It is no secret that actor Jared Leto was going to be placed under a lot of pressure when he accepted the role as the Joker in "Suicide Squad." Leto was compared to Heath Ledger's Joker as soon as the film was announced. But are these renditions of DC Comics and the Joker, even comparable? I am inclined to say no. Both Leto and Ledger introduced their own twists on the Joker, and they did not disappoint. If you are not familiar with Heath Ledger's rendition, I will first dive into the making and the effect of Ledger's Joker. Then I will discuss Leto's Joker.
(Note: There are spoiler alerts, so if you have not seen "Suicide Squad" I recommend you revisit this article after seeing the movie.)
Heath Ledger, the first to introduce sociopathic sanity to the once humorous, and sort of a joke, Joker. Heath Ledger appeared in the 2008 Batman movie "The Dark Knight." In 2006, nobody wanted Ledger to take on the role (similar to how critics felt about Jared Leto). Director Christopher Nolan received unruly criticism for not choosing actors such a Robin Williams, Steve Carell or Paul Bettany. However, by choosing one of these three actors over Ledger, I am convinced that there would be a lack of progression from Jack Nicholson's introduction of the Joker. This is not to say that Nicholson's Joker was not clever. Nicholson introduced a Joker who was thematic, dramatic and had a circus appeal about him.
That all being said, Ledger became his rendition of the Joker. To best get inside the mind of the Joker, Ledger isolated himself for six weeks. He wanted to know what it was truly like to feel alone with only his thoughts to entertain him. During this time, he developed the Joker's laugh as well. Ledger took the reigns when developing the makeup for the Joker. Since he was taking on a clever sociopath's mind, it was best that his makeup represented that. Ledger created a Joker that allowed the viewers to resonate with him. Ledger made the audience go inside their own mind to question their morals throughout the whole film. Ledger's Joker was iconic, personable and dare I say it ... even lovable?
Fast forward with me a few years here to 2016. DC Comics introduces the first anti-hero super villain movie. If that doesn't enthrall you, think again. August 5th, the much anticipated movie "Suicide Squad" is released. Critics themselves are thoroughly unimpressed with the movie. But why? Personally, I believe that the trailers left an infinite amount of paths the movie could have gone down. People's expectations were raised very high. Going into "Suicide Squad," you are introduced to six new "bad guys," and only a few are imprisoned in a federal facility. This group of bad guys are rounded up into a team led by a man named Rick Flag. The mastermind behind this task force, Amanda Waller, has manipulated these bad guys to abide by her, or else they die. If they fail their mission, they die. If they attempt to manipulate Rick Flag, they die. However, one of the villains gets away. The Enchantress (played by Cara Delevingne) is equipped with supernatural powers, and she decides to take over the world. So here comes the Suicide Squad to basically save the whole world. No big deal or anything.
With Heath Ledger's Joker and the movie "Suicide Squad" all summed up, let's take a look at Jared Leto's Joker. Overall, I am disappointed Leto was not in the movie more! As for Leto's rendition of the Jokers iconic laugh, it comes across as both sadistic and unpredictable. It shares the same build up that Heath Ledger's Joker has, but they are both equally as frightening.
"Suicide Squad"'s trailers built up the idea that the movie was going to revolve around the Joker's evil doings and numerous attempts to save his darling and twisted Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie. In fact, in the middle of the movie, the Joker hijacked a federal helicopter with his henchmen to steal back Harley, and then after that scene that's it! He's gone!
For the scenes that Leto was in, it was a whole new Joker. Leto's Joker serves one purpose in this movie, and that is to save Harley Quinn. So naturally, the movie shows flashbacks into periods of time such as Arkham Asylum, the vat of toxic chemicals where Harley throws herself to show her loyalty, and when the Joker and Harley were essentially Gotham's mob drug lords. Each flashback shows an internal struggle that Leto's Joker has over Harley Quinn.
First at the asylum, Leto's Joker shows his manipulative nature; he only wants Harley so she can get him out. Second, when Harley throws herself into the vat of toxic chemicals, Leto's Joker is about to leave, but he turns around and jumps in alongside her because he truly cares for her. Lastly, the Joker is inherently manipulative and able to corner his victims into a psychological corner before he kills them. Even though you only get three flashback scenes of Leto's Joker and Harley Quinn as a super villain team, they are so thoroughly satisfying.
"Suicide Squad" is a movie that pits bad guys against evil. They are simply not comparable because "The Dark Knight" and "Suicide Squad" focus on different time periods of the Joker (and Batman), as well as completely different plots. "Suicide Squad" was a brilliant movie by itself for showcasing lovable anti-heroes and twisted romanticism. In the battle that critics posed between Heath Ledger and Jared Leto, there was truly no competition. Both Jokers are sincerely dark and and unique.
