The Joker explained: who he is in The Dark Knight and what he wants
Spoilers ahead: this article discusses the ending.
The Joker explained, in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008), is a villain with no name, no records and no stable origin. Heath Ledger's version of the character arrives in Gotham as a bank robber in a clown mask and leaves having nearly broken the city's faith in its heroes.
He is often called one of the greatest screen villains. Here is who he is, what he wants, the scenes that define him and how Ledger and Nolan made him.
The Joker explained: who he is
The film gives the Joker no backstory it is willing to confirm. When he is arrested, the police can find nothing on him that says who he is. His face is covered by smeared white makeup over a Glasgow smile, a pair of scars stretching from the corners of his mouth.
He tells two different stories about how he got the scars. One involves an abusive father; the other has him cutting himself. Neither is meant to be believed. The point is that the Joker uses his past as a weapon, choosing whichever story will unsettle the person in front of him.
What the Joker wants
He does not seem interested in money or power for their own sake. What he wants is to show that Gotham's rules are a thin layer over chaos, and that anyone, pushed hard enough, will abandon them.
His real target is not Batman's body but his code. He wants Batman to break his one rule and kill. When that fails, he turns Harvey Dent, the city's white knight, into a murderer, because corrupting the best man in Gotham proves his point better than any bomb.
- Expose hypocrisy: show that civilised people will turn on each other.
- Corrupt Harvey Dent: break the city's symbol of hope.
- Test Batman: push him to break his rule against killing.
The key scenes
Several scenes show the Joker's method at full strength. Each one is about forcing someone else to choose.
- The mob meeting, where he makes a pencil disappear by killing a henchman with it.
- The interrogation, where Batman beats him and he laughs, because violence is what he wanted. Nolan has called it his favourite scene.
- The hospital, where he visits Harvey Dent disguised as a nurse and turns his grief into revenge.
- The ferries, where he wires two boats with explosives and gives each the detonator for the other, with a midnight deadline.
How Heath Ledger built the role
Ledger spent around six weeks alone in a London hotel room working on the character's voice and posture. He kept a diary filled with photos, clippings and notes, including a list of things the Joker would find funny. He read Alan Moore's The Killing Joke and Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum for reference.
The look came from Ledger, Nolan and make-up artist John Caglione, who drew on the paintings of Francis Bacon while keeping the purple and green of the comics. Ledger's voice slides between pitches, and Nolan said the performance was always a surprise.
Legacy
Ledger died in January 2008, aged 28, before the film's release. Nolan did not alter his performance. Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, along with a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and a SAG Award. The performance is still cited as an inspiration by younger actors, and it changed what audiences expect from a comic book villain.
Questions people ask
What is the Joker's real name in The Dark Knight?
The film never gives one.
How did the Joker get his scars?
He tells conflicting stories, and the film never confirms which, if any, is true.
What does the Joker want in The Dark Knight?
To prove that anyone can be pushed into chaos, especially Batman and Harvey Dent.
Did Heath Ledger win an Oscar for the Joker?
Yes, Best Supporting Actor, awarded after his death.