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The Dark Knight could be a bit harsh

Film // Jim // 29th May 2007

Batman Begins was really good wasn't it? A comic book film that includes nasty drug induced hallucinations, scary Cillian Murphy and a Dawn Of The Dead homage has to have something going for it. Well with the sequel, The Dark Knight, it looks like they are setting the dark-o-meter to the most disturbing setting.

This is supposed to be a picture of Heath Ledger as The Joker, doesn't look all that amused does he? Check the scars. Oooh, nasty. This may not be genuine but it was revealed by some sort of viral marketing web site that I am not quite sad enough to have visited (or understand). If it is genuine then it looks like Christopher Nolan is taking the Batman films in a direction that you would have to describe as "unpleasant".

I've also read that a major reference for the Joker in this film for the director and actor is Alex from A Clockwork Orange. If so, I think it is fair to expect a slightly more menacing and rounded character than Arnie's portrayal of that criminal mastermind with a flair for side-splitting puns, Mr Freeze; "You are not sending me to de cooler!", how we laughed!