This Joke Is Not Funny (updated)

You've likely heard by now that Heath Ledger was found dead today, 1/22/08. I don't mean to be ghoulish, and it is certainly too early to in any way speculate the cause of death, but this is an alarm bell moment. There are two films that are scheduled for future release featuring Ledger, and there's a weird twist of synchronicity between them. Let me state again that this is a total tragedy that I do not mean to make light of, he was only 28 years old and the father of a two year old daughter. No foul play seemed to be involved. He apparently did have a substance abuse problem, at least at one time. He may have been suffering from pneumonia. The description of the scene sounds like a suicide but there is no clear indication of that until the autopsy tomorrow. So unlike my normal posts I write this with no pleasure whatsoever.

It is big news that Ledger portrayed the Joker in next Spring's "The Dark Knight", the much anticipated sequel to "Batman Begins". I'm sure I'm not alone in finding this disturbing and ominous on some indecipherable level. Entertainment Weekly has already stated, "No one will be able to watch [The Dark Knight] without seeing unintended ironies and eerie portents of doom".



Here's what wikipedia says about Ledger and the role:

"the Joker, whom the actor described as a "psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy". Nolan had wanted to work with Ledger on a number of projects in the past, but had been unable to do so. When Ledger saw Batman Begins, he realized a way to make the character work in that film's tone, and Nolan agreed upon his anarchic interpretation. To prepare for the role he lived alone in a hotel room for a month, formulating the character's posture, voice and psychology. While he initially found it difficult, Ledger was eventually able to generate a voice which did not sound like Jack Nicholson's take on the character in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film. He started a diary, in which he wrote the Joker's thoughts and feelings to guide himself during his performance. He was also given Batman: The Killing Joke and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth to read, which he "really tried to read [...] and put it down". Ledger also cited inspiration in A Clockwork Orange and Sid Vicious. Ultimately, "there’s nothing that [is] consistent", as his main objective was to frighten the audience. The challenge of the role put a strain on Ledger's sleep patterns, finding himself unable to rest for more than a few hours each night."

The other Ledger film is just as evocative, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" from Terry Gilliam, scheduled for release in 2009. By the same screen writer as Gilliam's films "Brazil" and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen". It is the story of a traveling theater troupe who make a deal with the devil and lead audience members on a tour of another world through a Magic Mirror. Here's a production still:



It is hard to see the ornamentation above the stage, but I believe that's Shakespeare who, no matter your opinion on the conspiracy theory, at the very least resonates with Francis Bacon. Then to left and right are what appear to me to be black and white striped chariots bearing torch wielding gods and goddesses, drawn by peacocks. The peacock is associated with Hera/Juno, one of the more ominous manifestations of the Goddess. I also heard on the news today that "Juno" is the dark horse runner for Best Picture in the upcoming Oscars, a weird coincidence.

Gilliam was a member of Monty Python. How strange then that the troupe twice produced the sketch "The Funniest Joke in the World", also known as "Joke Warfare" and "The Killing Joke".


Art by Brian Bolland


Art by Dave McKean



Batman as the grim reaper. There's certainly going to be much discussed on this subject as details are released and the underlying symbolism of the many faces of the Joker and Batman are explored.

Update:

In the comments JB directed to me to some photos of Ledger from Doctor Parnassus posted at the forums of David Icke.com. The image speaks for itself:



Ledger as the Hanged Man, a Tarot card of dark portent equaled only by The Lightning Struck Tower. Note the bloody symbols on his forehead, particularly the Illuminati All-Seeing Eye in Pyramid over his pineal gland/third eye. Absolutely chilling. His white tuxedo too reminds me of the black to white shift of the tuxedos worn by the Time Bandits, another Gilliam movie, when they passed into "The Time of Legends", an Otherworld serving as the residence of Evil (see Inside the Map of the Universe).

As we discover the dark aspect of the Goddess underlying this event the punning behind this "The Dark Knight" promotional poster takes on new significance. Sirius is intimately associated with the goddess Isis.



Why so, Sirius?