Maybe you loathe Jared Leto’s tattastic take on the Joker, or maybe you love it. Either way, you have to admit that it is a bold take on the character. And that, in and of itself, is in keeping with the history of the Joker on the big screen in the modern era — a history enriched by Heath Ledger’s surprisingly dark anarchistic zeal and established by Jack Nicholson.
A giant of a talent who, by 1989, had already earned nine Academy Award nominations and two statues, Nicholson’s big on-screen personality took a back seat for no character and it bled through the white paint and the semi-cheesy dialogue, but it didn’t distract. Instead, it pulled us in and made a song out of his performance as each line was punctuated with his signature attitude.
In honor of that performance and the Joker’s 75th Anniversary, it seemed like a good time to re-experience some of those lines and remember just how good Jack Nicholson was as the Joker.
“You can call me… Joker. And as you can see, I’m a lot happier.”
“Hello, Vinny. It’s your Uncle Bingo. Time to pay the check!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-1GHMNH24w&app=desktop
“The pen is truly mightier than the sword!”
https://youtu.be/X-1GHMNH24w?t=14s
“Where does he get those wonderful toys?”
“This town needs an enema!”
“Wait till they get a load of me!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQn-vulThcY
“Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? […] I always ask that of all my prey. I just like the sound of it.”
“And now comes the part where I relieve you, the little people, of the burden of your failed and useless lives. But, as my plastic surgeon always said: if you gotta go, go with a smile.”
https://youtu.be/8hn-CTSKmeo?t=38s
“He stole my balloons! Why didn’t somebody tell me that he had one of those… things? Bob, gun. […] I’m gonna need a minute or two alone, boys.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF8yxerAtZM&app=desktop
“Shall we dance?”
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