Heath Ledger’s Movies

I made this thread to converse about various movies and actors. I really do enjoy a good movie, do you? List some of your favorite movies or actors and post why. I’ll start.

I really didn’t know how much I loved Heath Ledger’s films, until I realized there wouldn’t be any more of them. In his younger days he did two films that stuck out in my mind “The Patriot” and “A Knights Tale”. “A Knights Tale”, if you haven’t seen it, was about a young boy having a dream of becoming a knight. Since he is not of noble birth he could not become one. The acting in the film by Ledger and his film are not perfect, but allot better than to be expected for a man of his age at the time.

I don’t want to give too much away, but the scene where he meets his father after several years is simply amazing. I would highly recommend this movie to anybody.

“The Patriot” was a story of family in the time of the American Revolution. Heath played the role of the eldest son Gabriel. A young man coming of age at a time of war, he wanted to enlist to fight the British, but his father wouldn’t allow it. Against his father’s wishes he enlists and goes to battle. The British attack the town of his family and kill his brother. The father, being a veteran and a revered soldier himself, starts a militia. Enraged by his son’s death, he uses guerilla tactics to fight the British.

A certain scene that sticks out in my mind is one where is arguing with his father about enlisting. In my opinion, it symbolizes the becoming of a man. Something everyone can relate to (or becoming a woman). It was also another great movie of his, with phenomenal acting. I believe this is the movie where he finally matured as an actor, and showed everyone his true potential.

In some of his later works “Brokeback Mountain” and yet to be seen “The Dark Knight” are where, I believe he became complete as an actor. His audience learned his style of acting. Unfortunately we will never know if he had more in him.

“Brokeback Mountain” a Romantic Western, Ledger played the part of Ennis Delmar, a cowboy who herded sheep and other farm animals. He fell in love with Jack Twist, (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) a bull rider and rancher himself. They are assigned work on top of Brokeback Mountain and on a cold night they share a tent, both of them slightly drunk, Jack makes a pass at Ennis and at first he seems disgusted but he eventually succumbs. After that they are separated and get married to women. After several years they meet up again and return to Brokeback Mountain to be together, but only for weeks at a time.

I was astonished by this film, the way they captured the forbidden love of two people so realistically was amazing. The approach the two had to hide it from their spouses seemed cruel, but how could you blame them? They were threatened with death if they came out and tried to be together. So there only place of refuge was the mountain where they fell in love in the first place. A scene that vividly sticks out in my mind is where Ennis left Jack after there first job was over. He goes behind a building and begins to sob and almost becomes sick, he has that feeling of sorrow because he doesn’t know if he’ll ever see his lover again. That is one feeling I never want to experience .I recommend this film to mature audiences only; it does have nudity of both sexes and heavy sexual content. Nevertheless it is one of Ledger’s greatest films of all time.

“The Dark Knight” I eagerly await this films release. I just recently saw its predecessor and it was amazing. I have seen the previews and seems like it will be a phenomenal film.

That is all I have to say about one of my favorite actors Heath Ledger. I do plan to see some of his Australian films like “Candy” and others.