The trailer for the Heath Ledger documentary ‘I am Heath Ledger’ dropped this week, which will focus on the life of the late Australian actor in what promises to be 2017’s biggest tearjerker. Ledger already had an impressive resume of incredible performances under his belt before his tragic passing. Here are, in our opinion, his best five.
5. A Knights Tale (2001)
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Ledger showed just how dynamic he could be in 'A Knights Tale’, the story of William Thatcher (Ledger), a peasant who lies about his noble birth in order to enter a jousting contest. Apart from the fact that it made using modern music in a period piece cool (before Baz Luhrmann ruined did it), the film doesn’t hold up too well. Yet it’s Ledger’s charm and bravado that stops the film being forgotten in the dark abyss of sub-70% Rotten Tomato ratings. The man’s charisma is suited perfectly to the role, and if he were still around today, you can imagine him being the hero of a Marvel film somewhere down the line.
Best Scene
The standout scene here is William’s introduction to Geoffrey (Paul Bettany). Ledger shows off his comedy chops brilliantly and, if anything else, he deserves credit for still being the most charismatic man on screen despite sharing the stage with Paul Bettany and Alan Tudyk.
4. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
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A lot of people often consider this 1999 romantic comedy to be the ultimate first-date film, but you can still be riding solo and appreciate Ledger’s charming performance here. Getting the acting style right for a romantic-comedy is a problem that even some of the best actors throughout history have found challenging. Ledger’s performance as Patrick Verona, a quiet bad-boy who is paid to date the fiery Katarina Stratford (Julia Stiles) perfected the rom-com vibe. He knocks the comedy aspects of the film out of the park, while also pulling off a complicated and secretly-sensitive shy-guy who feels all-too-believable.
Best Scene
There’s no doubt Ledger’s scene-stealer in this has to be Verona singing Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” to warm Katarina’s cold heart. The scene flexed Ledger’s triple-threat credentials, not to mention creating one of the most parodied film moments in modern history.
3. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
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If Bob Katter’s nightmares were made into a film, it would probably look a little something like ‘Brokeback Mountain’. The story of two Wyoming cowboys who fall in love was revolutionary at the time, and Ledger’s portrayal of closeted cowboy Ennis was the first to see his talents properly recognised, receiving a Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar nomination for his performance. Also impressive was the importance that the film held for Ledger. In a recent interview, Ledger’s co-star Jake Gyllenhaal described Ledger’s staunch refusal to parody the performance at the 2006 Oscars. Even as a young actor, Ledger understood how important the film was to the LGBTQI cause, and didn’t want to forsake that for the sake of a few cheap gags.
Best Scene
It’s hard to look past the famous tent moment here. The love scene between Ledger and Gyllenhaal was super edgy at the time, and both stars pulled it off perfectly. Thanks to the efforts of the pair, the scene felt raw, honest and emotional, as it should. It could have held back for the sake of not losing the money of more conservative audiences but it admirably stuck to its guns and delivered something incredibly real.
2. Candy (2006)
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Sadly, like many Australian films, this is one that often goes under the radar. Ledger plays the heroin-addicted Dan to perfection here, switching from subtle to loud effortlessly. It’s easy for a film about heroin addiction to be glum and depressing, but Ledger’s performance is human enough to have the audience laughing in one scene and crying the next. Having already been a Hollywood name at the time, it would have been easy for Ledger to turn this small Australian indie-script away. However, it’s a testament to the man Ledger was that he came back home for this Australian indie-gem.
Best Scene
For the sake of pure-comedy alone, the ATM scene is the stand-out moment here. At first, it appears Dan may be actually leaving his old ways behind and giving a victim back his stolen wallet. Only as the scene progresses is his genius plan revealed in a scene that pulls off being both hilarious and sad at the same time
1. The Dark Knight (2008)
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It’s always cliché to pick this one, but it’s hard to deny that The Joker is not just Ledger’s greatest performance, but one of the greatest cinematic performances of all time. Ledger’s Joker is so terrifying, so unpredictable and so deliciously compelling you might not even notice that Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart are also sometimes on the screen. On occasion, a posthumous Oscar can feel a little forced, but Ledger’s awarding of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2009 for his performance as The Joker was all-too-deserving. It’s always intimidating to take on a role that someone has already made their own. Such was the case with Ledger taking on the Joker with Jack Nicholson’s performance as Batman’s greatest nemesis already redefining the role in Tim Burton’s 1989 take on the caped crusader. Ledger not only succeeded, but became the face to the name of The Joker in a performance that caused even the most hard-to-please audiences to wonder what the greasy-haired villain would do next.
Best Scene
It’s hard to choose a best moment of Ledger’s performance when every scene tops the last. For the sake of not being the millionth person to talk about the “interrogation” scene, I’m going to go with the mob scene here. The Joker's terrifying and hilarious introduction is made even better by the excellent reactions of the mob, who go from laughing to terrified in a matter of seconds. Also worth noting is The Joker’s “magic trick” of slamming an unlucky thug's face into a pencil. The poor guy just happened to be walking around the wrong table at the wrong time when he took that grey-leaded L.
