelb.684]

ttv0 Let me guess, half of the complaints are about Batman's voice

[@ttv0]

Rachel B. Always, every single time it's brought up at least once.

[@HAL-vm3wn]

Mulalo well some fans of the movie, including me, (i can't speak for everyone of course) like it especially BECAUSE it's more than a crime Thriller i think that's better than what the earlier movies tried to be (and i hate the Clooney-one)

[@georgemissailidis1504]

"Batman and the joker are two sides of the same coin." So beautiful.

[@jerrygil1965]

So beautifully true

[@sakshamrao6581]

Also "when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object"

[@tonyar952]

A Dark Hero and a Comedic Villain

[@harukrentz435]

both are deranged men.

[@billytessio6326]

If Harvey Dent is the coin, then Batman and The Joker are each of it's faces.

[@Archimedes_BC]

Batman is nothing without Joker and Joker is nothing without Batman. "You... You complete me"

[@sm9305able]

This is killler

[@Juggernaut_22]

Joker is Fine without any Hero that would counter his self interest. Look Arthur fleck (Joker) he begun to realize things that villians are not made because of their own self interest rather A fucked society will make Great Villians.

[@genghiskhan7691]

@@Juggernaut_22 But that is Arthur Fleck, not Joker. Even when we consider fleck as Joker, there was still Bruce Wayne in Joker. Moreover, the Joker wouldn't be a great villain if it wasn't for the Batman, their hero-villain dynamic is one of the best. And Batman wouldn't be a great hero if it wasn't for the Joker.

[@vahyalakwaga5428]

Only Ledger's performance of those seemingly innocuous words, could make them sound so deranged.

[@nrmlyaroy7135]

@@Juggernaut_22 And Batman is also fine with out Joker the Batman Begins and the dark knight rises are super motivating

[@romervalor9518]

I just understood, The joker actually WON. He achieved everything he wanted.

[@AWSVids]

That's one of the things that's so great about this movie. It had the balls to actually let the villain win. Despite what it says in this video about how this movie COULD have had an Empire Strikes Back-esque ending... I think it very much did. The ships blowing up was just a red herring... the real Han Solo being frozen and taken by the enemy moment is Harvey turning bad and dying a villain, just as the Joker wanted. There's more of a check against it in TDK by Batman taking the blame, but in the end, that's ALSO what the Joker wanted... he made Batman live long enough to see himself become the villain. So he made Harvey literally become a villain, and made Batman be viewed as the villain by the people of Gotham... no wonder the last thing we see of the Joker is him laughing in our faces. He totally won.

[@romervalor9518]

It is sad that third is worse and no mention of the joker was made, especially with empty prisons. That closing of the saga was very coward. Sometimes I think it would happen if Nolan did not have the pressure to make commercial films.

[@AWSVids]

Romer Valor If The Dark Knight was one of those films where everything seems to just go right... Dark Knight Rises was one of those films where everything seemed to be working against it. They probably had plans to use the Joker in the third film, but after Ledger's death, they didn't want to replace him, so they decided to just leave him out of it all together. As the final film in a trilogy, there's a lot of demand to be met in terms of wrapping up the story, being the biggest and most exciting to provide a climax, and hopefully be a good film in it's own right as well. It's a tough challenge, and I think Nolan gave it his all, but it was never going to have the same magic as TDK. Having spent most of the best ideas on TDK, it can often happen that the follow-up to such a great film simply won't have much to work with other than leftover ideas. I think the first half or so of TDKR, up until the fight with Bane ends and that shot of Catwoman behind the gate fades away to black... the movie is actually pretty good. After that, I think the story got away from Nolan a bit. He is a filmmaker that likes to keep things relatively low-key after all, so going for the big epic showdown finale, I think he was a bit out of his element. It is too bad, because if TDKR had been at or near the same level as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, it would have been a pretty perfect trilogy. As it is, it's imperfect, but still great IMO. I think TDKR is still highly watchable, and in the grand scheme of things is a pretty great movie. It's just not AS great as BB and TDK.

[@romervalor9518]

AWS Vids I agree with you, the trilogy is mandatory to see, one of the best movie sagas in history, plus capture Batman and the path of the hero as never had even done in the comic (except for year one and The Dark Knight Returns). It Raised the standards a lot. I remember that in comics, animated series and other movies, presented the challenge to Batman to choose between two lives, and he always found a way to save them all, that bothered me, Did not exist a villain smart enough to create a FUNTIONAL Double deadly trap? I wanted to see what happened when Batman could not do something, to see the day after tomorrow, in the comics the closest thing to that was a death in the family, but there was not a change of batman to long term, due to the constant reinvention of comics. I applauded when Superman broke Zod's neck, proving that oaths and promises are worthless in the face of raw realities. About Nolan I think it contains his creativity in order to make films trained for a more audience, more indie works like memento prove it, or until the origin, where it is observed that Nolan redoubles in unnecessary explanations so that his audience less educated Do not lose the thread, or you also notice that you stop exploring interesting elements so that the movie does not look weird. I see him as a genius in a bottle, which is not completely free due to marketing pressures, which doses the fascinating plots in order of an audience to follow the movie to the end. What do you think about SW VII? PS: I'm not native english speaker, sorry for the mistakes.

[@jetmirk9840]

Am i the only one who cries when this movie ends? Not because its ends, but how perfect this movie is, how everything connects and flows. Starting with Christopher Nolan, Heath Legder as The Joker, Batman, then the perfect soundtrack, the perfect story, the perfect villan.. and more and more. Im sad man.. how his biggest role was his last.. He left so much behind for us to enjoy😞

[@ericofire]

can we all agree that the dark knight was one of the best hero movies of all time

[@WJstudios04]

ericofire one of the best ACTION movies off all time

[@JB-ui1dq]

@koustav chatterjee 2nd best (after Logan)

[@thegaminggeek8504]

Jack Black I'm a marvel fan, but tdk deserves to be number 1

[@user-iy7jo7bq4f]

Best manga movie...

[@seanludwick7141]

One of the best if not the best

[@gracee8162]

I kind of want to see how Sherlock deals with the joker. Logic vs madness. Sociopath vs psychopath

[@vacanus9791]

Freyan Grace Obligacion we’ve seen Sherlock deal with Culverton Smith and Jim Moriarty, both psychopaths. It’s also debatable whether or not Joker was actually born bad, and if he wasn’t, he isn’t actually a psychopath. That being said, Sherlock wouldn’t hesitate to kill Joker. Moriarty was much more intelligent than the Joker, and he was definitely a psychopath, so Sherlock could likely succeed :P

[@KingQwertzlbrmpf]

One of them would die on their very first encounter. If joker dies it would be because sherlock sees through the utter madness and sheer threat of joker and rationaly decides to end that threat immedietly. If sherlock dies it would be because the joker is highly unlikely to compete with sherlock in the same way he does with batman and he would see through the danger sherlock poses to him and just remove it without any care.

[@PassionPno]

@@KingQwertzlbrmpf Pretty sure Sherlock would just shoot the Joker in his head, just like how he shot Magnussen in the head in the BBC's version.

[@filipferencak2717]

@@PassionPno Joker could also do the same thing to him.

[@rockdeworld]

Which Holmes are you talking about? Doyles’s Holmes was focused, but not a sociopath nor a psychopath. He approached crimes with tools the batman in this movie lacks: observation, knowledge, and imagination. Plus contacts all over. I have to imagine it wouldn’t be hard to find a man who goes about in public with clown paint and a purple suit. In any case, it would be completely different from The Dark Knight.

[@coreymckinney6064]

Dude, you just gave people the ability to love their favorite movie even more than they already did. Awesome job and incredible insight. Thank you

[@BehindtheCurtain]

This is so cool. I'm glad channels like LFTS exist so we can learn to love our favorite films even more than we already did.

[@jerrygil1965]

This is everything!

[@Rock_Trivia]

Hey guys, I just uploaded a video on my channel on the real meaning behind the Dark Knight. It’s an incredible video that I spent a lot of time making and I would appreciate it if you guys checked it out! It really would mean a lot to me and I’m sure everyone would enjoy it! Thank you so much in advance! I hope everyone stays safe and stays well! Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4PPaXmLebd1ig

[@monkeyattackedmyass5435]

It's a good film, but if it's your "favorite movie", you've got a lot to learn, and a lot of movies to watch that you haven't yet seen.

[@hemantks4353]

@@monkeyattackedmyass5435 The Dark knight is one of the greatest Movies ever made in human kind. And it's arguably better than Godfather and pulp fiction. Don't act like you know someone lol

[@psychdelicmoto]

This sounds like the exact formula for writing an essay. Great intro. Solid thesis. Then you broke off and defended several points. And concluded with rephrasing of your thesis. A+

[@KaizerMan]

it’s a video essay :)

[@treehavn]

It would be nice if he didnt make it seem like he used a generic high school essay template though. It was just so on the nose and by the book that it took away from the video for me

[@colinjensen8303]

treehavn The reason the “generic high school template” exists is because it’s the most consistently effective way of conveying an idea. The ideas should be the most interesting part. Plus, that doesn’t really apply here any more than any other video like this ever released. You’re just kinda being a dick.

[@treehavn]

@@colinjensen8303 i just prefer a more conversational approach instead of a condescending cookie-cutter one devoid of creativity. Like, if youre talking about how the joker can attack batmans weakness, you dont need to literally recite that statement to me like im a 8 year old. Were all smart enough to understand the point hes making.

[@colinjensen8303]

treehavn If by “recite” you mean “explain why you’re using this quote as an example,” then sure, I guess it’s condescending. The creativity comes in the ideas, not necessarily in the delivery. The delivery is effective at feeding us the creative elements. Like any essay ever written.

[@comicsxheroes7432]

"Batman becomes.. The Dark Knight, because of the Joker" Bro, that part gave me chills, it's so powerful and real!!!

[@mattkhourie4037]

Yup. That line... brilliantly delivered.

[@GlennDavey]

0:12 He doesn't just say "gentlemen" he says "gentle men". Every single line of dialogue was totally studied by Heath, none of it was by accident. A bravura performance if there ever was one.

[@keyokei]

dude when he put that question mark in between the joker and sherlock holmes, my mind started racing.

[@mughwortslongshot4545]

Music Account 5:51 there

[@jobelthirty1294]

Me too. That would be an awesome movie

[@killutia]

great idea for a new story

[@SirThomasJames]

Well... the joker is not that different from Moriarty. Both psychopaths. Both willing to die to beat the hero. The joker is cooler though. Althought moriarty was cool af as well

[@mikehunt4503]

@@SirThomasJames Holmes is more of a sociopath tbh

[@SusanMiles]

"i don't want to kill you, what would i do without you? you complete me." i love this line because the joker so clearly understood the relationship between them.

[@Rellikan]

#relationshipgoals ??

[@spiderpsycho_8887]

"Putting the joker into a movie doesn't automatically make it good" OH FUCK THAT ROAST

[@ramgorthi7827]

Everyone is great..but bale was most underrated for this... afterall he's the best batman...even now I'll accept him as batman

[@maul5578]

ram gorthi facts it’s funny when people act like affleck was a good Batman

[@eem2wavy133]

Maul that’s bc bale has three Batman movies Ben doesn’t even have one.

[@iambuhlockay8007]

Maul he WAS a good Batman though.

[@bartholomewthundercatiii3484]

Alek Blaylock Agree. He just got put in terrible movies with terrible writing. I think if he had movies of the same passion/quality as the Dark Knight he’d probably be the best Batman ever put to screen.

[@CareerKnight]

I prefer Kevin Conroy.

[@shantanu3231]

A masterpiece is created "When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object" .

[@JJS595]

I think you and I are destined to do this forever

[@Whimsy3692]

What I especially love about that line, is that it's not stated who is who.

[@errwhattheflip]

@@Whimsy3692 I mean, it's pretty obvious who the unstoppable force is and who the immovable object is. But yeah, he leaves it to the audience

[@judemiller]

5:49 Didn't know I wanted a Joker/Sherlock crossover until just then...

[@DomenicoFarrell]

i think the reason for the ? mark was because batman is just a version of Sherlock. Moriarty is the joker and vise versa.

[@JohnSmith-dz5oz]

Watch the new BBC Sherlock Series. Their Moriarty is basically Joker.

[@sometypeofbimbo1221]

they have a same idea of 'arch-enemy' concept . yes moriarty (in BBC Sherlock) is just a joker. but i doubt it if sherlock is batman. they have different quality. look alike. but not the same.

[@kashsmith6181]

There actually is a really old one.

[@MythopoeicNavid]

No no no, Alfred is Sherlock, and 007 combined. Fox is M and Iron Man. And Gordon is every film-noir hardboiled detective ever.

[@ross1633]

This is why I didn't like Suicide Squad's Joker, he was like a gangster, he had an entourage, he cared about money, and Harley (a bit). I know there have been many different interpretations of the Joker over the years but The Dark Knight's Joker (and the Arkham games Joker) will remain my favourite because of all the reasons this video made.

[@DubstepGamersCrew]

Well he didn't care that about money that much in SS. In my opinion the gangster look is pretty cool for Joker. The only thing I didn't really like is that Joker and Harley were like teenagers kissing here and there.. no abuse no nothing.. just kissing.. I hope in the future there will be an abusive relationship between J and H. Other than that and the villain of course :D Suicide Squad was a good movie, not perfect but good.

[@Leahbabez14]

+Iwan Yotow right! i was hoping for some knife play or something the joker would never be soo sweet

[@michaelvargas5094]

A lot of the points in this video were for antagonists tho we've only seen the joker in this current DCU as something for Harley's backstory so we can't judge much just yet if you want to talk about this video

[@gohanson27]

so you don't like Batman TAS? That was the Joker we got. A gangster. Heath was a thug with war paint. He chose to be the Joker. In the comics and animation Joker doesn't choose that life.

[@ross1633]

Michael Vargas Although I didn't like Leto's Joker, you're right, we didn't see much of him so i'm still holding on to hope that the next movie he's in, he's in it more so I can judge him properly. I do think Leto's got a good Joker in him. And gohanson27 I don't hate the gangster version, I'd just like to see more psychopathic tendencies in him.

[@tafadzwagonera]

Bale's Batman is so underrated. A lot of YTube reviews make it seem as if Ledger's Joker was the silver bullet to TDK. They ignore the finer details: setting, storyline, characters, production, editing, etc. It is human nature to want to find the pinnacle of all glory so that we worship it.

[@gomjabbar6246]

It's one of the few movies where we can see constants and variables. Bale was in begins and rises. Ledger was not. The Dark Knight was glorious. Begins and rises were not. That's not to say they were bad movies. They're just not mind-blowingly awesome.

[@ANIK5261]

@@gomjabbar6246 hmmm

[@josefcaballero9660]

Batman was only the 3rd most interesting character behind Joker and Dent. Ledger's acting was so good he stole every scene he was in, and Dent's foreshadowing and transformation to two face was just too good. Batman's storyline is kind of generic but dont get me wrong it was also amazing but thw other 2 just eclipsed his storyline

[@tafadzwagonera]

@@josefcaballero9660 I got you.

[@jameswessling6982]

Very well said

[@marinelli2197]

*“I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”* Kills me every time. The Dark Knight Rises with the Joker would have been insane.

[@jadonmiller9942]

One thing you didn't mention directly is that Joker flipped around the locations of Harvey and Rachel. He knew that whoever Batman was, he clearly cared about Rachel enough to throw himself out of a window to save her. Therefore, he knew Batman would go after her, but flipped it around so she'd die, driving Batman closer and closer to the edge. Dude that shit is so genius. Why can't all the DCEU movies be written this way?

[@anthonycameronnajera8471]

They are. Batman V Superman is a genius perfectly made film. In time it will be recognized as such. Every great movie was hated upoon release.

[@jadonmiller9942]

Anthony Cameron Najera PHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@jadonmiller9942]

Anthony Cameron Najera And I thought my jokes were bad.

[@gameboypunk660]

+Anthony Cameron Najera go sit in the corner and think about what you just said

[@jadonmiller9942]

Dr. Dhoom I'm gonna have a guess at how old you are. 12?

[@moniquita720]

I wanna be a writer so this channel is extremely useful.

[@moniquita720]

***** Ok, then I wanna be an effective writer. Thanks.

[@worldsfutureleader5952]

wow, the truths hurts ain't it?

[@moniquita720]

World's Future Leader No. After all, I only expressed myself inadequately. Which is not ideal for anybody aspiring to professional writing, but not painful either.

[@ndoris]

What? "If you didn't born a writer you can´t be a writer" is bullshit, what about Daniel Defoe, Charles Perrault or Isak Dinesen. All of them did other things in their life and were succesfull writers after their 40's.

[@moniquita720]

ndoris Are you telling *****​ or me?

[@oakleyeaston1611]

One of cinema's most unforgettable performances. Rest in peace, Heath Ledger.

[@thenameless_gamer5955]

7:12 "when the villain's plan is to destroy the whole world, we the audience know on a mental level that probably can't happen." *laughs in Evangelion, then starts crying*

[@ANIK5261]

Anime ftw

[@tuttosalve8352]

Meta*

[@AstralBelt]

Humans are given the option of returning when Instrumentality is rejected, so humanity is not wiped out.

[@NitoriKun]

Absolutely brilliant. This video is a brilliant insight into the power of a good antagonist. You, sir, have earned yourself a sub.

[@MichaelTuckerLA]

Thank you!

[@spiggs4588]

Ditto!

[@millietu]

ditto

[@crepinlebo]

I very seldomly sub on youtube but this is definitely one. Great vid.

[@yunggopnikdaballr]

rip heath ledger

[@dunck98]

I pray, PRAY! that Warner Brothers reads this.

[@Dead_pixelz_]

Marvel could take some notes too. Their villains are so weak.

[@z-scart5463]

Yeah, I'd wish Marvel would take notes too, but that ship has already sailed imo.

[@AkbarJohn1]

Honesthedgehog Life, I agree. one exception with civil war villain. Daniel Bruhl did an amazing job and his character was just like Heath Ledger's joker. He pushed iron man and captain america to make choices. He wanted to create a conflict between the heroes. And he did.

[@Dead_pixelz_]

Leo0591 very much agree, I realized while watching this video that Zemo fits more in line with DK joker and I gave a little more respect to civil war. Zemo in my opinion is the best marvel villain so far, Loki would be second but really that's just because Loki has had more screen time than any other villain.

[@AkbarJohn1]

Honesthedgehog Life 100% agreed.

[@natsune09]

Dark Knight, in my opinion, is the best comic book movie. The Joker was a perfect opposite of Batman, but not a complete opposite. Using Role Playing alignment terms, Batman is a vigilante, Chaotic and Neutral. He doesn't look at the letter of the law in what makes a person bad or how to stop them. Commissioner Gordon is the one who usually talks about the letter of the law. The Joker is evil and chaotic. You'd think a law abiding evil man would be the opposite of Batman, like a corrupt politician or a Lex Luther almost. Joker and Batman are different in morals but equal on the letter of the law, they don't seem to care, just as long as they enforce their moral views. So they are on the same level, but different sides of the scale at the same time.

[@Ravenofthedog]

Like Dr.Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

[@ethanlopez4265]

Ravenofthedog or the wise man and the fool

[@ethanlopez4265]

Ravenofthedog or jyggalag and sheogorath

[@mateuszmakowski9974]

IMO Bat is Lawfull Good. He doesnt follow letter of the law in the sense of paragraphs and articles but he does fight for The Law as a concept of order and peace. P.S. D&D rulez :D

[@mr.battle20]

Batman doesn't act by impulse or emotion, but rather by a very strong code and ethic. While he sometimes finds himself at odds with the law, he tries to work alongside it as an ally as much as he can. He is very much a force for good, and is an incredibly selfless character. Batman sacrifices any possibility of having a normal life so that he may remain a vigilant guardian over Gotham. Batman is the very definition of Lawful Good, and is the polar opposite of Joker's Chaotic Evil.

[@felmonmadronio6730]

Heath Ledger's Joker was the most mesmerizing character in any film I've ever watched... He's the bad guy but I just wanted all the screentime on him

[@bellaboo32265]

LMAO THAT SLAP IN THE FACE AT SUICIDE SQUAD

[@Cryofax]

Imagine if all the movies in the DC universe were up to the standard of The Dark Knight. *sigh*. Maybe Warner Brothers needs to sub to this channel...

[@shindean]

They only look at the box office, they assumed this trilogy was making so much money simply because it had batman in it.

[@LessonsfromtheScreenplay]

Yeah :\ I think unfortunately a lot of Hollywood has no idea why their movies are successful.

[@Cryofax]

You see the same thing in video games. They chase after money based superficial similarities. A classic example is loading up a terrible movie with A-list actors.

[@dreamvillez]

only reason ppl hate these new movies is because everyone had become slave to the mcu's disney-like frame and weak villains.

[@shindean]

Kareem Saeed WTF are you talking about, the video above is DC and was one of the highest grossing movie of all times.

[@NenekAtuk89]

" The greater the villain, the greater the (motion) picture. " - Alfred Hitchcock

[@ChrisDodges123]

Sooo basically Heaths joker is the best because of the STORYYLINE and WRITING! I agree.

[@Anubis-xk4ht]

Mark hamil is better than him Ron Pearlman's deathstroke was better than him and van kleiss and that's just to name a few was better than him too I can bring so many other villains better than him

[@genghiskhan7691]

@@Anubis-xk4ht For you...

[@dfgccgggff7963]

Anubis for me, Heath single handily takes this movie from a mediocre super hero movie to a fantastic movie

[@questman7799]

I know that Ben Affleck is a more than able director, but someone should send him this video. Great work man. Terrific.

[@masterpenguin8472]

I honestly think Ben Affleck should direct the next Batman film.

[@vashythewabbit8288]

Master Penguin I thought Ben Affleck was going to direct the Batman movie or I'm just assuming

[@KarthikKasturiThePanda]

He is writing it with Geoff Johns, and producing and directing it himself

[@NEkromanT33]

Honestly if anonye can save DCEU it's Affleck. Unless WB tells him to add CGI opponent for no fucking reason. He's bringing Deathstroke so we could actually get another "civil" Batman movie.

[@KhushiSingh-on6bx]

I'm not completely sure, but I read somewhere that it will be based on 'batman- the red hood'

[@BareSphereMass]

"Is it just Heath Ledger’s excellent performance? Ya." 0:37 LOL!

[@Dest66]

it's true though. put jared lettos joker in this film and it wouldn't be good at all.

[@OMIMmusic]

i can't stop laughing. Fucking briliant! 😀

[@kimmolaine8069]

It's both great writing and the freedom / input Heath had. :)

[@divine1196]

@@Dest66 He was written well but he needed the right actor who could play it who was Heath

[@emperorpalpatine7856]

I don’t care what people say but The dark knight > endgame The dark knight > Logan The dark knight > Captain America winter soldier The dark knight > infinity war The dark knight is the best superhero movie And one of the best movies ever made

[@Adven4U1]

There's only one movie I'd put on at least equal footing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZzWip57r7qUbc0 Best animated movie

[@emperorpalpatine7856]

Adven4U1 🤣 agreed

[@korfrag6865]

I’m a marvel fan but I think Endgame and iw were massively overrated. In my opinion tdk, Logan and ca:tws are all amazing movies, but they are different in almost every way. Tws is a spy-action movie, Logan is a western and tdk is a crime-action movie.

[@MrPantone]

Emperor palpatine do you guys ever shut up holy fuck, these movies have brought DC and Marvel farther apart then they already were, enjoy both or enjoy one and shut up

[@darthnihilus5226]

Ha ,comparing these masterpieces to Marvel?Good joke!

[@snaz388]

When people say this movie is overrated just confirms how amazing it was

[@Adven4U1]

christian baroya That’s how I feel about the LEGO MOVIE 2.

[@bookeblade]

Because there is nothing special about it.

[@yuampi5707]

@@bookeblade It’s very special for the people that like it

[@kpproductions827]

@@yuampi5707 Don't even bother answering such brainless comment lmao. This person knows nuthin about film. I aint no expert myself, but I feel pretty smart after reading that comment ngl.

[@HaldorMaximius]

I once read a comment that stated that the Joker in the Dark Knight was horrible because he had no motivation and that it ruined the story's narrative. Since I'm a generous bastard and I like to help people better themselves, I directed him to this video ;)

[@anjishnu8643]

HaldorMaximius, so those people actually exist?!

[@Boaz833]

I always felt that the rise of Batman led to the rise of the joker. Joker was an extremely insane individual but he probably did not know the proper outlet for his psychosis. Then Batman came on the scene and joker saw himself as the antithesis of that. That is why he modeled himself out of the opposit of Batman. Batman dresses up like a bat which most people are scared of, but he is a force for good. Joker dresses up like a clown, which is supposed to be a good thing (clowns are usually fun and innocent and kids love them), but he is a force for evil. Batman is motivated by law and order, joker is motivated by chaos. I don't believe it's a coincidence that joker showed up in gotham right after the Batman did. When he saw Batman was, he suddenly realized what he had to do: become the opposit of Batman. No doubt joker probably tried in the past to unleash chaos but gotham was already in so much disarray, hardly anyone would have noticed. Once Batman arrived on the scene and started reestablishing order, joker finally had the perfect outlet for his insanity. That is what joker meant by: "you complete me".

[@tirthachakrabarti5912]

Batman dresses up like a bat which most people are scared of, but he is a force for good. Joker dresses up like a clown, which is supposed to be a good thing (clowns are usually fun and innocent and kids love them), but he is a force for evil. -I never realized that. Thanks for pointing out this thing.

[@lambling]

I get what you're saying about the bat model, but didn't he choose the bat because he feared them at first and then turned his fear into his symbol?

[@mrfaderodriguez7473]

Well,....the legacy of joker's caos rest in hands of Batman, cause he knows what Batman truly is, A person who is over possessive about his ideas, ..... Otherwise , put him against Deadpool and u ll see him being holed in the very first sceane as pool doesnt feels same in his views for world, being immortal makes him to sometimes curse life, in that case joker will be caught up by him and as pool is also somehow in the same category, ull see joker regretting himself for this dare, as although he doesn't fears death ,he fears someone a mirror of him, with a even less regards for this world... Surely this not what joker wants from his opposition....

[@MattGarcyaDC]

nope

[@firmman4505]

Mr Fade Rodriguez true true, no one ever said this before.

[@TheMissiIe]

"I think you and I are destined to do this forever" We would've loved to see that... RIP Heath

[@Kevin-fj5oe]

Just the fact that how its more grounded in "reality" than other film is just adding point of how great this trilogy is

[@j_md1148]

I got chills when you said "Batman becomes the Dark Knight"

[@LessonsfromtheScreenplay]

:D

[@j_md1148]

Lessons from the Screenplay your videos are great man keep it up

[@rahulmall3808]

Me too

[@tomwatson3854]

Ahaha great editing: "Is it just Heath Ledger's excellent performance.." "Yeh".

[@antihinduismisbased]

You haven't seen the video have you?

[@Jass.Marttz]

He's just a normal man, it's amazing how that performance can be more impressive and memorable than a superpowered CGI show.

[@alexlee2581]

Batfleck would’ve just murdered joker in the first meeting with him lol

[@kemp9842]

And many lives would have been saved.

[@ConsiderTheCrows]

Jumped off that motorcycle and beat Joker to a pulp yes.

[@jundean5292]

But jokers mothers name is martha......

[@Jonathan-mk8rq]

Before u kill me well you take off your mask and turn yourself in

[@FerMetalHead1]

Jaja yeah! Take that, Bale!!

[@videos4mydad]

Imagine the Dark Knight, but with 4 other villains besides the Joker...what the hell is up with superhero movies jamming in so many bad guys in a single movie??

[@Patrick-pc3vq]

videos4mydad True, since cinematic universes became a trend in movie making recently, studios are jamming in so many unestablished characters into a single movie just to enlarge their universe.

[@dorianv7876]

videos4mydad it would be like having every star wars villain in one movie. it wouldn't work.

[@MrChickennugget360]

well for the record "the dark knight" has for villains, scarecrow, the mob, the joker, and Harvy Dent but it is clear that the Joker is the main villian, the others are only minor forces in the plot

[@Patrick-pc3vq]

MR.Chickennuget 360​ And that's exactly how it should be if you want multiple villains in your movie, be subtle with them. I only recently found out Falcone and Victor Zsaz were in The Dark Knight trilogy which is incredible. Maybe if TASM 2 was subtle with some of the villains like that it wouldn't have failed as a franchise instead of making every villain a main villain in the movie.

[@MrChickennugget360]

Jewasaurus Rex the Dark Knight really did a great job. the fact that it has these "villain of the week" guys suddenly upstaged by the Joker. Man the Dark Knight was awesome, it was one of the only comic movies that i wanted to watch and re-watch i think that that is the failing of many of the Avengers movies, their Villians are not that compelling

[@RinkanFinkan]

I love that Luke and Indiana get crosses but Sherlock gets a question mark It would be quite interesting to see how Sherlock battles the Joker

[@Beatness121]

Honestly, Moriarty in BBC Sherlock is very similar to the Joker. Although I suppose he differs a bit in motivation.

[@earthbjornnahkaimurrao9542]

yes, Moriarty from BBC Sherlock is another example of a great antagonist and very similar to Joker from Dark Knight. Another one is Legato from Trigun.

[@92brunod]

Well Batman IS based on Sherlock Holmes, so it makes sense

[@TheAnanaki]

If you really want to see how that would play out watch the BBC Sherlock Moriarty arc. The characterization of Sherlock and Moriarty mirror that of Batman and The Joker so much all they need are costumes.

[@FrizFroz]

I was about to point that out, too. That's a neat little food for thought.

[@willbrightmore1737]

The best film I’ve ever seen on release by far. It honestly felt nothing like a superhero movie, and thank god it didn’t. That interrogation scene was one of the best I can remember.

[@SlightlyGrimGaming]

How does someone learn to create such deep connections between characters? How does someone write the character pages for these movies. I never really thought much about it till watching this. Really makes sense.

[@Uhohlisa]

Still heartbroken that Heath is gone. Not just because he was a good person with a child, of course (to make it clear I don't just see him as someone who was meant only to entertain me, but a human being) but because we never got to see his portrayal of Joker again, the way it was planned.

[@TheDifferenced]

IF he didn't die, there will be a sequel. A better sequel than the Bane one.

[@liszst]

*Defiantly?* Don't you mean definitely? ._.

[@olstar18]

Seems to me that the bane sequel was the logical escalation for the storyline and while you might not have liked it as much I still thought it was a very good sequel.

[@olstar18]

Seems to me that the bane sequel was the logical escalation for the storyline and while you might not have liked it as much I still thought it was a very good sequel.

[@AlmightyFilms]

I agree @olstar18

[@k.b.9270]

The script is what makes The Dark Knight so amazing. I believe that if that script was put into a batman-comic book as a what-if story, it wouldve even surpassed The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke in quality.

[@Reyeston007]

Nah. Take the joker out of the equation and all you have a is a Mediocre movie.

[@k.b.9270]

Reyes I. Well, that's your subjective view. My subjective view if you take the Joker out: Amazing Crime-Thriller with great cinematography and great story-telling with mostly good performances (I actually don't think Gary Oldman and Maggie Gyllenhaal are that great, but Aaron Eckhart is amazing). Also you cannot take the Joker out of it cause he's literally the reason for the plot to unfold. At the same time, I can say: "Take the Joker out of The Killing Joke." And all you have is a view pages of Batman wandering in search for the plot.

[@wangchung2157]

+Reyes I. GR8 B8 M8 I R8 THAT 8/8 NO H8 JUST BRING STR8

[@HolleWalle]

What makes it great is that we see Batman struggle like never before, those situations were ones that even if we were him we wouldn't know what to do. A villain which wants nothing but chaos is just perfect for a hero like Batman to not know what to do other than kill him.

[@k.b.9270]

***** Totally agree. Bring a tragic character like Harvey Dent to the mix and you got yourself a phenomenal story.

[@cassioalexan]

Man, you brought lights to my mind with this explanation of the coin, saying Batman and the Joker are "faces of the same coin" and illustrating it with that scene in which Batman finds the coin Harvey had left to Rachel. It blew my mind! That scene is a good metaphor between them! How come I haven't discovered this before?

[@zzirGrizz00l]

There is a love and admiration that I feel towards Mr Ledger that no other actor, former or present can replicate. He was truly one of a kind & I hope where ever he is in the afterlife that he has peace of mind and happiness, because he more than deserves it. Rest in peace Heath Ledger.

[@MsZombiechews]

This movie is a true masterpiece, Its rare that people truly appreciate this movie for the true genius it is and not just a carbon copy hero movie.

[@biancanera]

"Precisely." - Alfred :-)

[@The3rdGunman]

Wait....I thought Batman was battling Throat Cancer???

[@stephencrompton4352]

haha😂😂

[@Zip-id7pm]

you ruined it

[@iamaclone9591]

Joker is throat cancer

[@thefactfactory8905]

you made my day!

[@sau-bittu]

😂😂😂

[@AlexEnTodo]

I'm watching from Mexico, I teach some cinema classes in a collegue, I´ve made a shortfilm with an Oscar nomenee, and your videos are just amazing. Be sure I'm going to tell everybody about them and share. Congratulations. Keep going on.

[@bradyward2177]

Joaquin Phoenix is right up there in my opinion, the script he was working with was weaker, but the performance is right up there with Ledger...not better because NOTHING will be better than Ledger, but I think Phoenix stands with it, as a much different but equally good performance

[@Frizzyy]

I agree it was a exelent perfomance deserved the Oscar Heath will always be number 1 for me tough

[@ProlificPops]

I feel like you can't compare their Jokers at all. Both had completely different fields to play on in their movies. One was a crime movie where the Joker has already been established to be the guy we all know and love and the other is a backstory of how a man was disappointed and humiliated by his environment and became the Joker (at the end). Ledger didn't have his own whole movie to work with like Phoenix did so you can't compare them really. We still don't know much about Ledger's Joker.

[@mikej8542]

Joaquin did a great job and definitely deserve his Oscar win just wish todd and Scott wrote the script a little better

[@FerMetalHead1]

That NOTHING is kinda exaggerated, don't you think?

[@bradyward2177]

@@FerMetalHead1 I do not tend to think in general tbh

[@linkenski]

I think I've found a newfound love for this movie. I always thought it was great, but never thought about the Joker's significance to this extent and I actually agree with the points. Kudos for using John Truby for reference. I was contemplating on buying that recently ;)

[@abdirizak7766]

Linkenski one of the best DC movies, next to v for vendetta and watchmen

[@esscee96]

Sherlock V Joker (?) I like that.

[@harshsoni3468]

EssCee96 😍😍😍

[@ilphi08]

Sociopath vs Psychopath

[@lisaellis9749]

Sean Lann True!

[@saipimol]

Batman begins, dark knight and dark knight rises have something which marvel avengers doesn't have. Avengers can be boring when after watching for the second time but this Christian bale batman ain't.

[@slaking215]

Marvel movies become boring and stale after the 20th watch or some shit

[@solitary2]

Marvel Movies are not intended to be deep and garners in-depth thought. Even Thanos, who is largely considered as the best written, pales in comparison to Harvey Dent. The Dark Knight trilogy is far more grounded in reality as opposed to purple aliens throwing moons around. They both achieve their objectives. TDKT achieves its thematic approaches to the subjects it presents with layers of depth; MCU achieves its action packed presentation. When they try stepping out of their boundary (Black Panther), it does not effectively work. Their target audience tries to make it so an average 10 year old could still enjoy it. An 10 year old could not sit through and comprehend TDKT.

[@Bryant_T]

Agreed, it brought the humanity to the character of batman better than the avengers films

[@bored_potato]

Dude, come on. We're all nerds here.

[@KrishayAgarwal]

Your opinion/=/Fact. I could and have watched Infinity War too many times to count. I'm still not bored. But by now I really only skip around to the Joker scenes in TDK

[@chasemcdaniel3620]

The Joker is such a terrifying and realistic character that people in real life are freaking out about a movie lol...

[@jerrygil1965]

That's how powerful Joker is

[@rishiparashar6868]

how about a Hans Landa Analysis? why does he work so well and why is he a character so worshipped?

[@LessonsfromtheScreenplay]

I would love to do Inglorious Basterds. He's such a great character, that would be a fun analysis. He's smart, he's an excellent liar and manipulartor, and he has all the power. A very scary combination.

[@rishiparashar6868]

+Lessons from the Screenplay yeah. I like that character, but I never quite understood why it is considered one of the best ever written or even unplayable. I think what you did in this video is superb and maybe you can help us understand what is it about this character that makes it different from other antagonists and what about it is so unplayable and how this character compliments the plot.

[@LessonsfromtheScreenplay]

Sure. That's something to think about-he doesn't strike me as particularly unplayable. Perhaps it's that he somehow manages to be charming at the same time? But I'll think about it.

[@rishiparashar6868]

+Lessons from the Screenplay maybe it is because he is a character playing a character playing a character. There are layers to him. He is a detective playing a nazi playing a charming polite person... Idk I'm just guessing

[@rishiparashar6868]

+Lessons from the Screenplay a selfish detective I might amend.

[@davemustaine7504]

Wow. I forgot how fucking brilliant this movie was. I must go back and re-watch it.

[@LessonsfromtheScreenplay]

Enjoy!

[@AireJayy]

+UHH NAAHH the Joker is nothing without Batman. Both Christian Bale and Heath Ledger deserve praise for this movie.

[@retardedvaxxedliberal]

1:50 I always loved the Joker beatdown because Batman has 0 power over the Joker even though he's beating the shit out of him.

[@aka626]

when you proposed a Sherlock homes vs the joker scenario i actually had a shiver down my spine

[@OutlawSoul]

even the way the film uses the term dark knight is different than the comics. it's to foil dent, "the white knight," which is what makes the ending so much more powerful when batman willingly becomes the one gotham must hate, and thereby dent becomes the one they love in death. Hope and faith thrive.

[@PhilipTrouble]

Is it just Heath Ledgers excellent performance? "Yeah." I died lmao

[@Johnnyjawbone]

I look forward to the analysis of the upcoming Joker film, in particular, Joaquin Phoenix's performance!

[@BehindtheCurtain]

I've been skeptical of the film, but the trailer interested me! Joaquin is a great actor so I'm sure he'll do the part justice.

[@ravenfrancis1476]

Why? From what I've seen the movie is just "Taxi Driver except the main character is a clown now", you could make the exact same analysis about that movie as you could about any white guy getting angry and shooting up places.

[@MichiganJFrog.]

@@ravenfrancis1476 it's movie of the year. Not what I expected

[@ravenfrancis1476]

Chance I mean, it’s well made, but again it’s just “Taxi Driver Except the main character is a clown now”

[@MichiganJFrog.]

@@ravenfrancis1476 naive for you to see it that way. Sure the central characters have a lot in common as far as their development goes but joker has such a legacy And mythos. This is joker's more realistic backstory and how it relates to the larger than life supervillain. Also this movie is breaking new ground

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

The reason the Batman/Joker relationship works so well, the reason it has always worked, is because, at their core, Batman and the Joker are the same. People always talk about how Ledger's Joker is characterized as a nihilist, but what many people don't get is that Batman is just as much of a nihilist himself. Both Batman and the Joker share the same view: that life is meaningless and random. It is their reaction to this belief that differentiates them. The Joker chooses not only to accept, but revel in the unpredictability of life, whereas Batman chooses to struggle against it. Humorously, this is best demonstrated in the much maligned Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie. In the scene where Batman is about to kill Superman, he says, "My parents only taught me one thing; that life only makes sense if you force it to." Despite that movie being kinda shitty, that one line really did sum up the Batman character pretty well. This is better exemplified in the finale of The Dark Knight. After the Joker corrupts Harvey Dent and Batman has to kill him, Batman chooses to take the blame for it because he knows that the impact of people seeing the world like the Joker (and he, himself) does will be calamitous. If people saw how little the world made sense by seeing their "white knight" turn into a murderer, their faith would be destroyed. Thus, Batman hides the truth from them. He is literally, as Affleck's Batman might say, "forcing life to make sense". This version of the "nihilistic Batman" is portrayed most famously in Alan Moore's The Killing Joke. The Batman of The Dark Knight is somewhat different. Initially, he starts out as something of an idealist. A bitter, cynical idealist, but an idealist nonetheless. Remember, Batman has no concept of criminals behaving in an irrational manner when the film starts; he firmly believes that people are driven by logical motivations. Alfred has to tell him that some people "just wanna watch the world burn". Only at the end of the film does Batman realize just how senseless the world can be. By the end of the film, he and the Joker see the world in pretty much the same light. It's just how they react to it that separates them.

[@SegaGentleman]

Joker told him the same thing when he was asked about his plan. He said he was just a dog chasing a car.. he wouldn't know what to do if he actually caught it. "I just DOO things"

[@darkstuff2744]

Pretty sure Batman's never been a nihilist lol

[@kartikadewi3270]

​@@darkstuff2744Grant Morrison and Tom King batman are popupalry known for his nihilistic personality which somehow misunderstood some people.

[@cnt2495]

I love coming back to this video because it makes me reminisce the feelings and emotions I had when I first watched The Dark Knight. I also love Michael's voice-over for analyzing this amazing piece of art, it just fits so perfectly~

[@mortuusponduus7879]

cmoot “so this is what happens when a unstoppable force, meets an immovable object

[@CLBOO6]

And some haters still claim that Christopher Nolan is overrated and that the Dark Knight was only good because of Heath Ledger alone. Nolan is a genius.

[@marielcordero2625]

Don Cresswell Nolan is a director that sees things in a different way.

[@youisstupid2586]

Jonathan nolan is genius

[@ellyjahgoodson7181]

Its true though. Without joker the movie is boring as fuck.

[@deathgaming4334]

+Ellyjah Goodson are you fucking serious? Stop acting like if whenever Heath Ledger's Joker is not on the scene it's suddenly turns to Batman and Robin That's just fucking stupid and idiotic.

[@jaybook1281]

DeAth GaMing Woah Batman and Robin is horrid, not boring there's a huge difference.

[@TheHobbyistMagic]

Does anyone else come back to this video from time to time? Seriously, this video prompted me to pick up McKee’s “Story.” Thank you LFTS for helping me write better!

[@ComicPower]

I am binge watching all of your videos man. I love these reviews unpacking some of the best scripts of all time

[@ivailo7]

I haven't seen Suicide Squad but just shot of Leto in a perfect circle of knives and guns tells me they got the joker all wrong there. Chaos and anarchy best suits the Joker and I can't imagine someone representing that philosophy having his weapons stacked neatly symmetrically.

[@alansunter2383]

Even Joker gets bored sometimes. People forget that the Joker is about more than just chaos and anarchy for the sake of chaos and anarchy. He does it because it's fun to him. And that's one thing 'Suicide Squad' got right- the genuine joy the Joker gets out of crime and madness. As well as his dangerous unpredictability and mania.

[@jedidiahm9685]

I liked this video's animation on 5:45 when he puts The Joker and Luke Skywalker on the same slide.

[@LessonsfromtheScreenplay]

Thanks!

[@MusicalPlayground717]

Love the question mark with Sherlock. When Sherlock slid down next to the Joker, I was like . . . "Wait, that might work." I mean, they're basically doing a Dark Knight-Joker-ripoff version of Moriarty in the current BBC version anyway.

[@suddenkancho4968]

Well said. Batman is dumb and EASILY manipulable. Sherlock would make Joker swallow hard.

[@keiko4043]

Haha both were played by Mark Hamill 😂

[@peterhassard9122]

I predict a Rap battle!

[@b3hemoth448]

(is it just Heath Ledgers excellent performance " yeah ") killed me bro lol

[@syren4731]

You have the most analytically brilliant way of examining story telling. So much so that your video essays tell are a compelling journey themselves. Well done!

[@eggydrums]

Seeing shots from the first Avengers next to the IMAX ones from TDK really makes you notice just how different those formats look even if both of them pretty much fill our 16:9 screens. Can't wait for Dunkirk next year to experience that WWII on IMAX.

[@LessonsfromtheScreenplay]

No one does IMAX better than Nolan. I'm excited for some good ole fashion 2D IMAX as well.

[@eggydrums]

+Lessons from the Screenplay Indeed. He definitely loves the format. I believe he held a private screening of the bank heist scene just for Hollywood people to see the potential of IMAX for action sequences. Also, the first IMAX theater opened recently in my country so I'm definitely so excited for some upcoming movies.

[@LessonsfromtheScreenplay]

+eggydrums Oh awesome! What country are you from?

[@eggydrums]

+Lessons from the Screenplay Puerto Rico! Watching film and photography content on KZbin every day.

[@Ryancamron3342]

Christopher Nolan makes real Imax movies

[@Zachary_Sweis]

The opening is quite spot-on, but I've always enjoyed TDK for how it portrays Bruce Wayne after the events of Begins, and how the stuff he's dealing with as a person effects the way he conducts himself as Batman. Then you throw Joker in the mix, and it all gets jumbled up in the best way possible. Hell, even the dialogue from the Joker "When the chips are down, these civilized people will eat each other" is brought to fruition again in TDKR (another movie I love for different reasons). TDK is nearly a perfect film, comic-books or not, but my god is this film an incredible interpretation of characters I grew up reading.

[@btetschner]

Thank you for creating this video! The message was very clear by using the text and the video clips. The entire film made much more sense after this explanation. I also find the presentation very helpful for explaining the logic behind what makes a great villian. Thank you so much!

[@Leto85]

I still love this work of you. You're good at explaining the backbones of this story and how it ticks and why that is in such a simple to understand way. I learn a lot from you.

[@themastersmadface8241]

This is why The Dark Knight will always be my favorite movie.

[@coachLukachu]

But...wheres the giant blue sky beam? I thought this was a comic book movie? Surely it must've had numerous reshoots, and gone through at least 2 directors during the process. What about the Gordan, Alfred, Rachel spinoff movies? Wait what? This was made from a single directors vision and passion, with little to no studio interference and no blatant fan service other than what was necessary for compelling storytelling and world building? Yeah like that'll ever work.

[@ishanminhas1]

On a side note, I'd love to watch an Alfred spinoff.

[@nikidon99]

LOL Gordon n Rachel spinoff 😂😂

[@em791]

Well they're making an Alfred TV show in about a year so I guess your wish came true.

[@metaloverload7374]

Lol the director wasn't passionate about the project. In fact he dislikes superhero films. Only reason he did Dark Knight was because he wanted to do Inseption. After that he phoned Dark Knight Rises in because he had to finish the story. Dont kid yourself people.

[@metaloverload7374]

Also can you list COMIC BOOK movies with a giant sky beam?

[@sirens4680]

This analysis is so beautifully done; I had tears in my eyes ❤️👌

[@michaelglucksman147]

Amazing job, I continue to watch this over and over. One of the best channels on youtube,

[@Britton_Thompson]

What makes Joker the greatest villain of all time (I'm a Star Wars fanboy too but Vader can't lift Joker's jock strap) is the unparalleled amount of success he's scored over his protagonist compared to other villains. No single villain has ever consistently wreaked as much carnage on the life of his protagonist like the Joker has. Joker has killed a Robin; permanently destroyed DA Harvey Dent; paralyzed Batgirl; murdered Jim Gordon's 2nd wife; and kidnapped & tortured Alfred. Perhaps Joker's most fiendishly brilliant moment was in seducing a certain Arkham Asylum doctor to join him in his crusade for anarchy. Allow me to explain.... After years of no further insight into the Joker, Batman decided to switch tactics. He thought perhaps using Bruce Wayne's wealth & influence would prove more effective instead of Batman's fists & ass-kickings. So Bruce reached out to the most highly regarded psychiatrist whose specialty was cases similar to Joker, and brought this specialist to Arkham Asylum. Joker deduced rightaway who was really behind this. Naturally, Joker soon did what he does best: spot a person's weakness, expose it, and use it to bring them down to his level. Instead of curing him this doctor went insane too; freed Joker from the asylum; joined him in his homicidally insane mission; and fell madly in love with him. This doctor's name was Dr. Harleen Quinzell; better known today by her nom-de-guerre, Harley Quinn. It proved that even when Joker wasn't battling Batman during one of his carefully crafted schemes from the position of being 2 steps ahead of him, he could still come out on top and inflict damage on Batman regardless of the circumstances.

[@angeryfluuf6514]

I'm going to rant about my own personal theories and interpretations, and my sentences look long on my phone so I've separate them to ease the eyes. For the majority of this, I will be talking about the comic book versions of these characters, and not their representations in the Dark Knight trilogy. Sorry if nobody likes it. I have no doubt that every bad thing that Harley's career implies (Seducing her way to the top(BTAS) Already being a bit crazy(New52/Rebirth) or overall just being an awful psychiatrist(The Batman/Suicide Squad/etc)) were all just lies and rumors that the Joker spread just to cover his tracks. Let's be honest, is Joker really the type of guy to subtly change records without anyone knowing about it? No. In the Under the Red Hood movie, he flat out tells Batman that he wouldn't have done something without telling Batman that it was him. All the more reason to do it. Because nobody, not even Batman, would have expected it. It's too far out of Joker's regular MO. A part of me likes to imagine that even Harley's love for the Joker was originally fabricated by him, and Harley ended up believing it due to Joker's wear and tear on her mental state. I like to imagine every A+ in Harleen's report card being completely earned through hard work. I like to imagine her having several Master's Degrees and Doctrates in the fields of psychology. Her IQ being incredibly high. Her hope for change being endless. Her potential to change Gotham being larger than even Harvey Dent's. While Harvey put the corrupt in prison, Harley would take those same criminals and redeem them to become truely better people. Gotham had a second (or third) chance to be redeemed. And Joker was the one to tear it away, and put the final nail in Gotham's coffin. Think about it this way. In the comics, contrary to the Dark Knight's representation, Harvey Dent wasn't corrupted by the Joker. He was corrupted by common, lowlife mobsters, with the most high profile representation being the Falcone family. Something tells me Joker would have a *very* big desire to want to one up a bunch of lowlife hasbeens of a dead era. And holy crap, he did. All of those degrees All of that intelligence All of the sheer potential that Harley possessed. Destroyed. Gone. Forever. Gotham's last chance to change. The cure for maybe the entire planet. The end to the never-ending war between good and evil. Now a complete failure with Severe Dependant Personality Disorder. I wouldn't say Stockholm because that implies the possibility of escape, while Harley's position is completely hopeless. The Joker ruined her life in all of its entirety. Her reputation. Her friends. Her money. Her pride and decency. Her confidence. Her potential. Her freedom. Her soul. Her intelligence. Everything. Gone. With nowhere left to turn but the man who caused it all. But that's my own wishes and interpretations of her character. Sorry for ranting so much, and for you to be the victim of this massive comment, but I just couldn't believe I found someone else who believed that Joker's corruption of Harley to be the single most terrible thing that he's ever done to Batman's life. If you made it this far, you get an imaginary internet cookie. Enjoy!

[@thomasmacmanus9913]

And basically Harley Q sucks until she kills the Joker for stealing her soul.

[@aceyspud551]

Sal Maroni was the one that made Harvey Dent Two-Face in the comics, or Erin McKillen in the New 52. Otherwise correct, Joker's done A LOTTA DAMAGE.

[@mysticmiserly7732]

I laughed so bad at the jockstrap reference But damn true heath wins the best villan hands down

[@thelegacyofgaming2928]

Only reason Joker somewhat succeeds is because Batman lets him. All Batman has to do is kill him and the Joker completely fails.

[@91MoonKnight]

Basically a better villain than any of the other villains in the MCU.

[@gameboypunk660]

also the best villain DC has so best villain ever?

[@alexanderafonsomartin1031]

+GameBoy Punk probably, yeah

[@TheMogul23]

Basically yeah. Although the quality of the MCU is more consistently good than in DC films, they do seem to have an issue with creating compelling villains. Outside of Loki most Marvel villains are fairly generic and bland. Batman as a character has always had an excellent rogues gallery and Nolan's Batman trilogy uses them brilliantly. It's a shame the DC films which followed cannot maintain that standard.

[@DarlingPhenylethylamine]

Kindergarten cop, what are you doing here? You party pooper!

[@bronyatheistfedora]

It's okay for Marvel villains to be bland because they're all about playfully celebrating the heroes. Depth of conflict isn't necessary, there only needs to be enough to instill doubt in those willing to suspend that meta-level disbelief

[@TheAbhiank209]

This is most brilliant video I've seen about the Dark Knight. I cannot believe despite having seen it so many times, I did not realise the depth of this story. Brilliantly explained. Also, I get chills each time I see Heath's Joker. RIP Heath. Wish he would've lived and given us more works of art.

[@agnessaspichka5904]

Thank you for putting this together. This was incredibly informative and inspiring. Will definitely be watching again.