Heath Ledger Dead at Twenty Eight

Not since the death of James Dean has the tragic loss of a young actor elicited such a reaction. When I cliicked on the link in Google News for the NYT story I was a little in shock from the news. I found that there were already almost 700 comments, mostly condolences and praise from other shocked fans. Many sounded like they were lamenting someone they actually knew, rather than a movie actor. I understand this rather peculiar reaction all too well.

I “knew” Ledger mostly from his work in “A Knights Tale”, which I viewed three or four times on cable, and “Brokeback Mountain”, which I’ve seen fifteen times. My reaction to Brokeback was uncharacteristic. Because of Katrina, I hadn’t seen BBM at a theater. Around 6 months after its release I finally had some free time, and I ordered it on PPV one Sunday afternoon. I had already been warned that it was a long movie, and being a lover of Sci Fi and action films I wondered if it could hold my attention for two and a quarter hours. I was enthralled by the film from scene one. The score, the cinematic imagery, the acting, the story and the characters just grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go. I hardly blinked. When it was over, (this is the first time I had ever done this) I had to watch the entire movie, again, right away.

Ledger played Ennis Del Mar, about whom the story was centered. Jake Gyllenhal played opposite Ledger in the role of Jack Twist, and his performance was also more than noteworthy. But Ledger pulled me into his character in a very personal way, and not because of biographical similarities. On the contrary, he lived in a world foreign to this NYC native. His tormented anima was apparent in every facial expression and gesture, burning in every scene right beneath the surface of his cowboy stoicism and his angry machismo. This was a young man of singular talent and empathy. He seemed to crawl inside his characters without compass or light, ever in danger of getting lost in there.

The musical score by Gustavo Santaolalla is perfection. Hearing just the first few notes of it now brings back the emotional firestorm that is this film. The story from Pulitzer Prize winner, Annie Proulx first appeared as a wonderful short story in New York magazine, and it is handled quite deftly by screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana.

To me it is Ledger’s command of the roles he played which made him a great actor, and the personal connection he forms with the audience which will make him a legend.

 Below is his bio from the film’s official web site, and so it does not include his work after that landmark film. At the end of this post you will find links to web sites about Mr Ledger.

Heath Ledger was born and raised in Perth, Australia.

At the age of 10, he enrolled in the local theater company. While performing on stage, he also began landing roles on such Australian television series as Clowning Around, Bush Patrol, Corrigan, Ship to Shore, and Home and Away.

In 1997, Mr. Ledger starred in an American television series, Roar, which was filmed in Queensland, Australia. The series landed him an American talent agent, and he decided to make his move to America.

He returned to Australia to star in Gregor Jordan’s award-winning feature Two Hands. Back in America, starring roles in four major films soon followed: the popular comedy 10 Things I Hate About You(opposite Julia Stiles for director Gil Junger); Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster The Patriot (alongside Mel Gibson); Brian Helgeland’s hit A Knight’s Tale; and the Academy Award-winning Monster’s Ball (with Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry for director Marc Forster).

Mr. Ledger’s subsequent films include Shekhar Kapur’s The Four Feathers, Brian Helgeland’s The Order, Gregor Jordan’s Ned Kelly, Catherine Hardwicke’s Lords of Dogtown, and Terry Gilliam’s The Brothers Grimm.

He next stars in Lasse Hallstrom’s Casanova, as the legendary title character. Mr. Ledger also recently returned to Australia to make a new independent feature, Neil Armfield’s Candy (with Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKa-aDga1fE

Janeway and Sisko

In my Peter Pan world, Hillary and Barack are like Captains Janeway and Sisko of the Democratic Party; maybe even the whole country.

Janeway has only two quasi romantic encounters during the eight years of Voyager; one Platonic, and the other, only after most of her memory was erased. Her fiancè, however had moved on to another woman, after having waited four years. She was stoic, chaste, strong, and principled but falsely maligned by some of the Delta quadrant species.  She never failed her crew, but she was stubborn to a fault, and almost precipitated Chakotay’s defection, more then once. Her fierce determination to reach a goal, once she had selected one, was her greatest weakness. Even in the face of the greatest tragedy, such as the death of a crew mate, she never wept, only mustering enough tears to barely make her eyes glisten.

Sisko is virile and ruggedly handsome, and has a rich, smooth voice. He started at Deep Space Nine as a commander, but later was promoted to Captain. (Janeway was made an Admiral shortly after her return from the Delta quadrant.) Sisko was not simply a Star Fleet officer, though. He was considered to be”the Emissary” by the Bejoran, a vaguely spiritual and decidedly diplomatic role. He was loved by his colleagues, and seemed more capable of intimacy than Captain Janeway. He was able to encourage cooperation of a Cardassian, three Ferengi, a shape shifter, and several Bejorans, among others. While both Captains were all about diplomacy, Janeway drew a line beyond which nothing was subject to negotiation.

In this scenario, Condi is more like Uhuru (a token), and I guess Dick Cheney is Kahn. Bush’s head is like the Void, while Karl Rove reminds me of the Borg. NeoCons appear to be like the Dominion.