"Heath Ledger - - - A Tribute Revisited"

As some of you may know, I wrote a tribute to young Mr. Ledger shortly after his death. Obviously, at that time I could only contemplate the scope of his performance as the Joker from early screenings in the theater.

Now that the magnitude of that extraordinary performance is known to all, I thought I would take the liberty and republish that original eulogy.

Heath Ledger a Tribute (Originally submitted on January 25, 2008)

For all fans of the cinema, the tragic death of Heath Ledger at the age of 28 is a staggering blow to the medium. As with the premature deaths of James Dean, River Phoenix and John Belushi, it is emotionally overwhelming to think what might have been.

At least with Dean and Belushi there was the slight comfort that both lived a life that flirted with disaster. Both's public persona was a mirror image of their movie roles. In Dean's case, it was living on a reckless edge with fast cars ala "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955). For Belushi, was he really much different from his character "John Blutarsky" in "Animal House" (1978)?

But there is simply no rhyme or reason attached to the deaths of Phoenix and Ledger. Both were young actors who had demonstrated tremendous range, and both were only coming of age.

For those of you who think that Joaquin is the talented Phoenix brother, I urge you to go rent "Stand by Me" (1986), "The Mosquito Coast" (1986),"Running on Empty" (1988), "My Own Private Idaho" (1991) and "Dogfight" (1991).

There was always something achingly personal about River's performances, and his death reminded me of the lyrics from Don McLean's classic single "Vincent", "I could have told you, Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you."

As for Mr. Ledger, what other actor could have simultaneously starred in "Casanova" (2005) and "Bokeback Mountain" (2005)? In the former, a movie that never did get its due, he is simply wonderful as the world's greatest heterosexual lover who finds true love despite himself. As Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback", he embodies one of the most unique characters ever to appear on the big screen. That heartbreaking turn as a rugged cowboy wrestling with his sexuality is unforgettable.

To be sure, Ledger was quite fun in the very watchable "A Knight's Tale" (2001) and "The "Brothers Grimm" (2005). His breakthrough performance as Mel Gibson's son in "The Patriot" (2000) single handedly saved that trashy, over the top film about the American Revolution from imploding on itself. Finally, his low key performance as one of the Bob Dylan personas in Todd Haynes's "I'm Not There" (2007) was one of the few things that gave that film some focus other than the extraordinary performance of Ms. Cate Blanchett.

Ah, Heath, we barely knew ye. What on earth did you do that now results in you belonging to the darkness?

Regardless of the cause of death, why did a 28-year-old man have so many prescription medications in his room? If this is the cost of fame, then why do so many people desire it?

As I contemplate Ledger's death, I can't help but reflect on the promos for the new Batman movie that will soon be released. In that movie he plays the Joker, and it is clear that his role is no bland imitation of Jack Nicholson's hammy performance in the original cape crusader film. While Ledger's makeup as the Joker suggests a horribly mentally and emotionally disturbed human being, you can't help but wonder if that was the reflection Ledger saw the last time he looked in his bathroom mirror.

There is a despondency that I feel concerning this kid's death, and I think it lies with the fact that it is so incredibly meaningless. While I know his young child will be denied his presence for her entire life, those of us who love movies have suffered our own loss that time will only partially heal.